Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative treatment that combines the therapeutic benefits of ketamine with the supportive framework of psychotherapy. KAP enables patients to explore deep-seated emotions, memories, and thought patterns during a less defended state while in a safe and supportive setting. KAP’s unique approach to healing and personal growth has been found to be particularly beneficial for individuals struggling with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and other conditions where traditional therapies have shown limited effectiveness. Ketamine also provides a potent catalyst for personal growth via an expansion of consciousness and greater connection within and beyond oneself.

Research indicates that KAP can rapidly alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, often within hours or days after treatment. It is also known to enhance neuroplasticity, potentially aiding in the restructuring of maladaptive neural pathways and the building of new neural networks. Many clients report sustained improvements in mood, cognition, and overall well-being following a series of KAP sessions.

A KAP session is three hours long and involves the patient self-administering a prescribed amount of ketamine by dissolving a lozenge in their mouth (unlike intravenous or intramuscular administration via injection that is performed in a medical setting, this oral route of administration takes place in the comfortable surroundings of my therapy office). Within 10-15 minutes of dosing, ketamine induces a temporary altered state of consciousness that lasts approximately one hour. During this time, patients enter a dream-like state characterized by a sense of detachment from one’s immediate surroundings and enhanced introspection. This state can facilitate emotional processing, generate insights, and promote therapeutic breakthroughs, particularly when followed by an ongoing process of deliberate integration practices that extends far beyond the session itself.

A KAP session involves three phases, and your KAP therapist remains present throughout to provide support and guidance: (1) an opening phase during which we establish a mindful atmosphere of reverence and connect to the specific intentions for your ketamine journey (intentions remain an essential anchor throughout KAP); (2) the journey phase that typically lasts 45-75 minutes following ketamine self-administration; (3) the initial integration process that begins as you emerge from your ketamine journey. During this final hour of the KAP session we begin to discuss and reflect together on what transpired during your experience. This integration process will continue during the days and weeks (sometimes even months and years) following the session and be incorporated into our ongoing work and your life beyond treatment. Ongoing integration work includes reflecting on session experiences, processing emotional insights, and identifying practical strategies for applying newfound awareness in everyday life. My role is to support you in translating session learnings into meaningful, sustainable changes.

As in any form of treatment, safety and ethical practice is paramount in KAP. The ethics of KAP practice involves several components, including my ability to provide competent clinical care as a therapist in this emerging treatment. This includes both specialized training and ongoing professional consultation. I also collaborate closely with the medical provider who will conduct a medical evaluation to determine your suitability for this form of treatment and assess contraindications for ketamine use. This medical provider will become your ketamine prescriber if you are cleared for ketamine use and remain available to us throughout the process. Particular precautions are also taken to respect a patient’s autonomy and well-being given that KAP involves altered states of consciousness. We will discuss these and all other aspects of informed consent during our extensive preparation process prior to your first KAP session.