Ketamine works to open the mind, increasing it’s ability to learn new habits. There are very few people who wouldn’t benefit. For those who experience anxiety, it becomes easier to believe that everything truly is fine, and they don’t have to be driven by a compulsion to fix, manage and control. For those with trauma, they can more easily ground back into the moment rather than being pulled into a scary and dangerous past. For those who feel depressed, heavy, and hopeless, ketamine has shown robust results.

Contact me to discuss whether ketamine would be a good treatment option for you.

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 hrs. 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.

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 none-the-less clear. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience.

1. At least three initial sessions with me, during which time we can decide whether ketamine would be the best course of treatment for your unique concerns.

2. I make a referral to Journey Clinical, and you will then schedule your evaluation with their prescriber.They will go over your medical and psychiatric history with you, provide education on the treatment and determine if you are eligible for KAP.

3. Journey Clinical’s medical staff will write a ketamine prescription for you, and a small amount of oral ketamine will be sent to your home, enough for the first 2 KAP sessions. You will be taught to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges by Journey Clinical’s medical team in advance of our KAP sessions.

4. Preparation sessions:
Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time together for our KAP preparation, dosing and integration sessions. Preparation session(s) will be scheduled just like regular therapy sessions prior to the KAP dosing session. The goal of a preparation session(s) is to align on the process and set intentions for our KAP sessions together.

5. KAP Dosing Session:
A typical ketamine dosing session lasts between 2-3 hours and takes place in my office, or I offer home visits within a reasonable radius from my office. During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge. You will be in a comfortable, reclining position wearing an eye mask and listening to calming music. Although a KAP dosing session may be largely an internal experience, I will be present with you the entire time to hold space and provide support as needed.

6. Integration Sessions:
After our KAP dosing session, we will meet for multiple integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts & insights that arose during your dosing session, and to prepare for the next dosing session.

7. Follow-up consultations with Journey Clinical:
After our first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedule regular follow ups with you to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow ups depends on your unique treatment plan, at a minimum of once per quarter.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is an affordable, accessible modality. Although the medical intake and follow ups are not covered by insurance, they are eligible for out-of-network reimbursement.

Cost breakdown for KAP:

Journey’s medical intake: $250, reimbursable by insurance through out of network benefits.

Medications: $75 for 4-6 lozenges (typically enough for 2 dosing sessions).

Psychotherapy for $200/hr for preparation before and integration after, reimbursable through out of network benefits. Dosing session is $575 for a three hour session.