What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines the therapeutic potential of ketamine with traditional talk therapy to address complex mental health challenges. Ketamine is a gentle dissociative medication that allows clients to access non-ordinary states of consciousness, often unlocking deeper insights and facilitating emotional healing. KAP is not just about symptom relief—it’s about gaining clarity, addressing core issues, and creating lasting change.
Who Can Benefit from KAP?
KAP is designed for adults experiencing:
What Makes My Approach Unique?
How Does KAP Work?
Ketamine works by affecting a part of the brain called the glutamate system, which plays a crucial role in how brain cells communicate and adapt. When ketamine is used at a controlled, low dose in therapy, it helps "reset" certain brain pathways that may be stuck in negative thought patterns, like those seen in depression or anxiety. This "reset" promotes neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to form new connections. Essentially, ketamine can open a window for your brain to start thinking, feeling, and responding in healthier ways. Unlike traditional medications that take weeks to work, ketamine often provides relief within hours or days.
In addition to its biological effects, ketamine induces a temporary, altered state of consciousness, where you may feel a sense of detachment from your body and surroundings. This state can help you view emotional or psychological challenges from a new perspective. During a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy session, this shift can make it easier to access and process difficult emotions or memories that might otherwise feel overwhelming. The combination of ketamine and therapy allows you to explore, understand, and integrate these insights into your life, paving the way for lasting healing.
Safety and Professional Monitoring
Your safety and comfort are my top priorities. Sessions are closely monitored in a distraction-free environment. I remain with you throughout the process to ensure your emotional well-being. Partnering with a psychiatrist ensures that ketamine is prescribed and managed safely.
Cost and Insurance
Getting Started
Currently, KAP is offered to clients with whom I’ve already established a relationship. If you’re interested in exploring ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, I invite you to contact me for more information or to schedule a consultation.
Read Educational Resources About Ketamine-Assisted Therapy:
1. Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient Demographics, Clinical Data and Outcomes in Three Large Practices Administering Ketamine with Psychotherapy
2. Ketamine-Facilitated Psychotherapy for Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines the therapeutic potential of ketamine with traditional talk therapy to address complex mental health challenges. Ketamine is a gentle dissociative medication that allows clients to access non-ordinary states of consciousness, often unlocking deeper insights and facilitating emotional healing. KAP is not just about symptom relief—it’s about gaining clarity, addressing core issues, and creating lasting change.
Who Can Benefit from KAP?
KAP is designed for adults experiencing:
- Anxiety Disorders (generalized anxiety, social anxiety)
- Treatment-Resistant Depression
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)
- Individuals seeking alternative approaches to mental health treatment
What Makes My Approach Unique?
- Personalized Care: Each treatment plan is tailored to the individual, ensuring sessions align with their goals and comfort.
- Integration Focus: Therapy sessions after ketamine experiences help clients make sense of the insights gained, transforming them into meaningful, actionable changes.
- Mindfulness and Grounding: Every ketamine session begins with mindfulness exercises to help clients center themselves before starting their journey.
- Safe Environment: Clients are supported in a private, calm, and distraction-free office. Noise-canceling headphones, an eye mask, and soothing music help create the ideal therapeutic setting.
How Does KAP Work?
Ketamine works by affecting a part of the brain called the glutamate system, which plays a crucial role in how brain cells communicate and adapt. When ketamine is used at a controlled, low dose in therapy, it helps "reset" certain brain pathways that may be stuck in negative thought patterns, like those seen in depression or anxiety. This "reset" promotes neuroplasticity, which is the brain's ability to form new connections. Essentially, ketamine can open a window for your brain to start thinking, feeling, and responding in healthier ways. Unlike traditional medications that take weeks to work, ketamine often provides relief within hours or days.
In addition to its biological effects, ketamine induces a temporary, altered state of consciousness, where you may feel a sense of detachment from your body and surroundings. This state can help you view emotional or psychological challenges from a new perspective. During a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy session, this shift can make it easier to access and process difficult emotions or memories that might otherwise feel overwhelming. The combination of ketamine and therapy allows you to explore, understand, and integrate these insights into your life, paving the way for lasting healing.
- Building the Foundation:
- Relationship-Building Sessions: Initial meetings are about creating trust and understanding your unique needs.
- Preparation Sessions: We’ll set intentions, align expectations, and discuss how KAP works.
- The Ketamine Experience:
- Session Structure:
- Each ketamine session lasts 3 hours.
- Clients take a prescribed ketamine tincture in the office.
- The medicine dissolves in the mouth, and after 15 minutes, clients relax for 90 minutes with music and an eye mask.
- What to Expect: You’ll remain conscious but experience a non-ordinary state of reality. Many describe feeling deeply reflective, emotionally open, and physically detached from their body.
- Afterward, we’ll spend an hour discussing your experience, allowing you to transition gently back to a grounded state.
- Session Structure:
- Integration Therapy:
- Following each ketamine session, a 50-minute psychotherapy session helps you process and apply insights gained during the experience.
- Commitment to Growth:
- Most clients benefit from 6–8 ketamine sessions, with traditional psychotherapy in between. This sequence creates a framework for deeper healing.
Safety and Professional Monitoring
Your safety and comfort are my top priorities. Sessions are closely monitored in a distraction-free environment. I remain with you throughout the process to ensure your emotional well-being. Partnering with a psychiatrist ensures that ketamine is prescribed and managed safely.
Cost and Insurance
- Ketamine Sessions: $600 (not covered by insurance)
- Psychotherapy Sessions: $170 (some insurance coverage available) I’m happy to help you explore reimbursement options for psychotherapy.
Getting Started
Currently, KAP is offered to clients with whom I’ve already established a relationship. If you’re interested in exploring ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, I invite you to contact me for more information or to schedule a consultation.
Read Educational Resources About Ketamine-Assisted Therapy:
1. Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient Demographics, Clinical Data and Outcomes in Three Large Practices Administering Ketamine with Psychotherapy
2. Ketamine-Facilitated Psychotherapy for Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression
