Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Ketamine therapy is a promising novel therapy for relieving symptoms from depression, anxiety, PTSD, as well as childhood relational trauma. Research from top universities show entering into an “altered-state of consciousness” can help:
Relieve depressive/anxious thinking, feelings, behaviors
Aid in forgiveness, grief & loss, processing past traumas
Grow self-love, self-compassion, self-care
Foster creativity, spiritual practice, purpose and drive
“During my sixth session, I felt an ephemeral opening up, as if my brain and heart were more available to the world and to relationships and work. I felt a sense of joy, something I had a very hard time experiencing in my daily life. -Undark Magazine”
Benefits of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
In using ketamine therapy we are seeing a new sense of aliveness in our clients, as if a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. You do not need to have a “severe” mental health condition to use this therapy approach. Many clients say, “it’s as if the cobwebs are cleared.” With different types of psychiatric medications there can undesired side effects or even a numbing of emotions and personality. Clients who have benefited from ketamine treatment report:
less fear, feeling more open
reduction of chronic stress/fatigue/chronic pain
confident decision-making
taking risks to shift career, ending toxic relationships, creating supportive community
reducing addictive behaviors with food, alcohol, cannabis, media
more self-compassion around experiences from the past
newfound energy for more self-care; meditation, yoga, exercise, healthy eating
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Path
Step 1 Schedule initial KAP video consultation with therapist
Our 50 minute video consultation is the first step to determine whether KAP would be an appropriate course of treatment.
Step 2 Initial psychotherapy sessions with therapist
You will meet for 3-5 preparation sessions to build the therapy relationship, clarify your treatment goals, and prepare for the experience.
Step 3 Video psychiatry evaluation for ketamine prescription with prescribing doctor
A medical doctor will approve medical eligibility for ketamine lozenge prescription. Medication will be sent to your home through a deliverable pharmacy.
Step 4 KAP preparation session, KAP session, KAP integration session
Clients typically begin with 3-6 KAP treatment sessions (3 hours each). Each KAP session has a preparation session and integration session before and after the KAP session and within the same week. You and your therapist will continue to evaluate progress and make a unique plan for referrals or follow up KAP sessions. Each KAP session will have a unique intention based on our initial therapy sessions and a curated music playlist. You can expect to be in a reclined position for the majority of the session, wearing an eye mask, and having your therapist and the music as your therapy guides.
*All sessions may be done remotely on Zoom video or in-person in East Bay (vaccination required, masks may be required)
*Clients must be residing in the state of California
*If submitting super-bills/claims to insurance company for partial reimbursement, all billing will be done as “out-of network psychotherapy”
Download Example Fee Schedule
If you want to learn more you can schedule your initial video consultation session here:
“Schedule Consultation”
“I feel like my brain is changing. I no longer want to drink—I don’t like the numbing quality anymore. I make more connections and associations between things around me, like something I see or a song, and a memory, and that integration between my outer world and inner world feels so meaningful.-Women’s Health Magazine”
Statement by lead S-KAP trainer Marni Levy:
As a professional working in mental health for the last 10 years I have seen how ongoing symptoms of depression/anxiety wear on a person’s overall health and wellbeing. They can manifest into physical symptoms like auto-immune or digestive issues along with back/neck/chronic pain, or show up as stuckness in career, challenges with romantic relationships as well as addictions, panic attacks, or chronic procrastination. For other folks they may just report a feeling of numbness, boredom, or apathy (“what’s the point?”).
In depression, the spindly receptors on our neurons that facilitate signal transmission in the brain may recede, and the amygdala and hippocampus (both of which help govern mood) may shrink. Animal research has shown that ketamine can stimulate neural growth within days (and sometimes hours). One hypothesis is that there is similar action in humans.
What some people don’t realize is that depression and anxiety often have roots in relational or '“developmental trauma” from a person’s childhood. This includes things like being bullied, having parents who couldn’t be around as often or were “busy,” or even just a feeling of being “different.” This type of trauma has to do with psychological boundary crossing or relational trauma. If this specific use of the word “trauma” is new to you, in working together you will learn more about treating adult depression/anxiety and childhood developmental trauma with ketamine therapy.
HOW KAP TREATMENT WORKS
Treatment is a “hybrid” model, bringing together psychiatry and psychotherapy. Because a prescription is required, a psychiatric evaluation can determine eligibility for treatment. The protocols used in KAP include prep sessions that will prepare you for your ketamine experience, and integration sessions after KAP sessions to help you recall, explore, and integrate new insights into the changes you’ll make in your life.
TREATMENT OUTCOMES
Current research shows 70% of patients with treatment resistant depression respond positively to 1-3 administrations. 30-60% report having remission of depression for a varying length of time. Using repeated sessions there is a cumulative effect and together with ongoing psychotherapy the changes can be long lasting.
LEGALITY
Ketamine is the only prescribable psychedelic available in the U.S. It is a safe, evidenced-based, and legal prescription drug treatment that can be used in conjunction with psychotherapy to improve mental health and wellbeing.
CURRENT RESEARCH ON KAP
Yale Psychiatrists, pioneers of ketamine research and the recent FDA approval.
Article published by Cambridge University entitled “Toward specific ways to combine ketamine and psychotherapy in treating depression.”
KAP RESOURCES
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02791072.2019.1587556?scroll=top&needAccess=true
https://psychable.com/ketamine/
Psychedelic support-KAP articles
https://psychedelic.support/resources/what-i-wish-id-known-before-ketamine-therapy/
Truffle report- KAP articles
https://www.truffle.report/?s=ketamine
Medium- Personal accounts and stories
https://medium.com/search?q=ketamine
Third wave -KAP Articles
https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/ketamine/