In Missoula, people are ready to explore. Whether that’s outside on the trails or through a more inward journey that touches soul and spirit, connection can be found in many ways. On Hickory Street, a behavioral health clinic called Inner Journey Healthcare holds that connection at the center of its practice.
Inner Journey Healthcare began with its own story of connection. Doctors Donna Ryngala and Joey Banks had each been practicing for many years when a mutual friend suggested they meet. “We met at Clyde Coffee. What followed were walks on trails, more coffee, and the beginning of an idea. We dreamed of building a women-owned clinic that valued the whole person. We found a beautiful space just off the Milwaukee Trail, hired two therapists and our enthusiastic Patient Coordinator, Ali Kelly, then opened our doors in March 2025,” said Dr. Ryngala. “It’s an ideal partnership,” added Kelly. “Dr. Ryngala covers the psychological side and Dr. Banks the medical. We also have Marcia Brownlee and Adri Ramos on board to supplement with their own therapeutic modalities. We’re able to offer a full practice that includes traditional psychotherapy and are one of the few clinics in town that offers Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).”
The clinic’s philosophy of patient care is to integrate science and spirit. Dr. Ryngala understands how to balance the evidence-based approach of science with the human side of healthcare. “In the field of psychotherapy, we rely on research about specific human struggles and how to best treat them. We strive to provide best practices based on this research. However, as someone who has called Missoula home for 26 years, I cannot ignore how spirituality is experienced in so many ways—in a mindful moment by the creek, in the quiet wilderness, or in the vibes of a shared smile as you pass someone,” said Dr. Ryngala. “At Inner Journey, we focus on what brings people closer to a life that they would choose for themselves. For example, we might start with the question, ‘What would you be doing if I could magically make this pain go away?’ The answer to this helps us to know what direction to move toward and elucidates the path."
Dr. Banks’ experience has taught her that effective care isn’t one-size-fits-all. “Working in rural Montana, Alaska, Africa, and with the Indian Health Service, I learned to stay open and curious about how different folks approach healing. While modern Western allopathic medicine focuses heavily on treating symptoms, most other cultures take a more holistic, whole-person approach by aiming to balance the body, mind, and spirit. It means listening without judgment as a person tells their story and asks for help in moving forward in a manner that seems best for them,” said Dr. Banks.
Patients at Inner Journey Healthcare come in with a variety of conditions. Providers are able to treat ADHD, PTSD, grief, eating disorders, menopause symptoms, depression, anxiety, burnout, and more. Marcia Brownlee, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, is trained in ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia). “Even a single session of CBT-I might provide information and guidance,” said Brownlee. “ACT can be most helpful for people interested in combining the exploration of inner experiences with practical skills in a way that feels more compassionate, flexible, and meaningful.” Adri Ramos, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, also provides ACT and CBT. In addition, she focuses on working with complex trauma using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), mindfulness techniques, and somatic processes. “I increasingly find that even those of us who don't consider ourselves traumatized can benefit from shifting our relationship with painful past experiences. Therapy, like life, can be challenging and intense, but we can also laugh and get it wrong and try again. I like to normalize that,” said Ramos.
In addition to traditional therapies, Inner Journey Healthcare provides an emerging treatment for depression and anxiety called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. Since receiving FDA approval in 1970, Ketamine has been used in hospitals every day as an anesthetic. However, in the last twenty years, Ketamine has also shown promise with treatment-resistant mood disorders. The clinic offers KAP therapy in two ways: intramuscular injection and an FDA-approved nasal spray of Esketamine called SPRAVATO®. The clinic always combines Ketamine therapy with psychotherapy sessions. “Safety is our first priority for our patients,” said Dr. Banks. “Set and setting is so important to holding space for clients in vulnerable and psychedelic states. We do this well! We support each patient with prep, expectation discussions, and integration before, during, and after sessions.”
When medications or other therapies fail, KAP can go where other treatments can’t. “Mental health conditions are tricky,” said Kelly. “There’s a slow descent into not feeling good. Sometimes the most obvious thing is that we’re just really stuck. Ketamine can be a catalyst to getting unstuck,” she said. Dr. Ryngala has witnessed the anguish people go through when they cannot find a way out of pain, despite their best efforts. “Some say, ‘Yes, I get it. I know I should be kinder to myself. I know that these thoughts don’t help me or make sense, and yet I can’t stop them.’ In these instances, I might suggest Ketamine as a way to emotionally connect with the life that they value,” she said. As Patient Care Coordinator, Kelly has seen KAP help turn people’s lives around. “I remember the first time this one person came in. She was withdrawn and heavy in her body. Last time she came in, though, she had a lightness and a smile. She just charged right in and sat down; ready for her therapy session and ready to feel good.”
Since opening in 2025, the clinic credits the open nature of Missoulians for its success. “Missoula gets it,” said Kelly. “People here are open to exploring, and that includes their health care,” she said. Dr. Banks enjoys Missoula for its friendliness. “Missoula is an open and friendly community, and we find our clients are respectful and eager to show up to work on healing both in mind and body. We love our location near the trails and can even offer walk and talk visits sometimes,” she said. For Dr. Ryngala, Missoula is more than just a town—just like her patients are more than their symptoms. “Somewhere along the way I learned of an emotion called ‘homefulness.’ It was described as that feeling when you turn onto your street after a long day. It is the sense of ‘I am home.’ To me, people who feel this way about Missoula are just my kind of folk,” she said.
At Inner Journey Healthcare, healing is the way home, even when the path isn’t clear. “I really like the saying, ‘Life is meant to be experienced like a sunset and not figured out like a math problem.’” Dr. Banks hears echoes of the same sentiment in feedback from her patients. She often hears things like, “I feel heard, I feel safe, and I feel hopeful.” Kelly sees those feelings on the faces of people who walk through the door every day, and she understands why they are there. “People just want to feel better, and we want that for them, too.”
“People here are open to exploring, and that includes their health care." - Patient Coordinator Ali Kelly