As the founder of Within Center in Austin, Texas, I’ve witnessed both sides of the psychedelic renaissance. Families rooted in strong values and sacred containers, keeping the energy clean in their relationships, grow stronger. Those who forget the sacred, take sacraments too often, and allow other energies in by opening their relationships — dissolve. The difference is everything.
“In the absence of ritual, the medicine loses its soul and so do we.” This powerful statement from a recent USA Wire article, “Forgetting the Sacred: Psychedelics, Families, and the Call Back to Ceremony,” anchors a growing movement that is sweeping across the world of psychedelic therapy. While the promise of medicines like ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin fills headlines and hopeful hearts, we’re reminded that true healing can’t be delivered by a molecule alone. The soul of these treatments the ceremony, the community, the lived experience has too often slipped into the background as clinics scale and protocols proliferate.
At Within Center, based just outside Austin, Texas, our mission is about remembering what matters. For us, ceremony isn’t an extra, it’s fundamental. We’re here to walk alongside families and individuals who want more than relief: we’re here to help restore wholeness. Our team believes in a healing journey rooted in compassion, evidence, and authentic connection.
Within Center was founded by David, whose experience leading healthcare organizations taught him one essential truth: sustainable healing happens when science, soul, and community work as one. To bring this vision to life, he gathered a diverse team. Dr. Samuel, the Medical Director, ensures our work meets the strictest standards of safety and effectiveness; Sabrina leads ritual and integration, combining modern psychotherapy with spiritual grounding; and Lida helps guide clients with grace through their journeys using psychedelics. At AWKN Ranch, our serene 12-acre off-grid sanctuary near Austin, every detail is designed to foster transformation, comfort, and genuine connection, whether through group sessions, time with nature, or shared meals.
Clients often describe arriving at Within Center as leaving the world behind. Melanie, a recent guest, put it beautifully: “When you step into the center, you just leave Austin and warp into some magical realm that feels safe, sacred, and full of possibility.” Robin, whose family grappled with severe depression for years, saw dramatic improvements after two weeks: “We rediscovered hope and the joy of being together. It wasn’t just our symptoms that improved, it was our relationships, our sense of play, our belonging.”
Within Center’s specialty is ketamine-assisted therapy, practiced with deep reverence for both scientific research and the transformative power of ritual. Ketamine, a legally prescribed, FDA-approved psychedelic medicine, is more than an antidepressant or pain reliever it’s a neuroplasticity catalyst, opening up new pathways in the brain and in the spirit. Yet the “medicine” is only one layer of healing. From the first consultation through the last integration session, our process involves careful preparation, ongoing therapy, and immersive ceremony.
Every client receives a personalized treatment plan, combining ketamine sessions (usually four to six, over one to two weeks) with talk therapy, bodywork, integrative nutrition, and connection to community. Clients are supported before, during, and after their psychedelic experiences by guides who offer reassurance, comfort, and a grounded presence.
Heather, one of our guides, says, “We’re here to help people bring meaning to the insights they find ceremony is the bridge, turning temporary breakthroughs into lasting change.”
What do we treat? Anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, chronic pain, addictions, grief, and struggles with intimacy are all welcome in our practice, and all receive individualized support. AWKN Ranch is not just a clinic, but a retreat haven, where guests can reside onsite, participate in nature-based therapies, and form bonds with peers facing similar struggles. We are a private-pay center, meaning clients invest directly in their healing journey, free from the limitations and privacy concerns that insurance can bring.
Beyond ketamine, Within Center offers IV drip therapy, functional health coaching, and wellness workshops aimed at optimizing daily habits and overall well-being. Integration is paramount; without it, newfound awareness from psychedelic medicine can fade or even unsettle. After each ketamine session, clients rest and process with their guide, then participate in supportive modalities like breathwork, movement, or group sharing circles.
Team member Aaron, steeped in indigenous healing traditions, explains: “We treat each person as a whole being, not just a diagnosis. Ceremony, spirituality, and community all play roles in recovery.”
Peer support and connection to the larger Within community form another cornerstone. Clients find themselves part of a living, growing network committed to conscious healing. Many return for workshops, shared meals, or simply to reconnect with nature and friends.
As Sarah, a psychedelic guide and integration coach, affirms: “Community transforms isolation into belonging. That’s where resilience really grows in people and families.”
The science behind psychedelic therapy shows promise in alleviating treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and trauma supported by national clinical trials as well as our own results. Within Center boasts impressive numbers: 85% of our clients report significant, lasting improvement in mood and anxiety symptoms three months after participating in our program. We monitor each person’s progress and customize care every step of the way, ensuring not just short-term relief but real, sustainable transformation.
But stories and testimonials often say more than statistics. Trinidad, our Admissions & Intake Coordinator, reflects: “Ketamine opens the door, but therapy walks you through it. The ceremony is the bridge that makes the journey meaningful.” For many clients, the biggest shifts come not in the session itself, but in the days and weeks that follow as insights are embodied, relationships change, and everyday life grows richer.
The caution from the USA Wire article to respect the sacred and include families in healing drives our work daily. Too many psychedelic therapy centers have become overly clinical, prioritizing protocol over presence and isolating patients from those who care about them most. This approach can undermine both safety and the potential for lasting change.
At Within Center, we embrace an ancestral perspective: healing is relational, spiritual, and multilayered. Our therapists and guides are trained not only in best medical practices, but in holding space for the unpredictable, non-linear, and deeply human parts of the recovery process. This means slowing down, inviting families and loved ones to participate in retreat life, and centering the wisdom of ceremony. Our goal is always to honor the whole person, respecting their cultural, spiritual, and emotional needs.
We’re at a turning point for mental health, for families, and for psychedelic therapy itself. The rush to mainstream these medicines can help many, but risks leaving behind the very essence that gives them power to heal. We invite individuals, families, and healers to reconsider what true transformation looks like. It’s not found in fleeting relief, insurance paperwork, or isolation. It’s found in relationships, ritual, and the embodied knowledge that healing can be shared.
At Within Center, hope is more than a word; it’s a ceremony, ongoing and open to all. Anyone who feels called to the journey is welcome to reach out, learn, and participate. Together, we’re answering the call back to ceremony, rediscovering the soul of medicine and the infinite resilience of the human heart.
Whether someone’s first step toward wellness starts with psychedelics, with IV functional medicine, or simply with an open conversation, our team is here to walk beside them. Let’s remember the sacred, center community, and offer every resource we have to the people who need it. The future of healing in Austin and everywhere honors both ancient wisdom and modern science, and Within Center is proud to lead the way.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2025
Texas Makes History with $50 Million Psychedelic Research Bill — Within Center and AWKN Ranch Lead the Charge in Austin’s Psychedelic Wellness Revolution
Austin, TX – In a historic moment for mental health and medical innovation, Governor Greg Abbott has officially signed into law a landmark $50 million investment in psychedelic research, the largest publicly funded psychedelic research initiative in U.S. history. This bold move positions Texas at the forefront of alternative mental health therapies, and Austin’s own Within Center, a medically licensed psychedelic therapy clinic, is proud to be one of the first major donors and clinical pioneers in this new frontier.
Founded by William David Naylor, Within Center has quietly transformed the mental health landscape over the past four years, delivering more than 1,000 breakthrough psychedelic therapy sessions, with an all with five-star review rating on google reviews. With clinical oversight, integrative coaching, and a deep commitment to safety, intention, and healing, Within has earned a national reputation for blending modern medicine with ancient wisdom. Within Center is a premier psychedelic treatment and wellness center, that has served clients from all over the world, from Navy Seals, GeForce, veterans, police officers, first responders, business executives, mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, sons and daughters.
This new state legislation ushers in a wave of legitimacy and funding for therapies that, until now, were pushed to the fringes. “One session of psychedelic therapy can be the equivalent of 10 years of traditional talk therapy,” said Naylor, who knows the struggle personally. “I went to rehab at 17 and spent over a decade owning and operating conventional treatment centers. I saw firsthand that they often operate as revolving doors, with chronic relapse rates of over 90%. Psychedelic therapy saved my life. It works because it heals the root, not just the surface. It brings us completely home to ourselves, to oneness, to love.”
Backing this movement is Tony Glace, lead investor at Within Center and one of the earliest champions of innovative therapeutic models in Texas. Glace has been instrumental in helping the center expand to its new flagship location at AWKN Ranch.
Nestled in the hill country just outside Austin, AWKN Ranch is a 12-acre healing sanctuary equipped with therapy yurts, a state-of-the-art sauna and cold plunge circuit, hot tubs, a yoga and movement studio, sacred temple space, and even a pickleball court for physical integration and play. The ranch is not just a retreat center—it’s a beacon of what the future of mental health can look like: community-rooted, spiritually aligned, medically safe, and deeply transformational.
The passing of this bill marks a turning point in how we treat trauma, depression, addiction, and PTSD, not just in Texas, but across the nation. With pioneers like Within Center and AWKN Ranch on the frontlines, Texas is leading a global revolution in mental health.
For interviews, media inquiries, or to schedule a tour of AWKN Ranch, please contact:
Media Contact:
Brooke Solis
CEO, Within Center
Email: intake@within.center
Phone: 512-810-6517
About Within Center:
Within Center is a licensed psychedelic therapy clinic based in Austin, Texas, committed to healing the nervous system and awakening consciousness. Offering inpatient retreats, outpatient care, and integration support, Within blends indigenous traditions with cutting-edge medical protocols. Its new location at AWKN Ranch provides a fully immersive healing experience rooted in community and nature.
We are thrilled to share that Within Center has been featured in an article by The Austin Chronicle, shining a spotlight on our work with psychedelic therapy and the journey of our founder, David Naylor.
In the article, David opens up about his personal path—from struggling with addiction to facilitating over a thousand psychedelic therapy sessions in the past few years. His story is one of transformation, resilience, and a deep commitment to helping others find healing.
At Within Center, we use ketamine-assisted therapy to treat addiction, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. David shared insights into how our patients often confront feelings of loss and fears about dying during their sessions. Through these profound experiences, many find a new perspective on life and death, often feeling a sense of connection and oneness that brings comfort and understanding.
The piece also touches on the broader shift happening in psychiatry. There’s growing research showing that substances like psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine can be more effective for some people than traditional antidepressants. Studies have found that psychedelic therapy can significantly reduce anxiety and depression, especially for those facing terminal diagnoses.
David’s personal experiences with loss and his “Jerry Maguire moment” led him to explore ketamine therapy and other plant medicines. These journeys not only healed him in ways he never imagined but also ignited his passion to bring these therapies to others seeking hope and healing.
We’re honored that The Austin Chronicle has highlighted our work and the positive impact psychedelic therapy can have on people’s lives. This feature helps bring awareness to alternative treatments that can offer relief when conventional methods haven’t worked.
If you’re curious about how psychedelic therapy might help you or someone you love, we’re here to answer any questions. Our team at Within Center is dedicated to providing compassionate care and guiding individuals on their path to wellness.
Read the full article in The Austin Chronicle here.
Thank you for being part of our community. Together, we’re exploring new horizons in healing and understanding.
7639 W Sh 71
Austin, TX 78736
Phone: (512) 515-9434
intake@within.center
Monday-Friday: 9am – 6pm
Intake: 24/7
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