Therapeutic & Psychiatric Approach
By integrating medical, psychological, transpersonal, and relational approaches, Dr. Cardenas offers a holistic and adaptive model of psychiatric care, specially tailored for healthcare professionals, mental health providers, educators, and psychedelic facilitators. His attuned and targeted interventions are designed to help clients develop a bolstered and more resilient sense of self, enhance their personal and professional agency, and deepen their overall sense of meaning and well-being.
If you are interested in learning more about the foundational perspectives that inform his practice, please read on.
A Psychological & Spiritual Lens
Phenomenological Contextualism
Grounded in deep listening and sustained empathic inquiry, this overarching approach follows your lead to broaden, deepen, and make meaning of your experience. Like selecting the right-sized flower pot for a growing plant, Dr. Cardenas flexibly integrates the perspectives most relevant to each stage of your journey, ensuring they nurture your growth until it’s time for the next pot
Self-Psychology
Tracking the unmet developmental needs a client may be expressing within the therapeutic relationship and providing a contrasting relational experience to support growth.
Attunement & Attachment Theory
Using his own nervous system to empathize, recognize, translate, and co-regulate a client’s experience. Exploring relational histories and expectations, while providing a safe and reliable therapeutic relationship that serves as a foundation for more rewarding personal relationships.
Hakomi Therapy
Honoring the multiple layers of subjective experience—physical, behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual—without placing any single domain above the others.
Jungian Psychology
Attending to archetypal, symbolic, and transpersonal dimensions of a client’s experience within the therapeutic container.
Psychedelic & Empathogen-Informed
Drawing from research, clinical frameworks, and experience with non-ordinary states in both harm reduction and legal settings, Dr. Cardenas supports individuals in understanding, integrating, and making meaning of transformative, existential, and spiritual experiences.
A Biological & Medical Lens
Recognizing that mind and body are inseparable, Dr. Cardenas integrates medical and biological insights into his psychiatric care, acknowledging the profound impact of:
Genetics & Epigenetics
Understanding how inherited predispositions and environmental influences shape mental health.
Nutrition & Metabolism
Recognizing the connection between diet, gut health, and neuropsychiatric functioning.
Exercise & Movement
Leveraging physical activity’s role in mood regulation, cognitive function, and resilience.
Physical Co-Morbidities
Addressing how chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and metabolic disorders affect psychological well-being.
Environmental & Sensory Influences
Understanding how our nervous system and biological rhythms are in constant dialogue with our physical and social environment, allowing for targeted adjustments that support psychological well-being, cognitive clarity, and emotional resilience.
Affective Neuroscience, Neuroplasticity & Neurodiversity
Exploring the bidirectional relationship between brain and mind, from neurochemical processes to neural pathways to the construction of meaning. Bridging population-level insights with individual uniqueness, this approach honors the diverse ways people experience, process, and interpret the world.
Medication & Supplement Intervention
Thoughtfully integrating medications, micronutrients, and supplements as part of a comprehensive approach to mental health. This includes considering individual biochemistry, lifestyle factors, and evidence-based interventions to optimize mood, cognition, and resilience.