I offer a therapeutic modality called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with trusted medical providers. 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. I take on the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while the medical provider I refer you to supports you on all medical aspects. This includes determining eligibility, developing a custom treatment plan, prescribing the medicine and monitoring outcomes.

Ketamine is a legal, safe and effective medicine used “off label” to treat a variety of mental health conditions. 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.

Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, via nasal spray and using sublingual lozenges. In my work I only use the sublingual lozenge form.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is emerging as a promising treatment for several mental health conditions, particularly those that have not responded well to traditional therapies or medications. It involves the use of ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic with rapid-acting antidepressant effects, in combination with psychotherapy to enhance emotional processing. Here are some conditions KAP is effective in treating:

1. Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD): Ketamine has shown rapid antidepressant effects, especially for people who haven't had success with conventional antidepressants.

2. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Ketamine's ability to help individuals confront and process trauma in a safe and controlled setting makes it beneficial for PTSD treatment.

3. Anxiety Disorders: It can be effective for those with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, or panic disorders, often helping to break through persistent negative thought patterns.

4. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Ketamine can help reduce the intensity of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors in some patients.

5. Bipolar Disorder (with depression): Particularly for bipolar depression, ketamine has shown benefits in alleviating symptoms, although it is used cautiously due to its potential to induce manic states in some individuals.

6. Chronic Pain Conditions (such as Fibromyalgia): Some chronic pain conditions with a psychological component may benefit from KAP due to ketamine’s ability to impact both physical pain perception and mood.

7. Substance Use Disorders: Emerging evidence suggests ketamine may help reduce cravings and emotional distress related to addiction recovery, particularly when paired with psychotherapy.

8. Suicidal Ideation: Ketamine's fast-acting nature has been found to help reduce suicidal thoughts in patients with severe depression.

Because KAP combines both ketamine and psychotherapy, it can allow for a deeper emotional exploration that may be more challenging under typical therapeutic conditions alone.

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. During higher dose sessions, 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.

1. Initial consultation

During our initial consultation we will discuss your goals for treatment, and determine if Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy is right for you. If so, I will refer you to a trusted medical provider.

2. Meet with the Medical Provider

You will then schedule a meeting with the medical provider so they can go over your medical and psychiatric history with you, provide education on the treatment and determine if you are eligible for KAP. If they determine that you are eligible for KAP, I will coordinate with them so they can develop a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan for you. The medical provider will write a ketamine prescription for you, and oral ketamine will be sent to your home from a compounding pharmacy. You will be taught to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges by the medical provider.

3. Preparation sessions:

Before 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.

4. Guided Psychedelic Dose KAP Session

An initial psychedelic dose ketamine session lasts between 2-3 hours as we meet remotely via telehealth. During a psychedelic dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge 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.

OR

Guided Low Dose EMDR Session

A low dose EMDR session is much different than a higher dose psychedelic session. You will not need to recline or wear an eye mask, but instead you will engage in a more traditional psychotherapy session with me while you self administer your low dose of ketamine. In a low dose EMDR session, I will guide you through reprocessing trauma while you are experiencing the effects of the medicine. Unlike a typical EMDR session that uses eye movements to help reprocess trauma, we will utilize tactile and auditory “bilateral stimulation”, as this tends to be more comfortable when under the effects of ketamine.

4. Integration Sessions:

After a psychedelic 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. EMDR therapy may be used to process any trauma that came up during the session, or to help you “resource” any positive experiences you had. The neuroplastic window that ketamine creates in the days following a treatment seems to enhance the effectiveness of EMDR therapy.

5. Medical Follow Ups

Follow-up consultations with your medical provider will be scheduled at their discretion to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, if appropriate. The frequency of follow ups depends on your unique treatment plan and your medical provider’s recommendations.

Costs will vary depending on your treatment plan. Services I offer are based on my hourly rate of $200/hr. The costs for your medical provider will typically consist of an initial hour long medical evaluation and 30 minute follow ups that may be every few weeks initially, and less frequent after any adjustments. The medical providers I partner with range in fees between $225-$450 an hour. I’ll give you referrals for your options depending on the state you are located in.

Some of the costs may be reimbursable for insurance benefits. A portion of the appointments may be eligible for utilizing your out of network insurance benefits, including our initial session, preparation, and integration sessions. The dosing session for psychedelic doses of KAP will not be billable to insurance because it is considered an “off label” treatment.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is an evidenced based treatment designed to help individuals process and heal from traumatic memories or distressing experiences. It involves a structured approach where the therapist guides the client to focus on specific memories while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation, including eye movements, auditory tones, or tactile stimulation. This process aims to help the brain reprocess the memories, reducing emotional distress and promoting healthier coping mechanisms. EMDR is commonly used for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but has also been helpful for anxiety, depression, and other health conditions. For more information, please visit EMDRIA.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) appear to be highly synergistic because both aim to address and heal trauma, but they do so through complementary approaches that enhance each other’s effectiveness. Ketamine may reduce emotional reactivity and create a sense of safety and detachment, which can help clients approach distressing memories with less fear or overwhelm. While EMDR targets the cognitive and emotional processing of trauma, ketamine works on a neurochemical level to promote neural plasticity, which helps to make it more receptive to healing. Together, these therapies seem to accelerate recovery by supporting both the mind and brain in new, adaptive ways. Combining these two interventions is new approach to the treatment of trauma that will hopefully be better understood by future research.

Yes! There are many creative solutions that have been developed since the COVID pandemic to make EMDR accessible online. I use this website to remotely provide the “bilateral stimulation” used during EMDR therapy. This is easy to set up from your mobile device and will be done in our preparation sessions.

KAP sessions are set up remotely over Zoom so that I am with you for the duration of your journey. I also coordinate communication with your chaperone, who will be physically present in your home during the time of your dosing session in case there are any technological issues.

All of my services are offered online over HIPPA compliant technology. I use a high speed wired internet connection and top notch technology to provide a reliable and secure experience for all of my clients. I’ve been conducting all of my sessions online since 2020 and am skilled at helping my clients navigate technology to have a good experience with online therapy.

When you do a KAP session remotely, you can participate from the safety and comfort of your home. Unlike an office visit, you don’t have to arrange transportation to and from the appointment, which can make for a more relaxing experience for you. You can also set up the area for your session in a way that is more personalized for your needs.