What is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy combines carefully prescribed ketamine with ongoing psychotherapy.
Ketamine is not the treatment.
The therapy is.
Ketamine can sometimes create conditions that make therapeutic work more accessible. People often describe becoming less caught in habitual patterns of thinking, more emotionally open, or able to approach difficult experiences with greater curiosity and compassion.
Those experiences can be meaningful.
But lasting change rarely comes from the medicine alone.
It comes from how those experiences are understood, integrated, and incorporated into everyday life.
For that reason, I view ketamine as one possible tool within a broader therapeutic relationship—not as a stand-alone intervention.
Who Might Benefit?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be appropriate for people who:
Feel stuck despite years of therapy.
Experience depression or anxiety that has not responded fully to traditional treatment.
Notice recurring emotional or relationship patterns they cannot seem to change.
Feel disconnected from themselves or emotionally shut down.
Are interested in combining psychotherapy with carefully supervised ketamine treatment.
Not everyone is a good candidate.
Determining whether ketamine is appropriate is something we discuss together after carefully reviewing your history, goals, and medical considerations.
Why Combine Ketamine With Therapy?
Ketamine can sometimes make it easier to approach experiences that normally feel overwhelming or inaccessible.
People often report:
Greater emotional openness
Reduced defensiveness
Increased curiosity
A broader perspective on long-standing problems
Greater compassion toward themselves
Those experiences can create valuable opportunities for therapy.
Without psychotherapy, however, even meaningful experiences can fade back into familiar patterns.
Therapy helps translate temporary experiences into lasting change.
My Approach
My primary therapeutic approach is Internal Family Systems (IFS).
IFS provides a compassionate framework for understanding anxiety, perfectionism, self-criticism, emotional shutdown, and other protective patterns that often develop in response to difficult life experiences.
When ketamine is clinically appropriate, I integrate it into that ongoing work.
Rather than focusing only on the ketamine experience itself, we spend time preparing beforehand, clarifying intentions, and integrating what emerges afterward.
In many ways, the conversations before and after ketamine are just as important as the medicine itself.
What Does Treatment Look Like?
While every treatment plan is individualized, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy generally includes three phases.
Preparation
We spend time understanding your history, your goals, and what you hope to gain from treatment.
Preparation also includes discussing expectations, answering questions, and ensuring that ketamine is an appropriate option.
Ketamine Sessions
Ketamine is prescribed and medically managed by a qualified prescriber.
My role is to provide psychotherapy that supports the psychological process before, during (when appropriate), and after treatment.
Integration
Integration is where much of the lasting therapeutic work happens.
Together we explore what emerged during the experience and consider how it relates to your life, relationships, emotional patterns, and ongoing healing.
Rather than chasing extraordinary experiences, we focus on meaningful change in everyday life.
Common Questions
Is ketamine a cure?
No.
Ketamine is not a cure for trauma, depression, or anxiety.
For some people it creates opportunities for meaningful therapeutic work.
The long-term benefit comes from integrating those experiences into daily life.
Will I lose control?
People remain aware that they are having an experience, although thoughts, emotions, and perceptions may feel different than usual.
Before treatment, we spend time discussing exactly what to expect so that the experience feels as predictable and supported as possible.
Is ketamine safe?
Ketamine has been used medically for decades.
Like any treatment, it has risks and is not appropriate for everyone.
Medical eligibility is determined by the prescribing clinician, and together we carefully consider whether it fits your circumstances and goals.
Do I have to do ketamine to work with you?
No.
Most of my clients do not.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is simply one option that may be appropriate for some people.
The foundation of my practice is psychotherapy.
Is This the Right Fit?
This approach tends to be a good fit for people who:
Have already engaged in meaningful personal work.
Are interested in understanding the deeper roots of their emotional patterns.
Want a thoughtful, carefully integrated approach rather than a quick fix.
Value curiosity, reflection, and long-term healing.
It may be less appropriate for people hoping that medication alone will solve long-standing emotional difficulties.