Preparation: Before your journey, we will meet together to establish rapport, build trust, set intentions for the medicine session, and discuss any fears or goals.
You will also meet with your prescribing psychiatrist for medical clearance and the prescription.
Administration: At the decided time, you will take your prescribed dose of ketamine (often via lozenge, nasal spray, or injection) in a calm, supervised environment. I will guide you in having a safe and reflective experience that includes wearing an eye mask and listening to calming music, while we spend about two to three hours processing your inner experiences.
Integration: Following the actual ketamine session, we will meet again to discuss your experience, explore symbolism and meaning-making, uncover insights, and apply these breakthroughs to your daily life.
The Process - what to expect
KAP integrates a medical intervention with psychotherapeutic processing to support deeper and more durable healing.
Neuroplasticity: Ketamine acts on glutamate, a key neurotransmitter in the brain, which can promote the formation of new neural connections. This process supports the brain in reorganizing itself and may help loosen entrenched patterns of thinking associated with conditions like depression.
Psychological flexibility: At therapeutic doses, ketamine may induce a dream-like, dissociative state that temporarily softens psychological defenses. This can create space to approach painful memories and emotions with greater openness and reduced overwhelm, supporting deeper emotional processing.
Enhanced therapeutic outcomes: Unlike traditional antidepressants, which often require weeks to take effect, ketamine can provide rapid symptom relief for some individuals. When combined with psychotherapy before, during, and after treatment, the experience can be meaningfully integrated, helping translate insights into more adaptive and sustained patterns of functioning and well-being.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a treatment combining low-dose ketamine with talk therapy. Ketamine helps the brain physically form new connections, while psychotherapy allows you to process emotions during this flexible state. It is often used for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and PTSD.