Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Maybe it’s time to go beyond traditional therapies and combine the powerful effect of ketamine with expert therapy.
Ketamine is not a miracle.
But…it sure seems to be miracle-adjacent often enough that it might be worth looking into.
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) has shown promise in helping people who are struggling with PTSD, OCD, anxiety disorders, depression, suicidality, substance use problems, and chronic pain.
KAP is an emerging treatment that combines the powerful effect of ketamine with expert therapy to create rapid and lasting relief from symptoms.
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a medication that has been used since the 1960s in medical settings for anesthesia and pain management. It has emerged as a treatment in mental health settings because it can create a unique state of restfulness in the brain that can quiet rigid and repetitive thought patterns, interrupt longstanding impacts of trauma, and help break people out of the pain of depression and anxiety. It can be fast-acting and it can have long term benefits. Ketamine is generally considered to be a safe medication with minimal risk of negative side effects.
Ketamine's usefulness in mental health settings is a growing field that is being guided by emerging research. We at SPARK stay current on the latest developments in order to provide our clients with the best possible care.
How does ketamine-assisted therapy (KAP) work?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative treatment option that allows a person to have the brain-changing experience of ketamine therapy with their therapist by their side, guiding them as they go.
Research has shown ketamine is a very effective treatment for mental health and relationship concerns – and that it can be even more effective when paired with skilled, attuned psychotherapy. KAP patients can experience accelerated healing and gain deeper insight and personal growth by having the support of an experienced therapist as ketamine helps take them places traditional talk therapy does not.
What is the process?
Discovery
We’ll have a complimentary 20-minute phone or video consultation to go over the very basics and answer initial questions. Then, we’ll help arrange for you to meet with a skilled prescriber outside of SPARK to confirm that you’re a candidate for ketamine. After that, you’ll do some reading, complete client information paperwork, and schedule a one-hour discovery session with your KAP therapist to go deeper into the orientation process.
Preparations Sessions
You’ll meet with your KAP therapist at least two times, virtually or in-person, for one-hour sessions to discuss motivations, goals, expectations, and risks and benefits so that you’re prepared to make the most out of your KAP treatment. It’s normal to have fear about doing something new, like KAP, but we want to do the best we can to put your mind at ease and teach you how to prepare emotionally, mentally, and physically so you can get what you need to get from your treatment.
Medicine Sessions
Medicine sessions take place in-person and are three hours long. We’ll start by talking a bit, centering, and setting intentions for the session and then you will take your dose of ketamine and be guided by your therapist. Specialized playlists, eye masks, plenty of blankets, and some snacks afterward are all part of creating a comfortable environment, which will greatly improve your ketamine experience.
Integration Sessions
Integration sessions are scheduled one to two days after each medicine session, taking advantage of enhanced neuroplasticity as the best time to debrief, reflect, and gain insights. At SPARK we’ve got many techniques that we use to create a personalized integration plan for each client. Integration is what makes KAP powerful, because it makes the most of the reset button of the medicine sessions to integrate new perspectives and awareness so lasting change can occur.
Ketamine-assisted couples therapy
Low-dose ketamine can be a gentle but powerful facilitator of deeper, more connected, more open-hearted couples therapy. It can help reduce defensiveness and guardedness and can even impact attachment patterns so that partners can actually connect. They can feel like they're on the same team again, working together to find their way back to the love and joy that now feels out of reach.
Couples therapy can be a grind -- for clients and therapists. It can be tough for people to let their defenses down and really let in the gifts of experiencing therapy with a partner. In 2024, Angela started receiving specialized training in using ketamine to facilitate couples therapy. Feel free to schedule a consultation if you want to see about trying couples therapy with the additional support that ketamine can provide.
I’ve seen ketamine make all the difference in the world for couples trying to find their way back to each other.
It’s like…lubricant for couples therapy. It might be worth a try.
FAQ's
- What makes ketamine so useful as a mental health treatment?
Ketamine works fast with low risk of side effects and the positive effects can be long-lasting – that’s a great combination! Studies have shown that 60-80% of patients have a positive response to the medicine, which is higher than other antidepressants. The risk of negative side effects is minimal when compared to other medications. Perhaps most importantly, ketamine can help people feel better in hours to days instead of weeks to months, which can make a huge difference when people are suffering with debilitating depression, anxiety, or suicidality.
- How does ketamine work?
Unlike traditional antidepressants that primarily target neurotransmitter levels, ketamine works by affecting the default mode network in the brain and creating a non-ordinary state of consciousness that can increase neuroplasticity, which allows people the opportunity to form new connections in the brain. Treatment with ketamine can lead to rapid and often long-lasting improvements in mood, thought patterns, and behavior, changes which help with long-term mental health and wellbeing.
- How is ketamine given?
One of the beautiful things about ketamine is that it has several different types of administration that are safe and useful in different circumstances. The main four types are IV (in the vein using a needle), IM (in the muscle using a shot), IN (nasal spray), or SL (sublingual, allowing a tablet to dissolve under the tongue).
- How do patients get ketamine?
Regardless of the route of administration, ketamine is always prescribed by a qualified medical professional after an assessment to determine its safety and appropriateness. SPARK has a list of recommended prescribers. Please ask if you’d like to get that list from us.
- Can I do Prep and Integration sessions at SPARK if I’m doing ketamine infusions elsewhere or if I’m using sublingual ketamine at home?
Yes, absolutely!
- How much does KAP cost?
During the Discovery process, we will discuss the financial aspects of KAP at great length. Each financial agreement is custom-made based on a person’s individual needs, so feel certain that you’ll have informed consent about costs long before you’re starting KAP. The initial Discovery session is free. After that, individual or couples KAP Preparation, Medicine, and Integration sessions will cost roughly $175 per hour. Group sessions are less expensive. The cost for the medical evaluation with a physician or other prescriber costs $250-$500, depending on who you choose to see. The medicine itself is very affordable, usually costing less than $10 per dose.
- Does insurance cover KAP?
At this time, ketamine is still considered an out-of-network expense for most insurance companies. With that in mind, some insurance companies may pay for part or all of the Preparation and Integration sessions the same way they would cover other out-of-network outpatient psychotherapy sessions. SPARK can provide receipts if you want to pursue reimbursement from your insurance company.
Ways To Get Started:
Some problems can’t wait.
And some have waited long enough. If you think therapy might be a good idea, reach out and let’s talk about it.