Ketamine has complex biological mechanisms, but essentially it works by increasing levels of glutamate in the brain, an excitatory neurotransmitter.
Ketamine has been shown to lead to neuroplasticity, a phenomenon where your brain becomes more flexible to learning new information and seeing things in a new way. This is associated with positive therapeutic outcomes.

Ketamine has been shown to be effective at treating a range of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and trauma. Researchers believe that ketamine works differently than other types of drugs, by altering your perception and the way you look at issues you are facing. If you struggle with mental health,
ketamine could be helpful! There are just a few conditions that we would screen out for, such as a history of psychosis.

Ketamine has been used as an anesthetic since the 1960s. When it is used as an anesthetic, it is used in higher doses than you would take. At the dose range you’d work with, ketamine is considered very safe! It does affect heart rate and blood pressure, so if your vitals are out of a safe range, you may not be a right fit for ketamine. Additionally, conditions like sleep apnea would be contraindicated.
This is why you will need to conduct a medical evaluation and receive a prescription.

It works differently than ‘classic psychedelics’ like LSD, DMT, and Psilocybin mushrooms, which all work primarily on the Serotonin 2-A receptor. You will work with your prescriber, who I also work with, to determine the right dosage to achieve the desired effects. You can expect that you will enter a ‘non-ordinary
state of consciousness’, and it’s typical to experience synesthesia, a phenomenon where your senses blend, so you may ‘see’ colors, as an example.

Anything that affects your reward systems can produce an addiction; however, it is unlikely that you will develop an addiction to ketamine in the way that we use it. In the United Kingdom, illicit ketamine use and ketamine addiction is very popular, but it’s important to recognize that that looks very different from the way that we use ketamine. We will be very intentional with your session, with a specific purpose of gaining therapeutic insights. Usually, people that are addicted to ketamine are obtaining it from illegal drug dealers, using it in much higher quantities, and much more frequently than we would use it. If you are concerned that you are developing a ketamine addiction, please let me know and we will get you connected to the right resources.

Unfortunately, ketamine-assisted therapy is not currently covered by insurance. In certain cases, the psychotherapy portion may be partially covered by insurance. Please reach out to us to discuss pricing. In general, our rates are considered low, but we understand that this treatment is not accessible for everyone. We strive to increase accessibility by making the treatment affordable and working where we can with insurance companies.

We are trained counselors and guides, not prescribers.  You will need to be medically evaluated and prescribed ketamine by a medical provider licensed to prescribe medications.   If you meet the medical and psychological criteria for Ketamine Assisted Therapy, you will be given a prescription with the recommended dosage and frequency by your prescriber.  You will then administer your own ketamine during your Ketamine Assisted Therapy session which will be facilitated by a trained counselor and guide.

The dose that you take will be determined by the prescriber that conducts your medical evaluation, and is based on several factors. You will be prescribed an oral ketamine solution, in a dose range that is likely between 50 and 400mg. Oral ketamine has a lower bioavailability, so you get less of it than you would through
a different route of administration like intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM).
The dose that you take will be much less than is used in medical settings as anesthesia.

The room will be very comfortable for your session. You will be provided with clean pillows, blankets, and eyeshades. You will be given headphones and intentional music playlists tailored for your session. The music will help guide you through the experience. You may or may not want to talk much under the effects of the medicine.  Sometimes just brief sentences or insights may occur.  Notes may be taken of any movements, verbalizations, or challenging moments that you may go through, and sessions will be audio-recorded for you to keep if you’d like. After about an hour to an hour-and-a-half, you will probably not be feeling the medicine’s effects as much. At this point, you will have some time to talk about and process what you experienced. After the session is over you will be required to have a ride home.

Well, you can.  However, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy is a process that includes psychotherapy while the medication is administered and when the medication is wearing off to help you gain the most from your session.  In addition, having a trained professional with you helps create more safety and potential benefit.  Taking medication on your own, going to a clinic where they administer IV (intravenous), or IM (intramuscular injection) in a purely medical model are all other options, but not what we offer here.  We value the human relationship and the presence of a trained guide to offer psychotherapy in addition to the medicine which we find to be most effective.