Ketamine is a legal, safe, and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, which can begin to take effect within 1 to 2 hours after treatment and last for up to 2 weeks. It works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors and stimulating AMPA receptors, which are thought to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement. KAP builds on this by typically having 4 to 6 Ketamine sessions spaced two weeks apart to maximize the window in which Ketamine’s impact lasts.

Ketamine typically induces a 'non-ordinary state of consciousness which can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience. Once these effects subside, the remainder of an appointment gives you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, clients feel like the insights gained are nonetheless clear. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience, even though the acute effects have ended.

The steps to Ketamine therapy include an initial consultation with a prescriber, preparation sessions with your therapist, a three-hour dosing session during which you take the Ketamine troche or lozenge, and multiple integration therapy sessions in the days and weeks that follow to discuss your associations while they are fresh. During a dosing session, the acute effects of Ketamine last from 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the initial dose and whether a 'booster' is taken to lengthen the effect. If comfortable to you, we will recommend that you wear eye shades and listen to relaxing music to help keep you in your thought process and minimize distractions. Your therapist will be in the room the entire time and ready to assist you if any needs arise. Once Ketamine wears off, the remainder of the session is spent capturing your experience. This can be done through art making, journaling or discussing the experience with your therapist. Snacks and beverages may also be offered at this time to ease you back to the here and now. At the meeting's end, you will connect with your pre-identified 'chaperone' who will be in charge of driving you home.

We strive to make Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy as affordable and accessible as possible. Unfortunately, only some portions of this approach are covered by insurance.

The link below offers a step-by-step breakdown of the costs of each leg of KAP treatment and which portions can be submitted to insurance.

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