Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

I am excited to offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with Journey Clinical.

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Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy, to help eligible clients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. I take on the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while Journey Clinical’s medical team supports you with all the medical aspects. This includes determining eligibility, developing a custom treatment plan, prescribing the medicine, and monitoring outcomes.

 

There is expanding research in the mental health community around the impacts of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) to help eligible clients get unstuck and experience long-lasting improvement in symptoms, particularly those struggling with depression, anxiety, and PTSD,  or those facing a roadblock in their current therapy. Some of the latest studies have shown life-changing results for some patients, and I felt compelled to offer KAP to my clients, should they want to pursue this avenue of care.

 

If you are curious to learn more about KAP and see if it is a good fit for you, I encourage you to spend some time researching on your own. Or reach out to me and we can explore it together!

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Some basic facts about Ketamine

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 1-2 hours after treatment and last for up to 2 weeks. It works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors as well as by 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.

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Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, via nasal spray, and by using sublingual lozenges. In my work with Journey Clinical, we only use the sublingual lozenge form.

 

How Does Ketamine Feel?

The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience. Once these effects subsided, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, patients 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.

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