Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy For Mood & Pain Syndromes
Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) uses a client-centered approach to help you get the most out of your ketamine session. KAT is completely voluntary, and the treatment process will be explained to you at the beginning of the session. You are free to end the KAT session at any time.
A process of holding therapeutic space
KAT involves the same process as a non-KAT session, but you have a licensed, experienced mental health professional with you during the session. Like non-KAT sessions, the medicine and your brain do the work. The clinician primarily “holds the space,” and follows the client’s lead in terms of what is talked about.
Decades of practice and research show that integrating talk therapy and psychedelic medications can help the brain break-down well-established (and unconscious) defenses…
The ketamine-assisted psychotherapy experience
KAT does not rely on cognitive-behavioral approaches that are common in many other forms of counseling. A KAT-trained clinician understands that you may not know where to begin in terms of talk therapy, and our clinicians are comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity. Decades of practice and research show that integrating talk therapy and psychedelic medications can help the brain break-down well-established (and unconscious) defenses and help the client learn new things about themselves and others.
Some clients, especially those experiencing their first Ketamine session, like having a person to reassure them and help them settle into a new experience. Other clients simply want to have a conversation while experiencing ketamine and wish to have someone help them understand what they are experiencing.
Other clients like to have a discussion prior to the beginning of the ketamine taking effect and then have the counselor focus on something specific once the medication starts. For example, one client wanted to talk about the trauma and grief she experienced as a child. Ketamine helped to lessen her defenses and focus on what happened, beginning the process of helping her to resolve her trauma. Finally, some clients choose not to speak, but report feeling more relaxed knowing there is a person in the room with them.
Once the ketamine experience concludes the counselor can help you process your experience (if you wish—some clients prefer to sit in silence). By coordinating care with our medical staff, we hope to provide you with an exceptional experience by helping you address your concerns.
