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The Way Out is Through

Therapy and Experiences for purpose-driven individuals.

When familiar strategies stop working, it can be a sign that something deeper is asking for attention. My work supports people who are ready to face what’s underneath with care, curiosity, and a steady guide toward integration and lasting change.

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Michael VanderWaal, LCSW, LMSW

I work with purpose-driven people navigating trauma, grief, burnout, and major life transitions. Many of my clients are capable and high-functioning, yet feel internally stuck or overwhelmed and are seeking deeper, more meaningful change. Others are struggling more acutely and need steady, deliberate support to move out of entrenched patterns and regain a sense of stability.

My approach is trauma-informed, relational, and rooted in connection. Together, we create space to understand the patterns shaping your inner-world and move toward greater clarity, ease, and wholeness. I offer in-person ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) and walk-and-talk therapy in Ann Arbor, as well as telehealth for talk therapy and KAP across Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana, and Florida.

I’ve been a psychotherapist for over 7 years and a KAP provider for 5 years. In addition to my clinical work, I serve as Director of People at NOLA AI and am the founder of Beyond Retreats and Caring Practitioners Circle.

This is a space for care, curiosity, and real transformation. I’ll meet you where you are and walk beside you as you move forward.

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What I Offer:

I offer trauma informed psychotherapy and integrative experiences for people seeking deeper healing, clarity, and meaningful change. My work supports individuals navigating trauma, grief, burnout, life transitions, and spiritual questions, whether they feel quietly stuck or deeply overwhelmed.

Services include individual therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, psychedelic integration, hypnotherapy, walk-and-talk therapy, and therapeutic retreats. All of my work is collaborative, paced, and grounded in safety, connection, and integration.

  • Trauma informed psychotherapy for individuals navigating emotional distress, identity questions, and life transitions. My work is relational, depth oriented, and tailored to your needs, blending traditional talk therapy with experiential and somatic approaches.

    Common areas of focus include:

    • Anxiety and social anxiety

    • Depression

    • Trauma and PTSD

    • Burnout and compassion fatigue

    • Stress and work related challenges

    • Self esteem and identity exploration

    • ADD and ADHD

    • Substance use

    • Grief and loss

    • Career counseling and life transitions

    • College mental health

    • Spirituality and religion

    • LGBTQIA plus affirming care

  • KAP combines ketamine treatment with structured therapeutic support before and after medicine sessions. This work includes preparation, ketamine sessions, and integration, with careful attention to safety, pacing, and long term change.

    KAP can help reduce symptoms of depression, trauma, anxiety, and emotional rigidity while creating space for new perspectives and deeper emotional processing. The therapy component is central to the work, helping translate the experience into meaningful and lasting shifts.

    KAP is offered in person in Ann Arbor, MI and via telehealth in MI, MO, LA, and FL, where clinically appropriate.

    This approach can be especially supportive for:

    • Treatment resistant depression

    • Trauma recovery

    • Spiritual emergence

    • Existential concerns

    • Breaking long standing emotional patterns

  • Psychedelic integration therapy supports people in making sense of past or recent psychedelic experiences, whether those occurred in clinical, retreat, ceremonial, or personal contexts. This work does not involve the administration of medicine, but focuses on understanding, grounding, and integrating insights into everyday life.

    Integration can be helpful for processing difficult or confusing experiences, navigating spiritual emergence, working with insights or emotional material that surfaced, and aligning experiences with values, relationships, and daily functioning.

    This service is available via telehealth across multiple states and can be offered as standalone work or alongside other forms of therapy.

  • I design and facilitate therapeutic retreats and intensives that offer extended time and space for deeper work. These experiences blend psychotherapy, psychedelic integration, nature based practices, and community support to foster meaningful reflection, healing, and renewal.

    This includes:

    • Multi day retreats

    • Small group intensives

    • Psychedelic integration retreats

    • Workshops and experiential groups

    I am the founder of Beyond Retreats, a nature based retreat company offering therapeutic experiences across the country.

  • Walk and talk therapy takes place outdoors, side by side, rather than seated in an office. Movement and nature can support grounding, openness, and emotional regulation, and many people find this format less intimidating and more natural.

    Available in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

  • Trauma focused hypnotherapy and experiential approaches support access to unconscious patterns, inner resources, and emotional processing beyond cognitive insight alone. This work is gentle, collaborative, and grounded in consent and safety.

    Often integrated with:

    • Parts work and Internal Family Systems

    • Breathwork

    • Nervous system regulation

    • Mind body awareness

    • Habit change and emotional resilience

  • I provide clinical supervision for Michigan licensed clinicians, with a focus on trauma informed care, psychedelic integration, and depth oriented practice. Consultation is also available for therapists, organizations, and practitioners seeking support around complex cases or program development.

  • Beyond therapy, I engage in education, community building, and creative projects that support healing at both the individual and collective level. This includes teaching, speaking, training, and consulting work, as well as my role as Founder of Caring Practitioners Circle.