Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
A collaborative approach to deep healing and transformation
For many people living with depression, PTSD, anxiety, or long-standing emotional patterns, the traditional paths of talk therapy, medication, or behavioral tools may only bring partial relief—if any. When these approaches fall short, it can feel like something inside remains unreachable, as if the roots of suffering live beneath the surface of language or logic.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) offers a new doorway. By combining the healing potential of ketamine—a legal, fast-acting psychedelic medicine—with the safety and insight of psychotherapy, KAT supports individuals and couples in moving through emotional stagnation, relational blocks, and trauma held in the body and nervous system. This work happens in a trauma-informed, relational container that honors your pace and capacity, and supports the integration of these powerful states into grounded, everyday healing.
What Is Ketamine-Assisted Therapy?
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic and psychedelic compound that works differently than typical antidepressants. It is used off-label in mental health treatment for its unique ability to shift brain activity, regulate mood, and reduce emotional and physical pain. In therapy, ketamine doesn’t offer a shortcut—it offers a new terrain to explore, in which deeply ingrained patterns can be met with compassion, curiosity, and the possibility of change.
In Ketamine-Assisted Therapy, clients take ketamine in a safe, structured setting while supported by a trained therapist. The medicine helps quiet mental “noise,” dissolve rigid thought loops, and allow deeper emotional material to emerge. It may offer a sense of clarity, connectedness, or spaciousness—often revealing parts of the self that have been long buried, or returning access to inner strength and memory that once felt lost.
Who is it for?
KAP may benefit people experiencing:
Depression (including treatment-resistant)
Anxiety
Nervous System Reset
Managing addictive behaviors
Spiritual Growth
Couples seeking to heal relational wounds and deepen connection
A thorough screening process helps ensure KAP is safe and right for your unique needs. Before starting medicine sessions, you’ll need a prescription from a licensed medical provider. We will connect you with a medical provider, but it is your responsibility to book the appointment with the prescriber and procure the ketamine prescription before our first KAP session.
Ketamine Therapy for Couples
Ketamine can soften habitual defenses and increase empathy, helping partners access vulnerability and compassionate communication. Benefits include:
Increased emotional intimacy
Improved listening and expression
Healing attachment wounds
Interrupting negative interaction cycles
Research and clinical reports (e.g., Cornfield et al. 2024) show promising outcomes for ketamine in relational healing.
Internal Family Systems & Ketamine Therapy for Trauma
IFS therapy aligns naturally with ketamine’s effects, helping clients connect with their inner “parts” and core Self. Benefits include:
Compassionate inner exploration
Softened protective parts
Access to core calm and clarity
Recent research (see Earlywine et al., 2023) supports greater insight and emotional processing when combining IFS and ketamine therapy.
Ketamine and Depression Recovery
Ketamine offers rapid relief for treatment-resistant depression, working differently than traditional antidepressants. Instead of targeting serotonin, ketamine blocks NMDA receptors, which increases glutamate and stimulates the release of BDNF—a protein that supports neuroplasticity and helps the brain form new, healthier pathways.
This process opens a 72-hour window of heightened brain flexibility, making it an ideal time for therapy and integration.
What to Expect
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is most powerful when held within a structured, relational, and holistic process. This work unfolds over time, guided by intentional phases that support you in feeling safe, grounded, and resourced as you engage with the medicine and your healing.
Here’s what that journey typically looks like:
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The full arc of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is deeply personal and varies for each client, but here’s a general sense of what to expect:
Preparation phase: 5–10 weekly sessions (approx. 1.5–3 months)
Ketamine sessions: Often done in a series of 1–6 journeys (each 3.5 hours)
Integration phase: 4–10 sessions per journey or series (spanning several weeks or months)
Therapy is not always linear, and the rhythm may adjust based on your needs. However, most clients find that a three- to six-month commitment allows for meaningful preparation, embodied ketamine experiences, and the integration work necessary for lasting change.
We typically recommend committing to a minimum of 5 to 10 therapy sessions before your first ketamine journey. Meeting weekly, this usually spans about 1.5 to 3 months, depending on your schedule, readiness, and personal goals. This phase is essential for cultivating emotional safety, building trust with your therapist, and preparing your system for the depth of psychedelic work.
We begin with a thorough intake to explore your current needs, personal history, and overall readiness. Together, we assess whether Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is an appropriate and supportive path for you based on your mental, physical, and emotional health. This is also a space for any questions you may have about the process, and an opportunity to begin building trust and clarity about what to expect.
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Before beginning ketamine sessions, we spend time cultivating a strong therapeutic container—one that supports safety, emotional regulation, and a clear foundation for deeper work. The preparation phase may include:
Clarifying your intentions for the journey
Exploring what to expect during altered states
Identifying emotional and somatic patterns that may arise
Practicing grounding, mindfulness, or resourcing tools
Mapping your support systems for the integration phase
We typically suggest meeting regularly over the course of a few months before your first ketamine session. This allows us to build rapport, co-create safety, and ensure you feel resourced and supported heading into the work.
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Before starting medicine sessions, you’ll need a prescription from a licensed medical provider. We will connect you with a prescriber, and it is your responsibility to schedule your appointment with them and procure the ketamine before our first KAP session.
Ketamine is usually administered as a sublingual lozenge in a private, supportive setting. These 3-hour sessions are held in a therapeutic container with your therapist present to gently guide and witness your process.
During the session, you may experience shifts in awareness, emotional release, memory recall, or symbolic imagery. The experience may be internal and quiet or more expressive—every journey is unique. Music, stillness, or light therapeutic support may be woven in, depending on your process and preference. The intention is always to create a space where deep healing states of consciousness are safely held and meaningfully supported.
We limit Ketamine sessions to a maximum of six (with some flexibility when needed) in order to support harm reduction and to encourage a transition to integration therapy once Ketamine has helped reduce depressive symptoms or other concerns it is being used to address.
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After each ketamine journey, we move into integration—the essential phase where healing takes root. Integration helps you reflect on what arose, process any lingering material, and begin weaving your insights into daily life and relationships.
Integration sessions may include:
Emotional and somatic processing
Nervous system regulation practices
Internal Family Systems (IFS) or EMDR
Creative reflection or dreamwork
Navigating life changes inspired by the experience
Ketamine enhances neuroplasticity, particularly within the first 72 hours after a session. During this window, the brain is more receptive to new emotional and cognitive pathways, making this a highly effective time to anchor insights and rewire outdated patterns. Integration work during this period helps support sustainable change and long-term healing.
Why Ketamine Is Different: The Science of NMDA and Neuroplasticity
Ketamine works primarily on the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor, a key receptor in the brain’s glutamate system involved in learning, memory, and emotional regulation. Most traditional antidepressants work on serotonin over weeks or months. Ketamine, on the other hand, quickly disrupts depressive cycles by blocking NMDA receptors, which increases glutamate signaling and stimulates the growth of new synaptic connections in the brain.
This process kickstarts neuroplasticity—the brain’s natural ability to reorganize itself, form new pathways, and adapt to new experiences. After a dose of ketamine, research shows there is a 72-hour window of heightened neural plasticity, where the brain is more receptive to change (Duman & Aghajanian, 2012).
This is a critical time when therapy can go deeper: new insights are more likely to “stick,” emotional patterns can shift more easily, and new neural wiring begins to take shape. With the right support, ketamine doesn’t just offer relief—it helps retrain the brain toward new emotional and relational possibilities.
Therapy Makes the Difference: Preparation, Journey, and Integration
While ketamine itself has remarkable biological effects, it’s the therapeutic relationship and process of meaning-making that allow those effects to lead to real transformation. In my work, we take a full-spectrum approach to healing—starting with preparation, exploring your history, your intentions, and what feels ready to shift. This creates a strong foundation of trust, safety, and clarity.
During the ketamine sessions, you’ll be held in a safe, attuned space where your internal experience is gently supported. Afterward, integration sessions help you process what emerged and apply those insights to your relationships, habits, and daily life. This is where new pathways become sustainable change.
For some, a single ketamine experience can soften a long-standing sense of stuckness. For others, a series of sessions combined with integration therapy leads to cumulative healing. The number of sessions varies by individual, but each step is shaped with care and collaboration.
Disclaimer: Responsible, Addiction-Informed Ketamine Therapy
While ketamine is a legal and widely studied medicine with growing evidence for its effectiveness in treating depression, PTSD, and anxiety, it is not without risks. Though uncommon in therapeutic settings, ketamine does have the potential for misuse, psychological dependency, and physical side effects when used excessively or outside of a structured treatment protocol.
Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic and, at high or repeated recreational doses, can be habit-forming. Long-term, frequent use—particularly in unmonitored settings—has also been associated with bladder and urinary tract issues, including ulcerative cystitis in rare cases (Lambers at al, 2022, & NursingTimes).
At our practice, we take an addiction-informed, trauma-sensitive approach to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. We are committed to creating a safe, ethically grounded structure that supports long-term healing—not new complications. We limit Ketamine sessions to a maximum of six (with some flexibility of a few additional sessions when needed) in order to support harm reduction and to encourage a transition to integration therapy once Ketamine has helped reduce depressive symptoms or other concerns it is being used to address.
Throughout treatment, you will fill out assessments to monitor progress and ensure clinical effectiveness. Our work together is designed with clear boundaries, including:
• A defined beginning and end to the ketamine therapy process
• Limited, intentional use of the medicine—typically 6 or less times in total
• Emphasis on integration as the real engine of change, not the frequency of dosing
• Ongoing assessment of your relationship to the medicine and your goals
• Alternatives to further ketamine journeys when insight can be deepened through therapy alone
Our goal is for you to leave this process with new healing, not new dependencies. We believe in the transformational potential of this medicine when used with respect, clear intention, and strong therapeutic support.
In many cases, profound change can happen within just a few carefully guided sessions, followed by deep integration. Additional journeys may be helpful later, but they are not always necessary to access or sustain the growth you’re seeking.
If you have a history of substance use or concerns about dependency, we welcome that conversation. We will work together to develop a plan that centers your safety, autonomy, and values every step of the way.