FAQs

Ketamine is a legal, fast-acting medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Ketamine also has other common uses in physical medical care for children, adults, and animals. It is classified as a “dissociative anesthetic,” where dissociation means a sense of disconnection from one's ordinary reality and usual sense of self. At the dosage typically self-administered during KAP, most people experience mild anesthetic, anxiolytic (anxiety reducing), antidepressant, and, potentially, psychedelic effects. This may also include a positive change in outlook and character that some describe as profound and transformative. The antidepressant effect tends to be cumulative, that is, be more sustained with several sessions in a relatively short period of time, such as once per week for 6-8 sessions. Adding psychotherapy to this process in the form of integration sessions after each dosing session also seems to increase the benefits and make them last even longer.

Ketamine has been shown to be a highly effective treatment for a range of mental health conditions, particularly when used in a therapeutic setting. Research supports its effectiveness in reducing symptoms of depression, including treatment-resistant depression, as well as PTSD, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders, addictions, and certain forms of chronic pain. It can also help shift patterns of rumination, self-criticism, and dissociation, making it a valuable tool for individuals with complex trauma.

Unlike traditional antidepressants, which can take weeks to take effect, ketamine often provides rapid symptom relief. However, its benefits are best sustained with proper therapeutic support, integration work, and ongoing mental health care. You can read more about the effectiveness and other research into ketamine here.

Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, both on a physiological (brain chemistry) and psychological level, which can begin to take effect within 1-2 hours after treatment and last for 1-2 weeks. The current, most probable, understanding of ketamine's primary mode of action is as an NMDA antagonist working through the glutamate neurotransmitter system. Researchers currently believe that ketamine may have more than one mechanism of action, including different mechanisms in the brain that cause antidepressant effects in the immediate-term, medium-term, and long-term. Researchers believe that ketamine works on a different pathway than that of other psychiatric drugs such as the SSRIs, SNRIS, lamotrigine, anti-psychotics, benzodiazepines, etc., as well as different pathways from other psychedelic/entheogenic drugs such as MDMA, psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and others.

Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, via nasal spray, and using sublingual lozenges.

In my work with KAP clients, we only use the sublingual (i.e., under the tongue) lozenge form, meaning you hold the medicine in your mouth for several minutes before spitting it out. The lozenges are prescribed to my clients by an independent mental health nurse practitioner or physician, who determines your dosage and manages all aspects of the medication part of your treatment.

Initial Consultation: When you first reach out to me, we will have a free 20-minute consultation to discuss the possibility of working together, answer your questions, and see if we feel like a good match.

Medical Eligibility & Prescription: If we both decide to move forward, I will refer you to meet with a physician or nurse practitioner, who practices independently from me, for a medical evaluation to determine if ketamine is safe for you and whether you are a good candidate for KAP. Your prescriber will review the risks and benefits of ketamine with you, and if you both decide you are a good fit for KAP, your prescriber will decide on your dose and frequency of KAP sessions (typically 1-2x per week, for 6-8 sessions, as an initial series, with possible maintenance sessions every 1-6 months after that). They will write your prescription and you will receive it from a pharmacy.

Intake Session: Next, we’ll schedule an intake therapy session including exploring your history and goals, readiness for KAP, and thoroughly discussing informed consent for KAP.

From there, we will schedule preparation, dosing, and integration sessions.

With your consent, I will also consult with your prescriber to collaborate on your care. However, the specifics of your eligibility, dosing, frequency, and all medical aspects of your prescription of ketamine will be solely determined by your prescriber.

My licensure and scope of practice as your therapist is in providing psychotherapy including KAP, but not in prescribing, managing, or administering medications such as ketamine - your prescriber handles all of that with you.

I have received several dozen hours of training and consultation in providing ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, including a weeklong experiential Psychedelic Assisted Therapy & Integration Training through Inbodied Life in California in 2023. I have also completed training in KAP through Fluence, as well as numerous workshops on specific topics within the many complexities of psychedelic-assisted therapy. I have experienced KAP as a client, so I have firsthand experience with this medicine myself, which I have found to be an invaluable part of becoming a safe and competent provider. Each person’s experiences with altering their consciousness are their own, but it helps sometimes to have someone who has experienced the ineffable, too. I don’t presume to have all the answers, but I’ll help you find your own path. I continue to learn and grow as a psychedelic-assisted therapist through ongoing study.

Each client’s treatment plan including number of KAP sessions is unique and flexible, and there is no commitment to finish the full series.

Here are the typical fees for an initial course of KAP treatment with me:

• Initial 20-minute consultation call: Free

• Intake: $200 for 60-minute therapy session (eligible for out-of-network insurance reimbursement)

• Medical eligibility evaluation with prescriber: depends on provider’s fees ($250-300+); some providers may be covered by insurance

• Ketamine prescription (paid to pharmacy): usually $200-250 for enough lozenges for 6-8 sessions (not eligible for insurance reimbursement)

• Preparation session(s): $200 per 60-minutes; usually 2-3 sessions ($400-600 total) (eligible for out-of-network insurance reimbursement)

• 1x/week KAP session for 6 weeks: 2-3 hours long, $400-600 each ($2400-3600 total) (not eligible for out-of-network reimbursement)

• 1 Integration session after each KAP: $200 per 60-minutes ($1200 total for 6 sessions) (eligible for out-of-network insurance reimbursement)

• Total cost of initial series with 6 KAP sessions: approximately $4650 — $6150 (some, but not all, of which is eligible for out-of-network insurance reimbursement)

Maintenance KAP:

• Follow-up with prescriber: depends on provider’s fees ($150-200+); some providers may be covered by insurance

• KAP session: 2-3 hours long, $400-600

• Integration session: $200 per 60-minutes (eligible for out-of-network insurance reimbursement)

• Total cost for maintenance: $750 — $1000 each, approx. every 1-6 months

Ketamine has a well-established safety profile at the high doses used in surgery and battlefield medicine, and is well-tolerated by the majority of people. The doses used for mental health treatment and KAP are significantly lower, making it even safer. It is also compatible with most common psychiatric medications, such as SSRIs, meaning that people who take medications like Zoloft, Prozac, and Wellbutrin can keep taking them as usual during KAP treatment.

However, there are some people who are not good candidates for KAP in this setting. Eligibility for KAP will be determined by your prescriber. Some medical and psychiatric contraindications for ketamine include:

• Untreated hypertension/high blood pressure

• History of heart disease or stroke

• Untreated hyperthyroidism

• Untreated glaucoma

• Pregnant, trying to conceive, or currently breastfeeding

• Cystitis (bladder inflammation)

• History of psychosis

• Current manic episode or mixed state

• Active substance use disorder

Item descriptionYour physical and psychological safety is my top priority. Together, we’ll put several precautions in place from the very beginning, including:

• Thorough screening for eligibility and psychological readiness (medically, by your prescriber, and for the readiness side, by me)

• Having a trusted support person on-site during KAP sessions (e.g. at home as a chaperone), with their contact information available to me for emergencies

• I will be with you over video, fully present and monitoring you throughout your session

• Agreements to several safety procedures before, during, and after KAP sessions, such as no driving or swimming the rest of the day afterwards

We’ll also discuss any additional concerns beforehand to make sure you feel fully supported.

Ketamine, when used in a clinical or therapeutic setting, is generally considered to have a low risk of addiction, especially when administered under professional supervision. However, like any psychoactive substance, misuse or recreational use can lead to harmful patterns of dependence. In therapeutic contexts, ketamine is used very intentionally, in controlled doses and with specific goals in mind, such as supporting mental health treatment or facilitating therapeutic breakthroughs, which significantly reduces the risk of misuse.

If you have concerns about the potential for addiction, it's important to discuss them with me, your existing therapist, your doctor, and/or your KAP prescriber, who can guide you through the decision-making process and monitor your treatment.

You can read more here and here.