What Is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy?

I’m sorry… did you say ketamine? and therapy?

Yep, sure did! Keep reading if you’re intrigued…

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative treatment approach that combines the use of ketamine — a dissociative anesthetic with short-acting psychedelic effects —with psychotherapeutic techniques. Psychotherapeutic techniques may look a lot like a “regular” therapy session, where we might identify and challenge negative beliefs, explore troublesome patterns and/or relationships, etc.
KAP is primarily used to alleviate symptoms of severe depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mood disorders that haven’t responded to traditional treatments.The psychedelic properties of ketamine can induce profound experiences, helping patients gain new insights, process difficult emotions, and foster a sense of mental clarity and relief. This therapeutic method is increasingly recognized for its potential to provide rapid and enduring relief, offering a promising alternative for those seeking effective, alternative methods for mental health challenges.

phases of ketamine assisted therapy

Preparation

The preparation phase is exactly what it sounds like - prep work! I have partnered with Asheville Integrative Psychiatry’s (AIP) Watershed Healing Collective - you will meet with this team for medical clearance and your prescription of Ketamine after you and I have met and determined if you are a good fit for this protocol. When we meet, we’ll discuss your goals, expectations, support systems, etc! We will also spend a lot of time on informed consent - this is basically where I tell you anything you need to know about KAP so you can make an educated choice about your treatment. This information includes benefits, risks, side effects, cost, treatment length, FAQ’s, and much more. I’ll also give you some helpful (and required) tips for dosing day. I require 4 to 5 preparation sessions before dosing.

Dosing

On your dosing day, you will bring your medication to the office. We will review goals/intentions, expectations, things to expect while under the effects of Ketamine, and how to take good care of yourself in the hours and days right after dosing. These sessions are about 3 hours long. It is recommended to have 6 ketamine dosing sessions, but many people find relief after just 2 dosing sessions.

Integration

Integration sessions typically occur 2-3 days after your dosing session. During an integration session, we’ll explore in more depth what your ketamine experience was like for you, what you may have learned about yourself or the issues you’ve been facing, and maybe most importantly, we will discuss how to use what you learned to develop a plan of action so you can start making the changes you’ve been wanting to make.