Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative approach that combines the administration of ketamine with psychotherapeutic interventions. Ketamine, originally developed as an anesthetic, has gained attention in recent years for its rapid and robust antidepressant effects. When used in conjunction with psychotherapy, ketamine can facilitate emotional breakthroughs, enhance psychological insights, and promote neuroplasticity.
KAP typically involves a series of ketamine sessions interspersed with psychotherapy sessions. The ketamine dosage used in KAP is subanesthetic, meaning it is lower than what would be used for general anesthesia. This allows clients to remain conscious and engaged in the therapeutic process.
This may be a good fit if…
- ✓Depression has not responded to two or more adequate medication trials
- ✓You are in treatment already and something is not shifting
- ✓Suicidal thinking is present and you need something that can work quickly
- ✓You want the medicine paired with actual therapy, not administered alone
- ✓You can arrange not to drive and to have the rest of the day free
Key benefits
It can work when other things have not
Ketamine acts on a different system from standard antidepressants, which is why response rates in treatment-resistant depression are meaningful in a group that has already failed other treatments.
Speed matters in some situations
Effects on mood and on suicidal ideation can appear within hours to days rather than the four to six weeks a conventional antidepressant needs. Where risk is high, that difference is clinically significant.
The therapy is the point
Ketamine alone tends to produce effects that fade. Pairing the medicine with preparation and integration sessions is what makes the change more likely to hold, and it is the difference between this and an infusion clinic.
A window that is easier to work in
Many clients describe temporarily reduced defensiveness and more distance from entrenched narratives. Material that has been inaccessible sometimes becomes workable, which is what the integration sessions are for.
How Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy works
The Three Parts of a KAP Session Cycle
Medicine is one part of the work. Preparation and integration are where the change is made.
Medical screening with the prescribing clinician, then sessions with your therapist to set intentions and learn what to expect.
Your therapist stays with you throughout. Eyeshades and music support an inward, reflective state while the medicine is active.
Follow-up therapy sessions to make sense of what came up and turn insight into changes in daily life.
The cycle repeats across a series. Ketamine is prescribed and monitored by a licensed medical provider; your therapist guides the psychotherapy.
How the work is structured
This is not a single appointment. Preparation sessions come first, covering history, intention, and what the experience is actually like. Dosing sessions are longer and supported throughout. Integration sessions follow within a day or two, while the material is still close, and that is where most of the therapeutic work happens.
- Medical and psychiatric screening before anything is scheduled
- Preparation sessions with the therapist who will be with you
- Longer dosing sessions, with a clinician present the whole time
- Integration sessions within forty-eight hours, then continuing
Being straight about the limits
Ketamine is not a cure and the effects are not permanent. Most protocols involve a series of sessions with the possibility of maintenance. It is not appropriate for people with a history of psychosis, uncontrolled hypertension, certain cardiac conditions, or active substance use involving ketamine. Prescribing and medical oversight are handled by licensed medical providers; a clear account of who is responsible for what is part of your intake.
What to expect
The experiences induced by ketamine can include altered perceptions of time and space and access to unconscious material. When processed with a trained therapist, these experiences can lead to significant psychological insights and emotional breakthroughs. Unlike traditional antidepressants that may take weeks to show effects, ketamine can produce noticeable improvements within hours to days.
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Medical and psychiatric screening to establish whether this is appropriate at all
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Two or more preparation sessions before any dosing
- 3
Dosing sessions considerably longer than a standard hour, with a clinician present throughout
- 4
No driving for the rest of the day, and an escort home
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Integration sessions within a day or two of each dosing session
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A planned series rather than a single appointment, with maintenance discussed openly
Ready to start?
Tell us a little about yourself and we will match you with a clinician trained in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy.
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