KETAMINE-ASSISTED THERAPY
You may have heard about ketamine therapy and scratched your head in bewilderment… isn’t ketamine a party drug? As a certified psychedelic therapy provider, I get asked this question often. Although people have found ways to utilize this valuable medicine recreationally and sometimes abusively, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is an entirely different animal. Ketamine is an FDA-approved, dissociative sedative that has been used safely in various medical contexts for decades.
More recently, and with an ever-expanding body of research to support it, ketamine is being utilized in mental health settings to assist individuals with effectively treating severe mental health symptoms that have plagued them for months, if not years. Ketamine treats a broad spectrum of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, OCD, substance abuse, trauma, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and more.
So how does it work?
As with many medications, we actually aren’t entirely sure of the totality of ketamine’s functionality in our systems… we know that ketamine affects multiple pathways and receptors in our brains and bodies, and that it primarily impacts the glutamate pathway, to name one. But rather than bore you with scientific jargon and emerging research on how it works, instead let’s consider what the research tells us about how ketamine can work for you:
Ketamine nurtures more robust neural activity, which supports the brain, and other impacted neurons, in achieving higher levels of functionality. What can we get with increased neural activity? Well, most likely, we can expect greater neuroplasticity – which can empower your neural activity to actively overcome challenging, recurring, and unhealthy thought patterns, increase distress tolerance and emotional regulation.
What could this mean for you?
Consider what it would feel like to noticeably diminish and move away from the stubborn, recursive, negative thought patterns that punctuate your depression and exacerbate its severity.
Consider your symptoms of OCD lessening to the point where aversion therapy is feasible for you and can be taken advantage of to its fullest potential.
Consider what it would feel like to actively decrease the intensity, frequency and duration of acute anxiety attacks, suicidal thoughts, or urges to use when you’re grappling with substance abuse?
Consider what a greater sense of wholeness, purpose and healing could do for your day-to-day life?
If you’re concerned about your existing medications and contraindications, ketamine is safe to combine with most psychiatric medicines. A thorough medical intake and assessment will take into consideration any medical concerns or conditions you might have, to determine whether ketamine is a viable treatment option for you.
Although ketamine is now widely available in a variety of formats as a mental health treatment, most ketamine infusion clinics offer little to no therapeutic preparation, integration, or individualized treatment with a licensed psychotherapist before, during or after the ketamine treatment. This means that clients are left alone and unsupported, in some cases throughout each step of their treatment.
My model offers both existing and new clients the opportunity to form a strong therapeutic alliance with me, which in turn can really enhance the overall healing experience and foster more lasting effects. I also encourage collaboration of care with your existing therapist if you have one, which can greatly improve the quality of your experience and better serve your needs and goals.
I believe that for effective and lasting change to occur, creating a safe space is crucial, and that's why it is so important to have a skilled therapist by your side every step of the way. Together we will create intentions prior to your ketamine session as well as integration sessions post ketamine treatment to support your healing.
I consider each person’s unique needs in collaboration with my medical provider on a case-by-case basis, in order to determine what the best course of treatment will be for each individual. For this reason, my ketamine therapy costs can vary. I am currently an out-of-network provider, but I am happy to provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance if that’s helpful for you. Please schedule a consultation to learn more about pricing and treatment plan options.
Contact Me Using the Form Below to Learn More About Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy.