Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

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-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is a new approach to mental health treatment that combines the use of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine with psychotherapy. This treatment has shown promise in helping individuals get “unstuck” from negative thought patterns, behaviors, and emotions that may keep them stuck in a state of distress. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can help individuals get unstuck by providing a unique and transformative experience that can help to break through mental and emotional barriers that may be preventing them from moving forward. Here are some ways in which ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can help individuals get unstuck:

Enhancing Neuroplasticity: Ketamine has been shown to enhance neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to reorganize and create new neural pathways. This can help to break through patterns of negative thinking and behavior, allowing individuals to approach challenges in a new and more positive way.

Providing a Different Perspective: Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can also help individuals to gain a new perspective on their problems and challenges. The dissociative effects of ketamine can help individuals to detach from their usual patterns of thinking and open up to new insights and perspectives.

Accessing Emotions: Ketamine has been shown to enhance emotional processing, allowing individuals to access and process difficult emotions more effectively. This can help to release pent-up emotions and promote emotional healing and growth.

Disrupting Negative Thought Patterns: Ketamine can help to disrupt negative thought patterns that may be keeping individuals stuck in negative thinking patterns. The dissociative effects of the drug can help to shift the individual’s perspective and provide them with a new way of thinking about their situation.

Increasing Motivation: Ketamine can also help to increase motivation, which can be helpful in getting unstuck from negative behaviors or habits. The drug can provide individuals with a renewed sense of energy and motivation, which can help them to take action and make positive changes in their lives.

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.

 If you would like to explore the possibility of working with me on KAP, please e-mail me at claudiamaischtherapy@gmail.com to discuss eligibility and next steps.