“We may not be responsible for the world that created our mind, but we can take responsibility for the mind with which we create our world.”
- Dr. Gabor Mate
For ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, I use the psychedelic psychotherapy format with selected music, headphones and eyeshades to deepen the inward journey and enhance the power found in this medicine. Sessions last about two hours and almost everyone finds the experience positive and helpful for the challenges they face. Over the last ten years there has been an explosion of research that documents the benefits of ketamine for depression, trauma, OCD, addiction and other mental health challenges. Studies document that even treatment resistant depression with many failed courses of therapy and medications responds to ketamine, often very quickly. We think of it as a way to catalyze the benefits of psychotherapy by reducing our defensiveness and sensitivity while enhancing our ability to see our life in a new perspective.
Ketamine Therapy
What Conditions can Ketamine Therapy Help With?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy has been shown to help with:
Depression
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety disorders
End-of-life existential crisis
Palliative care
Drug addiction
Alcoholism
Chronic pain
The Process
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Step 1
Your journey begins with a consultation with your therapist. Together, we will assess whether ketamine is a good fit for you.
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Step 2
You will be referred to a ketamine prescriber. They will meet with you virtually to create your individualized ketamine treatment plan. They collaborate with your therapist for a team approach. Your ketamine will be a mild-to-moderate dose in the form of oral lozenges (no needles, no IV bags).
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Step 3
Your prescription will be mailed to you from a specialty pharmacy. The costs are usually under $70.
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Step 4
Your ketamine-assisted therapy begins with at least 3 preparation sessions. Ketamine sessions are followed by at least 2 integration sessions. Most clients complete 4-6 ketamine therapy sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Psychedelic Assisted Therapy?
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy is therapy with a licensed mental health professional that is enhanced and catalyzed by a psychedelic medicine. At this time, ketamine is a legal psychedelic indicated for mental health treatment. In the future, other psychedelic medicine may become available.
What is the difference between ketamine treatment and KAP?
As ketamine grows in popularity ketamine infusion centers have become very common. These settings provide ketamine in sterile environments without attention to set, setting, and therapy.
I believe that ketamine is best utilized in conjunction with psychotherapy in a model called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). This approach takes advantage of ketamine’s ability to promote deeper states of self-awareness and accelerates its healing potential.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of recommended ketamine or KAP sessions depends on your specific treatment needs. Generally, patients receiving ketamine treatment will need 6 to 8 sessions. Some people may return for occasional booster sessions every few months to maintain these benefits.
I’m already using psychedelics on my own (microdosing or macrodosing), can you be my therapist?
Yes. I often am a psychedelic-friendly therapist for people already using psychedelics for their own healing. This is called psychedelic integration therapy.
Will you be present with me while I use psychedelics?
During a ketamine session, I am with you the entire time for support and guidance (if needed). Most patients find the presence of their trusted therapist essential to having a safe and healing experience with ketamine.
If I already have a therapist, can I add Ketamine therapy?
Yes. I often work with clients who already have a therapist they are working with. I’m happy to collaborate with your therapist, offering only the ketamine therapy while you do the integration work with your current therapist.
