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What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, often called KAP, combines prescribed ketamine with psychotherapy to support emotional processing, self-exploration, and healing.
For some people, traditional talk therapy can help them understand why they feel or respond in certain ways, but that understanding does not always change how they feel inside. You may recognize the patterns, know where they came from, and still feel stuck in them.
Ketamine can create a temporary shift in perception that may help you approach difficult emotions, memories, and beliefs from a different perspective. Instead of becoming as emotionally overwhelmed or attached to what arises, you may have more room to observe it with openness and curiosity.
Unlike ketamine treatment that focuses primarily on administering the medication, KAP includes preparation, therapeutic support during the medicine experience, and integration afterward.
A separate licensed medical provider will evaluate you to determine whether ketamine is medically appropriate and prescribe the medication. I provide the psychotherapy surrounding the experience and remain with you throughout the medicine session at my Louisville office.
KAP can be used as part of a broader mental health treatment plan and does not necessarily replace regular psychotherapy, psychiatric medication, or other care recommended by your providers.
How Does KAP Work?
How Does KAP Work?
Our minds develop patterns that help us understand ourselves, other people, and the world around us. When those patterns have been shaped by trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, or painful life experiences, they can become rigid and difficult to change.
You may find yourself returning to the same negative beliefs, worries, or emotional reactions even when part of you knows they are no longer serving you.
Ketamine affects brain systems involved in mood, learning, and perception. During a ketamine experience, some people describe feeling less caught in their usual thoughts or more able to look at an emotion, memory, or belief without immediately becoming overwhelmed by it.
This does not mean that ketamine erases painful experiences or automatically creates change. Instead, it may create an opportunity to relate to your experiences differently. Preparation and integration help connect that opportunity to your larger therapeutic goals.
What Can Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherpy Help With?
What Can Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherpy Help With?
Our minds develop patterns that help us understand ourselves, other people, and the world around us. When those patterns have been shaped by trauma, depression, anxiety, grief, or painful life experiences, they can become rigid and difficult to change.
You may find yourself returning to the same negative beliefs, worries, or emotional reactions even when part of you knows they are no longer serving you.
Ketamine affects brain systems involved in mood, learning, and perception. During a ketamine experience, some people describe feeling less caught in their usual thoughts or more able to look at an emotion, memory, or belief without immediately becoming overwhelmed by it.
This does not mean that ketamine erases painful experiences or automatically creates change. Instead, it may create an opportunity to relate to your experiences differently. Preparation and integration help connect that opportunity to your larger therapeutic goals.
What Can KAP Help With?
What Can KAP Help With?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy may be considered as part of an individualized treatment plan for concerns such as:
Treatment-resistant depression
Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Anxiety
Grief and loss
Emotional disconnection
Existential questions or challenges
Postpartum Challenges
Autistic Burnout
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is not appropriate for everyone. We must consider your mental health, medical history, current medications, and treatment goals before determining whether it may be a good fit.
KAP may be worth exploring if you:
Feel emotionally blocked or stuck
Understand your patterns but have difficulty changing them
Have made progress in therapy but still struggle to access certain emotions
Become overwhelmed when approaching painful experiences
Want support processing trauma, grief, or major life changes
Are interested in personal growth or deeper self-exploration
Want to combine medicine with trauma-informed psychotherapy
What Does the Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Process Look Like?
What Does the Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Process Look Like?
Consultation & Assessment
Consultation & Assessment
The KAP process can look different for each person, but it generally includes the following steps:
We begin by talking about what you are experiencing, what you hope to address, and whether KAP may be an appropriate therapeutic approach for you.
Medical Evaluation & Prescription
Medical Evaluation & Prescription
If we decide that KAP may be worth exploring, I will connect you with a licensed medical provider who can complete the required medical screening and prescribe the ketamine.
If you already work with a psychiatrist or physician who is qualified and comfortable prescribing ketamine, you may be able to continue working with that provider. I also collaborate with several local prescribers and can provide virtual referral options.
The medical evaluation, prescription, and medication are separate from the psychotherapy services I provide.
Preparation
Preparation
Before the medicine session, we will meet for one or two preparation sessions. We will discuss:
Your goals and intentions
What you may experience during the session
Questions, concerns, and expectations
Informed consent
Personal boundaries and comfort
How I can best support you during the experience
What may happen during and after the medicine session
Preparation is not about deciding what you are supposed to experience. It helps create a supportive mindset and environment while leaving room for your individual experience to unfold.
The Medicine Session
The Medicine Session
The medicine session lasts approximately two hours and takes place in my Louisville office. You will take medication that has been prescribed specifically for you by your medical provider, and I will remain with you throughout the entire session.
Ketamine’s noticeable effects typically last about one hour, although each person’s experience may differ.
During the experience, I act primarily as a supportive sitter rather than directing or interpreting what is happening. I hold a safe, calm space, attend to your comfort, and offer support when needed while allowing your experience to unfold without pressure.
As the effects begin to wear off, we may spend some time gently reflecting on what arose. More complete processing takes place during your dedicated integration session.
The Integration Session
The Integration Session
You will return for a full integration session approximately 24 to 48 hours after the medicine session.
The medicine experience is only one part of KAP. Integration gives us time to explore what came up and consider how it connects with your life, relationships, patterns, and therapeutic goals.
Integration may include:
Reflecting on emotions, memories, images, or insights
Identifying what felt meaningful
Exploring shifts in perspective
Connecting the experience to your ongoing healing
Considering changes you want to bring into daily life
Identifying what may need additional attention in therapy
Not every experience produces an immediate revelation, and you do not need to force meaning from it. Integration is a collaborative process that can continue unfolding over time.
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
There is no single KAP schedule that is right for everyone.
Some medical providers recommend a series of six medicine sessions, often spaced one or two weeks apart, for people seeking support for concerns such as treatment-resistant depression or PTSD.
Someone using KAP for grief, personal growth, spiritual exploration, or existential work may choose a different schedule or fewer sessions.
The number and frequency of your sessions will depend on your needs, goals, response to the experience, and your treatment providers’ recommendations. KAP can also be combined with regular psychotherapy before, during, and after the series.
How Can Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Complement EMDR, IFS, and Brainspotting?
How Can Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Complement EMDR, IFS, and Brainspotting?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy does not replace the other therapeutic approaches I use. Depending on your needs and treatment plan, it may complement EMDR, Internal Family Systems, or Brainspotting.
When you feel less emotionally reactive or rigid in your thinking, it may become easier to approach thoughts, emotions, or wounds that normally feel inaccessible or overwhelming.
IFS may help you meet protective or wounded parts of yourself with greater curiosity. EMDR and Brainspotting may help you continue processing memories, emotions, or physical responses connected to trauma.
We will determine together which approaches feel appropriate. You remain an active participant in deciding what becomes part of your therapy.
My Training
My Training
I completed a 20-hour Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy training through Elemental Psychedelics in May 2026.
I am also currently enrolled in a four-month Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy certification program through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute. This program includes 140 hours of comprehensive education about psychedelic medicines and is expected to be completed in December 2026.
In addition to formal training, I participate in monthly consultation groups with other KAP providers. These groups let us continue learning, discuss challenging clinical situations, and stay informed about emerging research and therapeutic practices.
Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Right for You?
Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Right for You?
KAP may be worth exploring if you have tried other approaches but continue to feel stuck, want support accessing difficult emotional material, or are interested in a structured form of medicine-assisted self-exploration.
You do not need to know whether KAP is right for you before contacting me. We can begin exploring that together. However, interest in KAP does not automatically mean it is an appropriate option. Both therapeutic and medical screening are required before moving forward.
KAP may not be appropriate for individuals with certain health or mental health concerns, including:
Active psychotic symptoms
Uncontrolled high blood pressure
Severe heart disease
Active, untreated substance use disorders
Untreated or unmanaged manic symptoms
This is not a complete list of medical considerations. A licensed medical provider will review your health history, medications, and individual risk factors before deciding whether to prescribe ketamine.
KAP is not a substitute for emergency mental health care. If you are experiencing an immediate crisis or are in danger of harming yourself or someone else, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Frequently Asked Questions about Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, and how is it different from ketamine treatment alone?
What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, and how is it different from ketamine treatment alone?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy combines prescribed ketamine with a structured therapeutic process that includes preparation, support during the medicine session, and integration afterward.
Unlike ketamine treatment that focuses primarily on administering the medication, KAP incorporates the experience into your broader therapeutic work. A separate licensed medical provider evaluates you and prescribes the medication. I provide the psychotherapy surrounding the experience and remain with you throughout the medicine session.
Is KAP safe, and who is a good candidate?
Is KAP safe, and who is a good candidate?
No treatment is risk-free, and KAP requires both therapeutic and medical screening. A licensed medical provider will review your health history, medications, and individual risk factors before deciding whether to prescribe ketamine.
KAP may be worth exploring if you continue to feel emotionally stuck, have difficulty accessing or processing certain experiences, or are interested in combining medicine with trauma-informed psychotherapy.
It may not be appropriate for individuals with certain medical or mental health concerns, including active psychotic symptoms, uncontrolled high blood pressure, severe heart disease, active and untreated substance use disorders, or untreated or unmanaged manic symptoms.
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic. Its use for psychiatric conditions is considered off-label, meaning that a qualified medical provider may legally prescribe it for this purpose even though it has not been FDA-approved specifically for treating psychiatric conditions.
What does ketamine feel like, and what happens during a medicine session?
What does ketamine feel like, and what happens during a medicine session?
Each person’s experience is different. Some people describe changes in their perception of time, their surroundings, or their connection to their body. You may feel more distanced from your usual thoughts and emotions or experience images, memories, physical sensations, or shifts in perspective.
The medicine session lasts approximately two hours and takes place in my Louisville office. Ketamine’s noticeable effects typically last about one hour. I remain with you throughout the entire session to provide a calm, supportive presence without directing what you should experience.
As the effects begin to wear off, we may spend some time gently reflecting on what arose. More complete processing takes place during your dedicated integration session approximately 24 to 48 hours later.
How many KAP sessions will I need, and how long can the effects last?
How many KAP sessions will I need, and how long can the effects last?
There is no single schedule that is right for everyone. Some medical providers recommend a series of six medicine sessions, often spaced one or two weeks apart, for people seeking support for concerns such as treatment-resistant depression or PTSD. Someone exploring grief, personal growth, spiritual questions, or existential concerns may choose a different schedule or fewer sessions.
The immediate effects of ketamine typically last about an hour, but each person’s experience is different. Emotional or therapeutic changes may also vary in duration. KAP includes integration and ongoing support rather than relying on the medicine session alone.
The number and frequency of your sessions will depend on your needs, goals, response to the experience, and your treatment providers’ recommendations.
How much does Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy cost, and is it covered by insurance?
How much does Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy cost, and is it covered by insurance?
KAP is not typically covered by insurance. I bill my services at the same hourly rate as my other therapy sessions. Preparation and integration appointments are billed as regular therapy sessions, while the two-hour medicine session is billed according to its length.
Appointments with the medical provider and the prescribed medication are separate from my services. The cost of the medication varies. I have found that six prescribed doses typically cost less than $100 at the pharmacy, but the actual cost is determined by the pharmacy and cannot be guaranteed.
If you are curious about Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, you do not have to make this decision by yourself.
Contact me to schedule a consultation. We can talk about what you are experiencing, answer your initial questions, and explore whether KAP may be an appropriate option for you.
Together, we can determine what kind of support feels right for your healing journey.
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