Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Couples Healing Center offers a therapeutic modality called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. Below is more information about KAP to help you navigate if it may be a good fit for you.
What is Ketamine?
– Ketamine is a legal, safe and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, which can begin to take effect within 1-2 hrs. after treatment and last for up to 2 weeks. It works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors as well as by stimulating AMPA receptors, which are thought to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement.
– Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, via nasal spray and using sublingual lozenges. In my work with Journey Clinical we only use the sublingual lozenge form.
How Does Ketamine Feel?
– The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience. Once these effects subsided, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are none-the-less clear. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience.
Benefits of Ketamine Assisted Therapy
1) Rapid Antidepressant Effects: One of the primary benefits of ketamine assisted therapy is its rapid antidepressant effects. Unlike traditional antidepressant medications, which can take several weeks or even months to begin working, patients may experience significant improvements in their symptoms within hours or days of their first ketamine infusion.
2) Reduction in Symptoms of Anxiety and PTSD: Ketamine assisted therapy has also been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and PTSD. It can help patients gain new insights into their thoughts and feelings, and may facilitate more effective communication with their therapist.
3) Alternative Treatment for Treatment-Resistant Conditions: For patients who have not responded to traditional treatments, ketamine assisted therapy can provide a new option. It has been shown to be effective in treating treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
4) Minimal Side Effects: Ketamine assisted therapy is generally well-tolerated, with few side effects. Common side effects may include mild nausea, dizziness, and dissociative experiences during the infusion.
To conclude, a KAP session is an incredible opportunity to achieve personal clarity and gain insight into your life. Being guided and supported by a trusted practitioner makes the entire journey much easier, plus gives you comfort knowing that any moments of confusion, discomfort or concern can be easily addressed.
Furthermore, having time following the 3 hour session to parse through one’s discoveries helps further connect the dots between everything encountered during the experience.
By engaging in a KAP session, it’s possible to unlock hidden doors and unlock pathways to explore life in whole new ways – one just needs to take the first step. And by taking that initial leap of faith they are sure to go on an inspiring journey full of revelations, joy and hope for a brighter tomorrow!