Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

​Ketamine therapy is an emerging mental health treatment that uses the anesthetic drug ketamine in controlled, low doses to treat a range of psychiatric conditions—most notably treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety, bipolar depression, and suicidal ideation. It’s being studied and used both in clinical and off-label contexts.

What Is Ketamine?
  • Originally developed in the 1960s as a surgical anesthetic.
  • It is a dissociative medication, meaning it can alter perception, mood, and cognition.
  • At low doses, ketamine affects the brain’s glutamate system, which is involved in mood regulation and neuroplasticity.

Psychotherapeutic Model (Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy or KAP)
  • Combines the biochemical effects of ketamine with guided talk therapy.
  • Ketamine is administered in a therapeutic setting, often with music, eye shades, and a trained guide or therapist.
  • The focus is on integration of insights, emotional processing, trauma healing, and shifting maladaptive beliefs.
Conditions Treated
  • Major Depressive Disorder (esp. treatment-resistant)
  • Suicidal ideation (effects often rapid)
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Bipolar depression (not mania)

Benefits
  • Rapid symptom relief, sometimes after a single session.
  • May work when traditional antidepressants have failed.
  • Encourages neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change and form new connections.
  • Helps depersonalize trauma, giving patients space from overwhelming emotions.
  • Can bring up core memories or insights for therapeutic exploration.
Integration Is Key
​The value of ketamine therapy is amplified when patients process the experiences afterward—often through therapy, journaling, or support groups. This helps transform insights into real-life changes.

Journey Clinical, Inc

I offer KAP in collaboration with Journey Clinical, a medical team that specializes in supporting licensed therapists like myself. Here’s how the process works:
  • Initial Consultation
    • We begin with a conversation about whether KAP may be a good fit for your therapeutic goals.
  • Medical Assessment
    • If you’re interested, I’ll refer you to Journey Clinical for a psychiatric evaluation. Their medical team determines whether ketamine is appropriate and safe for you.
  • Prescription and Dosing
    • If approved, you’ll receive ketamine lozenges (sublingual tablets).
  • Therapeutic Sessions
    • You’ll receive guided ketamine sessions in a supportive setting. These sessions will include:
      • ​​​​​Preparation: Setting intentions and creating safety.
      • Dosing: You take the ketamine under my supervision or with remote support.
        • Sessions will be in-person or online at home, depending on your treatment plan and comfort level.
      • Integration: We process and make meaning of your experience together.
  • Ongoing Support
    • The Journey Clinical team monitors your medical needs, while I support your emotional and psychological growth throughout the process.

Why Clients Choose KAP
  • Faster symptom relief for depression, anxiety, and trauma-related conditions
  • A sense of clarity, openness, or emotional breakthrough
  • Enhanced self-awareness and ability to process painful experiences
  • A deeply supported, relational approach—you're not alone in this process
  • Flexible in-person or remote options depending on your needs

Journey Clinical Medical Costs

First-time patients: $347 (eligible for insurance coverage). This payment includes:
  • Initial 45 minute medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $250
    • Note: medical consultation costs may be covered by insurance
  • Cost of ketamine medication: $97 (enough for 2 sessions)
    • Including cost of shipping and processing ketamine medication
‍Ongoing treatment: $313 (eligible for insurance coverage). This payment includes:
  • Follow-up medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $150 (at least once per quarter)
    • Note: medical consultation costs may be covered by insurance
  • Cost of ketamine medication: $163 (enough for up to 6 sessions)
    • Including cost of shipping and processing ketamine medication
Total Journey Medical Costs - $660 ($400 may be covered by insurance. Medication is not covered)

What a KAP Session Looks Like

Preparation Session (60–90 min)
  • Meet your therapist to discuss goals, fears, and intentions
  • Go over medical screening and logistics (e.g., how you’ll be cared for afterward)
  • Often includes breathwork, meditation, or a "ritual" to ground

Dosing Session (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours)
  • Administered via lozenge.
  • You're typically in a calm, dim room with:
    • Eye shades
    • Music (often instrumental or ambient)
    • Comfortable reclining chair or bed
  • A therapist or guide is present the entire time for support
  • Effects begin within 5–15 minutes and peak for 30–60 minutes
Experience may include:
  • A sense of floating or disconnection from your body
  • Revisiting memories or seeing vivid imagery
  • Feeling safe, distant from emotional pain ("therapeutic dissociation")
  • Insights or emotions rising with new clarity
Integration Session (1–2 days later)
  • Reflect with your therapist on what you experienced
  • Discuss any symbolic or emotional content
  • Translate insights into actions or changes in daily life
  • May involve journaling, drawing, somatic practices, or talk therapy
Some clinics offer multiple dosing sessions with integration between each.
How many dosing sessions will I do?
  • Patients can expect to do a minimum of 6-8 dosing sessions. Within 30 days of your initial intake appointment, your Journey Clinical Medical Provider will conduct a medical follow-up to assess your response to treatment, ensure appropriate dosing, and address any concerns. Completing the full 6-8 session course allows sufficient time to engage in the therapeutic process and experience the full benefits of treatment.
How frequently will I have my dosing sessions?
  • A typical Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) protocol involves dosing sessions every two weeks, with integration therapy sessions in between to process insights and reinforce therapeutic progress. However, dosing frequency is individualized and could be up to 2 KAP sessions per week depending on severity of symptoms. This will be determined collaboratively with your Journey Clinical Medical Provider and psychotherapist based on your clinical response, treatment goals, and overall mental health needs.
What is the science behind doing 6-8 dosing sessions?
  • The 6-8 session model is supported by clinical research demonstrating that serial ketamine treatments provide more sustained symptom relief than single-dose interventions. Studies indicate that repeated dosing protocols lead to greater reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD compared to a single administration. For example, research comparing single, repeated (6-session), and maintenance dosing schedules has shown that a structured series of sessions results in longer-lasting improvements in mood and overall well-being.
What are typical treatment outcomes?
  • Clinical data from Journey Clinical indicate that 87% of KAP patients experience improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms following completion of 6-8 dosing sessions. To optimize therapeutic outcomes, completing the full treatment course at a consistent interval is strongly recommended.
Do patients ever continue KAP beyond 6-8 dosing sessions?
  • Yes. After completing an initial 6-8 session treatment course, some patients transition to maintenance KAP, with dosing intervals typically ranging based on symptom stability. Maintenance KAP is highly personalized, and your Journey Clinical Medical Provider and therapist will collaborate with you to determine the best approach for your long-term care.
What else should I know about KAP dosing session frequency?
  • The frequency of ketamine dosing sessions is tailored to each individual and depends on factors such as:
    • Symptom severity and clinical history
    • Availability of your therapist for both dosing and integration sessions
    • Medical guidance from your Journey Clinical Medical Provider
  • Your treatment plan will be designed to support both immediate symptom relief and long-term mental health benefits, ensuring a personalized and evidence-based approach to care ​

Is Ketamine Therapy Right for You?

KAP may be helpful if you’ve felt stuck in therapy, are coping with depression or trauma, or are seeking a new way to connect with yourself and your healing.

Medical
  • Have you been diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, or anxiety?
  • Are you currently on MAOIs or certain high-dose benzos? (May contraindicate ketamine)
  • Do you have a history of psychosis, schizophrenia, or manic episodes?
  • Is your blood pressure or heart condition stable and well managed?
Psychological
  • Are you stuck in ruminative or obsessive patterns that don’t shift with talk therapy alone?
  • Do you feel numb, disconnected, or emotionally “stuck”?
  • Are you open to altered states of consciousness or introspective exploration?
  • Do you have a safe support system in place post-treatment?
Therapeutic Readiness
  • Are you willing to integrate insights into your daily life (e.g., therapy, journaling)?
  • Would you benefit from a non-verbal, experiential shift in perspective?
  • Can you commit time and resources to the process (sessions + integration)?
Ketamine therapy can be:
  • A biological reset for people stuck in depressive loops
  • A catalyst for emotional insight, especially in trauma work
  • A powerful complement to therapy, not a standalone solution

KAP & Internal Family Systems

​I use KAP in conjunction with Internal Family Systems (IFS), allowing us to work safely with parts of you that carry pain, fear, or stuckness. IFS and KAP are highly complementary approaches. When combined, they create a powerful therapeutic space where clients can access and heal deep emotional wounds, often with more ease and clarity than talk therapy alone.

How IFS and KAP Align
IFS (Internal Family Systems):
  • Views the mind as made up of “parts” (like inner protectors, exiles, managers).
  • The goal is to help clients access the Self—a calm, compassionate inner presence—and build relationships with their parts to heal trauma and restore internal harmony.
KAP (Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy):
  • Uses ketamine to temporarily soften rigid mental patterns and reduce internal defenses.
  • Opens access to subconscious content, making it easier for parts to be seen, heard, and healed.
  • Often creates a window of neuroplasticity where therapy can go deeper.
What Happens When You Combine Them
  • Parts feel safer, less afraid of judgment
  • Self is more naturally present and accessible
  • Exiles can emerge gently, often with less overwhelm
  • Defenses relax, allowing deeper connection
​A Typical KAP + IFS Session Might Look Like:
  • Preparation Session (No Ketamine)
    • Identify key parts (e.g., anxious part, inner critic, trauma exile)
    • Set an intention (e.g., “I want to understand why I feel so stuck”)
  • Ketamine Session
    • Therapist guides the client inward using IFS language (“Notice who’s showing up…”)
    • Client may meet protectors, witness exiles, or enter a Self-led state
    • Emotional or somatic material may surface symbolically (as images, stories, etc.)
  • Integration Session (Post-Ketamine)
    • Therapist helps client unpack what happened using IFS
    • Reflects on parts that emerged, messages received, and how to respond compassionately
    • Reconnect to Self and anchor insights into daily life
Benefits of This Combination
  • Faster access to emotional material without overwhelming the system
  • Less fear or shame from protective parts—because ketamine lowers judgment and anxiety
  • Deeper compassion for parts that previously felt unreachable
  • More lasting transformation through integration and Self-led healing

What Does Ketamine Feel Like?

Empathogenic Experience
Dose level: Low
Keywords: Emotional warmth, connection, self-compassion
What it feels like:
  • Increased empathy toward oneself and others
  • Feelings of love, forgiveness, or understanding (especially for wounded parts)
  • A sense of emotional clarity—as if the “fog” of depression or shame has lifted
  • May access tender inner parts that are usually defended against
  • Feels similar to MDMA in some cases, though gentler
“I saw my younger self and felt love instead of judgment. I finally understood why I hurt.”

Out-of-Body (Dissociative) Experience
Dose level: Medium to high
Keywords: Floating, body detachment, observer mode
What it feels like:
  • You may feel as if you’re hovering above your body or viewing yourself from the outside
  • Physical sensations fade or become distant
  • Thoughts and feelings may appear as if on a screen or happening to someone else
  • Can be peaceful or eerie depending on setting
  • Often helps create emotional distance from trauma or pain
“It felt like I left my body and watched my life from above—with no fear or judgment.”

Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt over time by forming new connections between neurons. Neuroplasticity means your brain can rewire itself—based on what you experience, practice, think, feel, and learn.

Key Features:
  • Structural changes – New neurons or synapses can grow; old ones can weaken or die off.
  • Functional changes – Brain regions can shift responsibility (e.g., after injury).
  • Lifelong process – Strongest in childhood, but continues into adulthood and even old age.

Examples of Neuroplasticity in Action:
  • Learning a new skill (like piano or a language)
  • Recovering function after a stroke
  • Changing a negative thought pattern through therapy
  • Forming new habits after breaking an addiction

In KAP (Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy):
Ketamine boosts glutamate and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)—key chemicals that enhance neuroplasticity. This creates a "window of opportunity" where:
  • The brain is more flexible and open to change
  • Old patterns (like rumination or shame) can loosen
  • New perspectives and behaviors can take root more easily
“It’s not just what you see during the journey—it’s what your brain is willing to become afterward.”

How KAP Affects Depression

1. Rapid Neurobiological ReliefKetamine’s mechanism:
  • Blocks NMDA receptors → boosts glutamate → triggers BDNF → supports neuroplasticity
  • Rapidly increases dopamine and serotonin availability
  • Suppresses the default mode network (DMN) → quiets rumination and negative self-talk
✅ Results:
  • Often reduces symptoms like hopelessness, anhedonia, and suicidal thoughts within hours to days
  • Especially effective for treatment-resistant depression
  • Relief often comes before full mood shift, allowing people to re-engage with life
“I felt like something loosened in my brain. Like I could breathe again.”

2. Psychological Access + Reconnection
​When paired with therapy (KAP):
  • Clients can explore underlying emotional wounds (grief, shame, trauma) in a softened state
  • Ketamine lowers inner defenses, allowing access to exiled parts (IFS-style)
  • Many clients rediscover what matters—like connection, creativity, or purpose
✅ Results:
  • Reframes rigid beliefs (“I’m broken,” “Nothing will change”)
  • Restores emotional range and desire to engage
  • Often reawakens hope, self-compassion, or clarity

3. Interrupts Depression Loops
Depression is often reinforced by:
  • Negative thinking → low energy → social withdrawal → more negative thinking
  • KAP helps interrupt the loop by giving a temporary “reset” to the system
✅ Results:
  • Opens a window of possibility for change
  • Reduces avoidance, numbing, and passivity
  • Encourages action-taking during integration (with therapist support)

4. Supports Identity and Meaning Reconstruction
Many with depression struggle with:
  • Loss of identity (“I don’t know who I am anymore”)
  • Lack of meaning (“What’s the point?”)
KAP can bring:
  • Mystical or symbolic experiences that reconnect clients to something larger
  • A sense of aliveness or clarity about values
✅ Results:
  • Clients begin rebuilding motivation, self-worth, and direction
  • May discover renewed connection to spirituality, relationships, or creativity
​Symptom of Depression
Hopelessness, despair
Anhedonia (no pleasure)
Suicidal thoughts
Negative self-talk
Apathy, low motivation
Emotional numbness
Identity/meaning crisis
​How KAP Helps
Boosts dopamine, reconnects to meaning
Reopens reward pathways and emotional range
Often reduced quickly via neurochemical shift
Disrupts rumination and inner critics
Increases drive and openness to action
Allows access to core feelings and parts
Offers insight and transpersonal connection
KAP doesn't just relieve symptoms—it creates a psychological opening for healing, purpose, and reconnection.

How KAP Affects the Motivation System

The motivation system is the brain's network that drives us to pursue goals, take action, and persist—even when faced with challenges. It helps us move toward things we value (like connection, safety, purpose) and away from what feels threatening.

1. Restores Dopamine Drive
  • Ketamine stimulates dopamine and increases motivation to act, even before mood improves.
  • People often report:
    • “I finally had the energy to get up.”
    • “I wanted to call someone instead of isolating.”
This is critical for depressed or traumatized clients stuck in learned helplessness or shutdown states.

2. Interrupts Avoidance-Based Motivation
  • Many people operate from “away-from” motivation (avoid pain, avoid shame, avoid failure).
  • KAP allows access to underlying parts that fear action, and helps shift motivation from fear-based to value-based.
Example:
A protector part might say “Don’t try—you’ll fail again.”
Under ketamine, that part may soften, revealing an exile that just wants to be seen or loved. That clarity changes what drives behavior.

3. Supports Reconnection to Meaning
  • Ketamine can produce experiences of:
    • Awe, beauty, interconnectedness
    • Purpose or soul-level insight
  • These transpersonal experiences reignite intrinsic motivation—doing something not because you “should,” but because it matters.
“I remembered what I care about. That’s why I’m trying again.”

4. Unlocks Action Through Neuroplasticity
  • After a KAP session, the brain enters a flexible learning state:
    • More willing to try new actions (even uncomfortable ones)
    • Less rigid in beliefs like “I can’t” or “What’s the point?”
  • Therapists can support clients in translating insight into behavior change:
    • Make the phone call
    • Set the boundary
    • Apply for the job
    • Go outside and feel the sun

How Does KAP Affect the Reward System?

The reward system is a network in the brain that motivates us to seek out pleasurable or meaningful experiences—like food, connection, achievement, or love. It plays a major role in mood, addiction, motivation, and learning.

What Is the Reward System?
Core Brain Areas:
  • Ventral tegmental area (VTA) – releases dopamine
  • Nucleus accumbens (NAcc) – experiences pleasure and reinforcement
  • Prefrontal cortex – decision-making and impulse control
  • Amygdala + hippocampus – emotions and memory
Neurotransmitters:
  • Dopamine – anticipation, motivation, and "wanting"
  • Endorphins – pleasure and satisfaction
  • Glutamate – learning and memory
  • Serotonin – mood and contentment
What It Does:
  • Helps us learn what feels good and seek more of it.
  • Shapes habits and attachment to people, substances, and patterns.
  • When disrupted, it can lead to:
    • Depression (low reward sensitivity)
    • Addiction (overactive reward pursuit)
    • Anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure)

How Ketamine (in KAP) Affects the Reward System
1. Boosts Dopamine and Glutamate
  • Ketamine rapidly increases glutamate, which drives the formation of new connections (neuroplasticity).
  • It also causes a temporary dopamine surge, enhancing motivation and engagement.
  • This is why people often report a “relief from numbness” or a sense of mental clarity and hope.
“It was the first time I felt joy in years. Not high—just alive.”

2. Resets Reward Sensitivity
  • Depression and trauma blunt the reward system—making life feel flat.
  • KAP can temporarily restore emotional range, allowing clients to:
    • Feel pleasure or connection again
    • Reconnect with meaningful values
    • Experience safety or joy in relationship

3. Rewires Associations
  • With therapy, ketamine’s effects can help relearn healthier sources of reward:
    • Moving from avoidance to connection
    • From addictive behavior to self-compassion
    • From shame loops to insight and healing
For example: A person stuck in addiction may, during KAP, connect to an exiled part that longs for love—not drugs. That insight changes what the brain “wants.”

4. Breaks Habit Loops
  • Ketamine disrupts default mode network (DMN) activity, which is tied to rumination and compulsive thinking.
  • This allows for a temporary pause in automatic reward-seeking behaviors, like compulsive use or emotional numbing.

KAP + Reward System = New Learning
​Because ketamine boosts neuroplasticity, it opens a “window” where:
  • The brain is more receptive to new emotional experiences
  • Therapy can retrain what feels rewarding (e.g., connection > self-isolation)
  • Clients can form new habits, identities, and relationship patterns