- The Journey Clinic opens in Melbourne with two pioneering services: a residential addiction program and Australia's first individualised and dedicated, outpatient altered-state therapy clinic.
- First residential addiction treatment program in the world to integrate altered-state therapies for people with underlying post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression.
- Model of care combines the humanism and community of a retreat setting with gold-standard medical and psychiatric care.
- Altered-state therapies include breathwork-assisted therapy and other emerging medical treatments supported by talking therapy, where appropriate
- The clinics are led by consultant psychiatrist and founder Dr Eli Kotler, Australian expert in altered-state therapies, together with an experienced team of specialist psychiatrists and clinicians.
- The Journey Clinic's primary approach is to always see people as complex humans, rather than psychiatric diagnoses.
Wednesday 1 October 2025, Melbourne, Australia: A new mental health clinic, The Journey Clinic, is set to open in Melbourne, offering a first-of-its-kind approach to addiction, depression and trauma recovery.
The Journey Clinic brings together two distinct services: a residential addiction rehabilitation program, and Australia's first individualised and dedicated outpatient altered-state therapy clinic. Altered-state therapies refers to breathwork-assisted therapy and other emerging medical treatments for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. According to founder and consultant psychiatrist Dr Eli Kotler, The Journey Clinic is the first program globally to integrate altered-state therapies into a rehabilitation setting, with referral pathways to outpatient altered-state therapy for eligible patients.
The opening of the clinic comes on the heels of reclassification of some psychedelic medicines by Australian regulators in 2023, permitting their use by authorised psychiatrists specifically for treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The Journey Clinic is headed by psychiatrists who are recognised as leaders in altered-state therapies for trauma and depression.
"Our aim is to combine the humanism and community of a retreat setting, with gold standard medical and psychiatric care," said Dr Kotler. "We see addiction, depression and trauma not simply as diseases to be managed, but as human experiences that can be healed. Progress is measured by integration rather than symptom control."
"The clinical options at our disposal have really been expanding in recent years and we are excited to integrate innovative approaches into what we offer at the clinic."
Each person will undergo a thorough clinical assessment to determine suitability, and the therapies will only be offered where safe and appropriate under the guidance of an accredited physician.
Alongside medical and psychiatric care of the outpatient clinic, the residential addiction program includes intensive individual and group therapy, art, and other expressive therapies to support recovery. Residents undertake a recommended 4 week stay, supported by 24/7 medical and nursing care. The program addresses both substance-based and behavioural addictions, including gambling, food, sex, social media and gaming, using an integration-based approach.
"Addiction often develops as a response to unresolved trauma or emotional pain. Our approach is to help people understand and integrate those experiences in a safe and supportive setting," said Dr Kotler. "Altered-state therapies can play an important role in creating the conditions for that deeper healing."
