Ketamine Assisted Therapy

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a transformative medicine that can provide rapid relief of depression and other severe mental health issues. It is a medication that has been used since 1970 as an anesthetic. At doses lower than anesthetic use, it has the ability to disrupt negative feelings, and help the brain create new, healthier patterns. Ketamine is considered a psychedelic medicine.

Suffering from depression and anxiety can cause neurons in the brain to become stunted with fewer connections. Ketamine helps repair this damage by stimulating the chemical glutamate.This alters connectivity, restoring, and reconnecting neurons in the brain. By altering this connectivity, patterns of negative beliefs and thoughts can be normalized, decreasing obsessive, negative thinking. Ketamine enhances neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to form and recognize synaptic connections. This process can help you create a new baseline of symptoms, providing a decrease in unpleasant symptoms. This can last for months and use of intermittent boosters may extend the relief.

What is Ketamine Assisted Psycho-Therapy (KAP)?

Ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is a mental health treatment shown to be effective to help people suffering from chronic treatment resistant depression, PTSD, and many other severe mental health issues. KAP combines talk therapy with use of ketamine which enhances neuroplasticity, allowing people to understand and process trauma and manage difficult symptoms.

How does KAP differ from traditional therapy?

Traditional therapy can take months or even years. There are many interventions that are used to help individuals process trauma, difficult memories, and challenge limiting beliefs. Use of ketamine combined with psychotherapy allows unconscious blocks to dissolve. It can enhance the work done in traditional therapy. KAP provides a way for people to uncover and understand things that may not have been accessible to them without the help of the medicine. Each person’s experience is unique to them and the conversations and interactions may seem more tailored and individualized compared to traditional therapy. Use of this medicine allows for people to find faster relief, some seeing benefits immediately.

Is KAP right for you?

You want to experience faster relief than traditional therapy
- Research shows that ketamine can be effective in treating severe mental health issues in about 70% of people. Ketamine is known for working fast and you may notice relief in as little as an hour of treatment.
You are medically cleared for the medicine and have a healthy blood pressure
- Ketamine may raise blood pressure and heart rate. Our prescriber will evaluate you and provide medical clearance for use of the medicine. In some cases consultation with another medical specialist, such as a primary care physician will be necessary prior to proceeding.
- Prior to treatment, you will meet with our medical provider to assess any physical concerns associated with medication use to ensure this is a proper treatment option.
- It is also necessary to assess your current mental health symptoms with your guide to evaluate any potential concerns or interactions this treatment may cause.
- Ketamine is not typically recommended for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Willingness to come for maintenance treatments
- Some may find immediate relief and ongoing boosters may enhance their experience with maintenance treatments that are tailored to specific needs.

How much does ketamine assisted psychotherapy cost?

We do offer payments for those who are not able to pay in full. Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAP) is not typically covered under insurance plans yet. So, this is an out of pocket cost. You are able to use cash, debit or credit cards to pay and you may be eligible to use your HSA cards if applicable. It is an investment however the efficiency of Ketamine is shown to work faster and you will see positive results much quicker than traditional therapy. Check out our "pricing" page to look at our packages today!

How many sessions will it take?

Each person’s needs will be evaluated and a customized treatment plan will be discussed. Most people see some relief after their first session. However, we do not expect this to be the only session needed. Multiple sessions help the brain create a new baseline allowing for long term relief. Typically we may suggest a series of a preparation session, and 6 KAP sessions, each followed by an integration session. This happens in a short period of time to allow the brain to rewire and solidify the benefits of this treatment. Following that series, maintenance treatments are available depending on your personal needs.

What are the side effects of ketamine?

The experience of your journey has the potential to feel challenging. Most common physical side effects include drowsiness, nausea, and dizziness which may last a short time. This medicine does have psychedelic properties and may cause a temporary altered mental status involving blurred or double vision, slurred speech, a certain degree of immobility, visual effects, feeling strange or unreal, headache, dry mouth, impaired concentration. In rare cases, some have shown an allergic reaction to the medication. The dose used in therapeutic use usually will cause you to feel calm and relaxed while also decreasing pain. A guide will be present during your experience to ensure safety and comfort.

What does KAP sessions include?

Preparation sessions help you prepare for your ketamine experience. You will meet with your guide to discuss what to expect during your experience. This will be a time to allow you to explore your intention for this journey. Understanding expectations and intentions has an important role in your experience. Any questions and concerns will be addressed during your visit.

Ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) sessions involve use of the medicine with a highly trained guide. The medicine will be administered in the form of a lozenge that dissolves under the tongue. The medicine is not swallowed, rather absorbed sublingually. Shortly after, you will feel relaxed as dissociative effects of the medicine begin. Over the next 45 minutes or so, with your guide monitoring, you will explore whatever arises. Your guide will monitor your safety and provide support in a personalized manner. During this time you will notice unconscious walls begin to soften, allowing the mind’s natural defenses to become relaxed. Many notice in this altered state of consciousness, they are able to process difficult emotions while feeling comfortably safe and have insights on what they need to create the life they want. As the medicine subsides, you will be able to discuss your experiences with your guide. This allows you to begin understanding your experience and insights. This discussion will help to solidify the insights and work through challenges.

While many find their KAP journey peaceful, some may notice challenging experiences. We sometimes hear the phrase “a bad trip” that can be understood as merely a challenging experience. Ketamine has the potential to bring to the surface trauma and memories that need to be processed. This can be an uncomfortable experience. With the support of your guide, these challenges can be managed.

It is important to incorporate integration sessions following your experience to provide lasting personal and habitual changes in your life. Psychedelic integration refers to incorporating the gained insights, emotions, challenges, and attitudes of your journey and processing them into desired areas of your life. This can be a transformative healing experience, creating a wholeness in your life. This session will include discussions about your journey and interpretations of insights. Integration turns your intentions into reality.

What professional trainings do the guides have?

Each member of the team has extensive knowledge and experience working with serious mental health issues . We have all been professionally trained in the use of psychedelic therapy and have worked in various types of these settings. Our medical professional is a licensed Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - Board Certified and has been in the field of mental health for over 25 years.