Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic, dissociation meaning a sense of disconnection from one’s ordinary reality and usual self. The current, most probable, understanding of ketamine’s mode of action is as an NMDA antagonist working through the glutamate neurotransmitter system. At the dosage level administered to you, you will most likely experience mild anesthetic, anxiolytic, antidepressant, and, potentially, psychedelic effects. Relaxation from ordinary concerns and usual mind, while maintaining conscious awareness of the flow of mind under the influence of ketamine is characteristic. This tends to lead to a disruption of negative feelings and obsessional preoccupations. As a KAP therapist, I will be your guide to the experience, helping you process the experience before, during, and after the KAP sessions.

 

 

What to expect:

We will start with a written intake in which you describe your symptoms and determine whether ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) might be of benefit to you. You will then meet with our prescriber for a psychiatric intake, where he or she will determine if you are medically-cleared for using this medicine. After the psychiatric intake, you and I will meet again for at least a couple preparatory sessions, during which time you will be continuing to collaboratively assess if KAT is the right fit for you, while also building the relational safety necessary to do this work. There will be a minimum of two preparatory sessions before your first KAT session, and it’s common to extend preparation time out for longer to ensure everything is thoroughly covered.

The ketamine session itself typically lasts 1.5-2.5 hours. Your therapist will be with you throughout the ketamine session. While there are many possible routes of administration, we only work with sublingual lozenges. The effects begin to appear after about 5- 20 minutes, peak for about 50 minutes, and dissipate over the following 1-2 hours. It’s important to keep in mind that ketamine can sometimes encourage a positive shift in mood, while other times bring subconscious material to the surface to be processed. While ketamine is used as an off-label anti-depressant, sometimes more challenging emotions and experiences will surface, which you will work with your therapist to integrate.

After your first KAT session, you will have at least 2 integration sessions in which we will help you integrate your experience during the ketamine session, discuss how you responded to the medicine, and determine an individualized course of treatment moving forward. I recommend a commitment to at least 3 ketamine sessions, as this medicine tends to have a cumulative effect and is most beneficial after multiple treatments. Please contact me directly for more detailed information and to answer any further questions you might have.