What is ketamine?

Ketamine is a dissociative medicine that’s been used to treat treatment-resistant depression and associated suicidal ideation. Its main advantage over other conventional treatments is the rapid improvement in symptoms. It can be administered intravenously (IV), intramuscularly (IM), orally or as a spray. Ketamine has been used to address anxiety, trauma, bipolar depression, and is actively being researched for substance use disorders.

What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)?

KAP provides preparation sessions leading to the ketamine session, followed by integration. The number of sessions varies per person. The value in KAP lies in ketamine’s ability to provide cognitive flexibility the first few days following administration. This provides a critical period for us to explore areas where you feel stuck.

What is the difference between KAP and ketamine infusion treatment?

Ketamine infusion clinics typically operate from a biomedical model without including preparatory and integration sessions. This works well for some people, while others prefer a more holistic approach which KAP offers. An article from the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute provides further information and can be accessed here.

How safe is ketamine?

Ketamine is a well-studied medication that has been used since the 1960s. The dose used for KAP is much lower than anesthetic doses. As with any medication, there are potential for side-effects which we’ll discuss and can minimize during our session.