Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy creates a unique opportunity to process emotional wounds, uncover new meanings, and move toward greater wholeness through preparation, guided experience, and integration.
What is it?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative therapeutic approach that combines the healing potential of ketamine with the depth and support of psychotherapy.
Ketamine is a legal medication that has been used safely in medical settings for decades. In recent years, it has gained recognition for its ability to help individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, and other emotional challenges. When used in a therapeutic setting, ketamine can create a temporary shift in awareness that may help people step outside of familiar patterns, access emotions more freely, and gain new perspectives on longstanding struggles.
Many people are familiar with IV ketamine infusions, where ketamine is administered in a medical setting and the primary focus is on the medication's biological effects. While IV ketamine can be effective for reducing symptoms of depression and other conditions, it often involves limited therapeutic support before, during, or after the experience. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines ketamine with a structured psychotherapy process. In KAP, the medicine is used as a tool to support deeper self-exploration, emotional processing, and psychological healing. Preparation sessions help clarify intentions and create safety, while integration sessions help translate insights from the ketamine experience into meaningful and lasting changes in daily life. Frequency of sessions varies, but the typical protocol is one or two preparation psychotherapy sessions and then one weekly ketamine session combined with a follow up integration psychotherapy session for the following 4-6 weeks (that is what the research shows is for best outcome for treatment resistant depression). However, depending on the client's intention and presenting concern that protocol adapted to fit the client’s unique needs.
At the heart of KAP is the understanding that healing comes not only from the medicine itself, but from how the experience is supported, explored, and integrated through psychotherapy.
“In the end, ketamine is many things to many people, but most of all it is hope.”
Phil Wolfson, M.D
What can KAP help with?
Depression
Anxiety
Trauma/PTSD
Burnout
Grief
Existential distress
Life transitions
Emotional numbness
Relationship patterns
Spiritual Exploration
Personal Growth
What is the Process?
Step 1: Free Consultation
The process begins with a complimentary 15-minute consultation. This is an opportunity for us to connect, discuss what brings you to ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and explore whether this approach feels like a good fit for your goals and needs.
You will have the chance to ask questions about the process, learn more about my approach, and determine whether you feel comfortable moving forward. Finding the right therapeutic fit is an important part of creating a safe and supportive foundation for this work.
Step 2: Medical Evaluation & Prescription
I do not prescribe, dispense, or provide ketamine. Before beginning ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, clients meet with a licensed psychiatric nurse practitioner or other qualified medical provider for a comprehensive evaluation. This assessment helps determine whether ketamine is an appropriate and safe treatment option based on your medical history, current medications, and mental health needs.
If approved, the provider will prescribe ketamine and remain available for ongoing medical oversight throughout the treatment process. I collaborate closely with trusted medical professionals to help ensure your care is both safe and well-coordinated.
Step 3: Preparation Sessions
Before your ketamine experience, we will meet for one or more preparation sessions to establish a strong foundation for the work ahead. During these sessions, we will explore your personal history, clarify your intentions, identify areas of focus, and discuss what you may encounter during the ketamine experience.
Preparation is about more than simply getting ready for a medicine session. It is an opportunity to build trust, develop internal resources, and cultivate a mindset of openness and curiosity. Research and clinical experience suggest that the quality of preparation can have a significant impact on the depth and meaning of the experience.
Together, we will create a safe and supportive framework that allows you to engage the process with greater confidence, clarity, and intention.
Step 4: Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Sessions
During the ketamine-assisted therapy session, you will take your prescribed ketamine in a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment at my office in Gainesville, FL. As the medicine begins to take effect, you may experience shifts in perception, emotions, memories, or insights that can offer new perspectives on longstanding challenges.
Throughout the experience, I remain present as a grounded and supportive guide. Rather than directing the experience, my role is to help create a sense of safety, support exploration, and assist you in navigating whatever emerges with curiosity and compassion.
Each experience is unique. Some sessions may involve profound insights, emotional processing, or a sense of expanded awareness, while others may be quieter and more subtle. There is no "right" way to experience ketamine-assisted therapy. Together, we approach each session with openness, trust, and respect for your individual healing process.
Step 5: Integration & Lasting Change
The ketamine experience is only one part of the healing process. In the days and weeks following a session, we meet for integration therapy to explore the insights, emotions, memories, and experiences that emerged.
Together, we will make sense of what arose during the session and identify ways to apply those insights to your everyday life. Integration may involve processing emotions, examining patterns, strengthening new perspectives, or developing concrete steps toward meaningful change.
The goal of integration is to help transform temporary experiences into lasting growth. By weaving the insights gained during ketamine sessions into your relationships, habits, and sense of self, the healing process can continue long after the medicine has worn off.
What is the Cost?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy involves both therapeutic services and medical services, which are billed separately.
Psychotherapy Sessions
Preparation and integration sessions are 50-minute psychotherapy appointments and are billed at $185 per session.
These sessions are an essential part of the process and may include:
Preparation and intention setting
Emotional and psychological assessment
Processing insights and experiences
Integration and implementation of changes in daily life
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Sessions
Ketamine-assisted therapy sessions are 2 hours in length and are billed at $450 per session.
These extended sessions include:
Pre-session grounding and intention review
A safe, supportive therapeutic environment during ketamine administration
Non-directive therapeutic presence while you are in the medicine experience
Gentle support if emotions, memories, or insights arise
Post medicine processing to help begin integrating the experience
Space for reflection, rest, and reorientation before leaving
Medical Evaluation & Ketamine Prescription
Medical services are provided separately by an independent licensed medical provider. The medical evaluation, ketamine prescription, and ongoing medical oversight are not included in my fees and are paid directly to the prescribing provider.
