Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
Ketamine is a safe, FDA-approved medicine that has powerful biological and cognitive effects. Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAP) is a unique therapeutic method used to address a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, addiction, and some forms of anxiety. Ketamine is used to enhance and deepen the therapeutic process. Psychotherapy, including follow up therapy integration sessions, helps to maximize the impact of the Ketamine session.
In low doses, ketamine can serve as a supportive adjunct to psychotherapy, as it provides an opportunity for the temporary softening of the psychological defenses, allowing for deeper self reflection and psychotherapeutic processing.
In moderate doses, ketamine has psychedelic effects, which have been shown to facilitate profound transpersonal experiences. These experiences may offer the client clarity and insight into one’s self and therapeutic work. In addition, it may provide a sense of meaning and interconnectedness.
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The Process:
During an intake session you will describe your symptoms and determine whether ketamine-assisted therapy (KAP) might benefit to you. Then you will meet with our prescriber for a psychiatric intake. Find out more here. Next we will meet for at least 2 preparatory sessions, where we will continue to assess if a KAP session is appropriate, while developing a safe and connected environment.
The ketamine session lasts between 1.5- 2.5 hours. Your therapist will remain with you throughout the session. The medication is taken in a sublingual lozenges. The effects may begin to appear between 5-20 minutes and last about an hour. The effects continue to dissipate over the following 1-2 hours. While ketamine is used as an off-label anti-depressant, sometimes more challenging emotions and experiences will surface, which you will work with your therapist to integrate.
After your first KAP session, you will have at least 2 integration sessions in which we will work to integrate your experience from the ketamine session, discuss your response to the medicine, and create a course of therapeutic treatment. The medicine has a cumulative effect and therefore it is recommended that a client commits to at least 3 KAP sessions. Please contact me directly for more detailed information and to answer any further questions you might have.