Episode 54 | Not Everyone’s Ready for Ketamine: How to Know If You Are with Alli Waddell

Ketamine Connections

Ketamine Connections
Episode 54 | Not Everyone’s Ready for Ketamine: How to Know If You Are with Alli Waddell
Aug 13, 2025
Anna Krishtal

In this expansive conversation, Anna sits down with Alli Waddell, wellness expert and co-founder of Illumma, Austin’s leading ketamine infusion clinic. With two decades of experience in healing and over 14,000 ketamine infusions under her belt, Alli shares what she’s learned about who ketamine really works for, and who might not be ready.

Whether you’re considering ketamine therapy or supporting others on their psychedelic path, this episode breaks down the patterns that lead to success, the red flags of avoidance, and how to approach this work from a place of radical honesty, preparation, and deep self-trust.

You’ll hear:

  • How to know if you’re ready for ketamine therapy
  • Why “just showing up” isn’t enough (and what to do instead)
  • The most common patterns in clients who thrive
  • What gets in the way of deep transformation
  • How your relationships, mindset, and daily habits influence your healing
  • Why ketamine isn’t the work—it’s the catalyst

If you’re feeling unsure, not-quite-ready, or just overwhelmed by all the options...you’re not alone. And you’re in the right place.

💊 Want to Feel Truly Ready for Ketamine?

The Ketamine Preparation Protocol was designed to help you prepare mentally, emotionally, and energetically for a life-changing ketamine journey.

Whether you’ve already booked your sessions or you’re still deciding if this path is for you, KPP will help you:

✅ Clarify your intention
✅ Understand what ketamine can (and can’t) do
✅ Rewire your subconscious patterns
✅ Avoid the most common mistakes
✅ Feel supported before, during, and after your sessions

🌀 Learn more: annakrishtal.com/kpp

🧠 About Alli Waddell

Alli Waddell is a respected wellness expert with 20+ years of experience and a fierce commitment to radical honesty and self-love as core components of healing. As co-founder and CEO of Illumma, she’s helped shape Austin’s most trusted ketamine infusion clinic. Her vision for the psychedelic space is rooted in ethical, sustainable, and consciously led business.

Connect with Alli:
 🌐 illumma.com
📸 @alliwaddell
📸 @illummaclinic

🔗 Links + Resources

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Episode Artwork Episode 54 | Not Everyone’s Ready for Ketamine: How to Know If You Are with Alli Waddell 1:11:42 Episode Artwork Episode 53 | What If the Ketamine Stops Working? 42:22 Episode Artwork Episode 52 l Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be: Ketamine, Functional Medicine & Finding Your Path with Dr. Ashley Irizarry 1:00:03 Episode Artwork Episode 51 | Rewiring Your Brain: What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t) 23:06 Episode Artwork Episode 50 | Getting Unstuck with Ketamine: Low-Dose Protocols, Integration Wisdom, and Peer-to-Peer Healing with Justin Lubin of Perspective Wellness 1:03:05 Episode Artwork Episode 49 l How to Become Unrecognizable: Healing High-Functioning Anxiety & Rethinking “Bad Ketamine Trips” with Melanie Yost 57:26 Episode Artwork Episode 48 | The Hours Before Ketamine: What to Do & What to Avoid Before Your Journey 34:51 Episode Artwork Episode 47 | Ketamine Integration: Float Tanks, Sensory Deprivation, and Subconscious Healing with Alissa Bestwick, Float Girl Official 1:00:48 Episode Artwork Episode 46 | The One Ketamine Preparation Step Everyone Misses 50:20 Episode Artwork Episode 45 | From Medicated and Misunderstood to Healing with Ketamine: Victoria Webster of Golden Afternoon 1:10:02 Episode Artwork Episode 44 | Too Sensitive, Too Emotional, Too Much? How Ketamine Helped Kristen Ott Heal & Reclaim Her Power 50:43 Episode Artwork Episode 43 | Anxiety, Healing, and Walking the Talk: What Dr. Evan Husted Learned on His Own Journey 51:18 Episode Artwork Episode 42 | 3 Things Most People Miss When Preparing for Ketamine (And How to Do It Right) 24:17 Episode Artwork Episode 41 | 35,000 Ketamine Infusions Later: What We’ve Learned About Healing with Sam Mandel of Ketamine Clinics LA 1:08:01 Episode Artwork Episode 40 | You Just Had a Breakthrough on Ketamine—Now What? 57:52 Episode Artwork Episode 39 l Ketamine and Astrology: A Psychedelic Integration Conversation with Danielle Mercurio 1:06:09 Episode Artwork Episode 38 | Beyond the Infusion: Rethinking Ketamine Therapy with Dr. Austin Harris 1:11:04 Episode Artwork Episode 37 | When You’re Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired: A New Path with Ketamine and Dr. Emily Bullock 1:09:26 Episode Artwork Episode 36 | How to Choose a Ketamine Clinic: Questions to Ask Before You Book 24:47 Episode Artwork Episode 35 | From Chronic Pain to Contact: CRPS, Ketamine, and an Extraterrestrial Encounter 59:05 Episode Artwork Episode 34 l Making Friends with Your Mind: Somatics, Slowing Down, and Spiritual Surprise with Joe Mach 49:13 Episode Artwork Episode 33 l The Hours After Ketamine: What to Do & What to Avoid The Day of Your Ketamine Journey 22:52 Episode Artwork Episode 32 l Rewiring Your Brain: The Power of Ketamine and Integration with Dr. Sarah Coakley 47:44 Episode Artwork Episode 31 | When Should I Start Preparing for My Ketamine Journey? (And Why It Matters More Than You Think!) 42:24 Episode Artwork Episode 30 | 3 Common Mistakes in Ketamine Therapy (and How to Avoid Them) 23:52