Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy

deep therapeutic expansion

Ketamine TherapY

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. Ketamine Therapy can provide insight and clarity that can be helpful for you to reframe important issues in your life, maneuver obstacles that may have caused stress, navigate complex-traumas & un-serving patterns, and overcome obstacles & stuck points in therapy.

KAP sessions can help you connect with your inner-child by seeing the trauma’s from a birds-eye view. This POV is helpful in lifting and shifting your prospectives. As oppose to re-experiencing the traumas over and over again during traditional therapy. Ketamine can provide both psychological and physiological benefits. It is not, however, a cure-all.

What is ketamine?

Ketamine is a legal, safe and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and trauma. 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. Ketamine helps 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.

Ketamine also aids in neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain. When ketamine reaches synapse it releases more glutamate which enhances parts of the brain that target areas of depression. “neurons that fire together, wire together.”

Ketamine is what is often referred to as a “dissociative” because of its anesthetic history. Research has found that Ketamine opens new pathways in the brain that were normally dormant. This allows the normally quiet neurons, the ones usually being suppressed when ketamine wasn’t present, to become active. The neurochemical effects of ketamine have been found to lead to structural changes in neurons, which allow for increased neuroplasticity. Meaning that through KAP, we can literally create new pathways in our brain. This cultivates more emotional and mental flexibility.

Ketamine therapy process

I offer a KAP in partnership with an organization called Journey Clinical. I take on the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while Journey Clinical’s medical team supports you on all medical aspects. This includes determining eligibility, developing a custom treatment plan, prescribing the medicine and monitoring outcomes.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Schedule a free consultation with me to ensure that we are a good fit to work together, and that my specialization meets your needs. I strongly believe that our dynamic with each other is an integral part of the work.

  2. Initial consultation with Journey Clinical:

    You will do an initial evaluation with a clinician from the Journey Clinical 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 Journey Clinical’s medical team determines that you are eligible for KAP, they will develop a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan for you. If you are found ineligible for KAP by a Journey Clinical prescriber, you will be refunded.

    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 our first 2 KAP sessions.

  3. Preparation sessions:

    Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time together for our KAP preparation, dosing, and integration sessions. Preparation sessions will be scheduled just like regular therapy sessions prior to the KAP dosing session. The goal of a preparation sessions are to align intentions and find groundedness before our KAP sessions together. I require a minimum of 2-3 preparation sessions before the first dosing session.

  4. KAP dosing sessions:

    A typical ketamine therapy session lasts about 3 hours and can take place either in-person in Westchester, NY, or remotely via telehealth.

    During a dosing session, 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.

  5. 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.

  6. Follow-up session with Journey Clinical prescriber:

    After our first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules 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.

FAQs

  • Ketamine a transformative tool used to assisted the psychotherapy process. It is for any qualifying persons who is looking to deepen & expedite their mental, emotional, and spiritual healing.

  • All of my ketamine clients complete a comprehensive medical assessment with a psychiatrist. If you are not cleared to take it, you will be refunded your money. Throughout the ketamine sessions your heart rate will be taken and your symptoms will be monitored.

    I will be by your side throughout the entire process.

  • Yes! Virtual sessions can be equally as impactful as in-person. You might feel better being in the comfort of your own home, with your pets & personal belongings by your beside you. I completely understand this, and feel confident that we ensure that you feel comfortable and safe.

  • 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.

  • You can check your benefits at the bottom of this page!
    I’ve partnered with Mentaya, a service that streamlines getting reimbursed for your therapy sessions through out-of-network benefits.

    Mentaya is perfect if you:

    • Have out-of-network benefits

    • Feel overwhelmed by superbills and insurance

    • Have submitted superbills but failed to get any reimbursement

    • Simply want to skip the hassle of paperwork!

  • Journey Clinical is a platform for licensed psychotherapists to incorporate science-based psychedelic therapies in their practice safely and effectively, starting with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on patient eligibility, prescriptions and outcome monitoring, while I take on the therapy. Their collaborative care model is designed to deliver personalized treatment plans to meet your individual needs and improve long-term outcomes.

additional resources

To fathom hell or to soar angelic, just take a pinch of a psychedelic

— Humphry Osmond

I have partnered with Mentaya to help clients maximize their health insurance and to save money on therapy. Use this tool below to see if you qualify for reimbursement for my services.