Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible clients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. KAP is a modality that can take you deeper when you've tried everything and are still feeling stuck.
What is Ketamine?
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.
How Does Ketamine Feel?
The effects of ketamine, which most clients 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, clients 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.
Why Ketamine Assisted Therapy with me?
Choosing the right therapist for psychedelic-assisted therapy is a significant decision, as it involves entrusting someone with your safety and well-being during a profoundly transformative experience. My expertise in energy medicine and experience in facilitating multiple psychedelic and mind-altering journeys equip me with the tools to help you navigate the experiences of out of body experiences, ego dissolution, and the exploration of your inner world. I am not afraid of the shadows, having faced and integrated my own, which allows me to support you with empathy and understanding. With me, you will find a compassionate ally committed to helping you feel secure and empowered throughout your journey. I will intuitively integrate all that is in my toolkit (somatic touch, sound healing, spinal energetics, reiki, etc..) to make this a loving, nurturing and supportive space for you. I am committed and dedicated to guiding you through this journey with love, no matter what arises.
How Does Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Work?
1. Initial consultation with ISHA HEALTH
● You schedule an initial evaluation with a clinician from the Isha Health medical team via zoom. They will go over your medical and psychiatric history with you, provide education on the treatment and determine if you are eligible for KAP.
● If Isha Health’s medical team determines that you are eligible for KAP, they will develop a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan for you.
● The medical staff will write a ketamine prescription for you, and a small amount of oral ketamine will be sent to a pharmacy to pick up. You typically pay $50-150 for a 30 day supply of the medication depending on where you live.
2. 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.
3. KAP Dosing Session:
● A typical ketamine dosing session lasts 2-3 hours and can take place either in-person at my office, or remotely via telehealth.
● During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge either in my office or in your home. 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. I will integrate all my training modalities (reiki, sound healing, somatic touch, energy work, aromatherapy, Somatic Experiencing, etc.), as needed, to provide a safe and nurturing space for you.
●You will need to arrange a ride home or take an Uber
4. Integration Sessions:
● After each KAP dosing session (usually next day or within 1 week), we will meet for integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts & insights that arose during your dosing session, and to prepare for the next dosing session.
5. Follow-up consultations with Isha Health:
● After the fist 4 KAP sessions, you will have a follow-up consultation with Isha Health to review the experiences and monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow ups depends on your unique treatment plan.
What is the Cost of Treatment?
Benefits are best seen between 6-8 sessions.
○ Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy : $200/hour (Per dose: 1 prep session, 2-3 hour administration, 1 integration session/prep session for next dose)
○ Medication Costs: You typically pay $50-150 for a 30 day supply of the medication depending on where you live.
○ Isha Health Initial Consultation: $350/hour
○ Isha Health Follow-up medical consultation: $350 (30 minutes)
(The estimated cost for one month of treatment (4 sessions) ranges from $2,500 to $3,400. A discounted rate of $2,000 is available if payment is made in advance)