meet dr. leslie drapiza

Leslie Drapiza, MD (she/her), is a board-certified Family Medicine physician.

After working in primary care for over 17 years, I have witnessed our community struggle with worsening anxiety and depression, exacerbated exponentially by the Covid-19 pandemic. I watched my patients try and fail numerous conventional treatments and began looking for a different way. I found the research on psychedelics too encouraging to ignore. I decided to pivot my career to focus on providing mental health treatment in the form of psychedelic assisted therapy. I believe you cannot effectively heal the body and ignore the health of the mind and spirit. Just like our body knows how to heal itself, so do our powerful minds. We just get stuck sometimes. I am committed to expanding access to those who have barriers to care and have been disadvantaged by our broken medical system. I look forward to partnering with you, to help you reconnect your mind, body and spirit and discover your potential for healing.

TRAINING/EDUCATION:

Board certified Family Physician (American Board of Family Medicine)

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy: Polaris Insight Center

Psilocybin Facilitator Training: Innertrek graduate

Wilderness Medical Society: Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (in progress)

Fellowship in Obstetrics and Women’s Health: Women’s Hospital of Greensboro (North Carolina)

Residency: Florida Hospital Family Medicine Residency (Now Advent Health)

Medical School: Loma Linda University School of Medicine (Doctor of Medicine)

Undergraduate: University of South Florida (BS in Medical Technology)

photography: Elyse Estrada

 FAQs for ketamine therapy

  • This begins with filling out a contact form. Dr. Drapiza will then reach out to schedule a 20 minute informational call to discuss your history, interest in treatment and goals.

    If using insurance, once coverage is verified, you will be scheduled for an intake visit.

    Dr. Drapiza uses the Osmind platform for consent forms and communication. You will be sent an invitation to join.

  • You will meet with Dr. Drapiza at her office for at least an hour to get better acquainted. She will review your history in further detail and you will have an opportunity to ask any questions and see the treatment space.

  • Sessions are typically 2-3 hours long. You will need transportation to and from the appointment. This will be scheduled for a day when you do not have to work or drive and can return to a calm, supportive environment. The first 15-30 minutes are a check in, followed by a 45-60 minute Ketamine infusion. The remaining time will be spent starting to process and integrate the experience.

  • Integration is the process of meaning making and how to incorporate the experience into daily life. Some studies show that Ketamine alone can be effective for decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, Dr. Drapiza uses a more holistic approach and believes in helping you dig deep into your story and how to find the best way to move forward. She will take notes during your sessions and share them with you. You can also continue this process with your therapist or other mental health providers.

 FAQs for psilocybin services

  • Unfortunately, at this time they are not. Oregon was the first state to legalize the use of Psilocybin for health and well-being. At Gather Psilocybin Community Service Center, we have plans to participate in several studies to prove safety and improved mental health for our clients. Once more safety data exists, we hope that services will be covered by insurance companies. However, change is slow.

  • It is well known that psilocybin has been available in the underground for many years at a much lower cost. Service centers provide a level of safety for those that have never experienced psychedelics or have medical issues and are unsure if they can be used safely. For those who have never experienced psychedelics, being compassionately witnessed is a component of the healing process. Currently, many medical providers are uninformed or uncomfortable discussing psilocybin treatment with patients. Service centers are NOT medical centers, however, there are now medical professionals and licensed therapists that are involved in and passionate about making this available to clients.

  • In Oregon, the training and licensure process is costly. Most training programs are $7-10K. Licenses for facilitators is $2K a year and service centers $10K a year. Some of this cost is transferred to the client. We hope that with time, these costs will decrease.

  • As the current regulations are written, Dr. Drapiza is not allowed to use her medical license while in the role of a psilocybin facilitator. However, the knowledge and experience stays with her. Facilitators can be from various backgrounds and this allows the client to find the one that resonates with them the most. In the future, Oregon will move to a “dual-licensure” model and this aspect will be less confusing.