Integrative Ketamine Assisted Therapy

Holistic Treatment for Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma in West LA

Introducing Ketamine

Ketamine is a safe and well-tolerated medicine with a long-standing track record of use with both adults and children in medical and hospital settings. Recently, ketamine has shown great promise as an off-label treatment for Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD), PTSD, OCD, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and other mental health challenges. 

Like every psychoactive molecule, it has its own distinct nature and therapeutic benefits. Its chemical properties function as both an anesthetic and an antidepressant, helping the body relax deeply and offering relief from negative and self-judging thought patterns. At low doses, ketamine can reduce and soften psychological defenses, create space for new meaning, and contribute to deeper self-reflection and awareness. It can be a gateway to the unconscious, and can allow access to perceptions, memories, and psychic material that we are typically not aware of, but that exert significant influence over our day to day lives.

Ketamine Assisted Therapy

Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAP) integrates the transformational power of psychedelic medicine with the healing power of relational attunement and somatic psychotherapy. Engaging therapeutically with expanded states of consciousness allows us to access the root causes of suffering, which can open the door to healing from profound and long-held trauma.

Rather than relying on the medical model of just “taking your medicine,” ketamine-assisted psychotherapy blends the neurochemical effects of ketamine with therapeutic support, offering a unique and powerful approach to treating depression, anxiety, and trauma.

At low doses, ketamine can reduce psychological defenses, creating space for new insights and deeper self-reflection. It allows the mind to soften rigid patterns, contributing to greater emotional awareness and the potential for meaningful change. KAP can be instrumental in helping to metabolize, synthesize and integrate this material so that the stuck, repressed parts of us start to move and can be released.

How Ketamine Supports Transformation

Ketamine has shown remarkable potential for long-term mental health benefits, primarily due to its impact on neuroplasticity and key neurotransmitter systems. Research indicates that ketamine increases the formation of new synaptic connections, and increases the release of a proteins which supports the growth of new brain cells and strengthens communication between them. This process, known as neuroplasticity, helps the brain become more flexible and better at adapting to stress and emotional challenges.

Another unique factor of ketamine is how quickly it works and wears off. The body processes ketamine rapidly, so the dissociative effects usually fade within an hour. This makes ketamine sessions easier to fit into daily life and more affordable compared to other treatments.

 Despite ketamine’s short duration of action, its positive effects extend beyond the session. For several days after treatment, the brain remains in an enhanced state of neuroplasticity. This means that the brain can become “unstuck” from the default patterns of neuronal activity that keep us replaying old stories and negative beliefs. This creates a powerful window in which new ways of thinking and responding to challenges can be explored and cultivated.

FAQs

  • 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 helping the brain 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.

  • The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience, and multiple sessions have proven to have a cumulative effect, successfully alleviating symptoms in individuals with treatment-resistant depression.

  • • Medical Intake and Rapidly Dissolving Tablets - pricing starts @ $420
    • Infusion Treatments - pricing ranges between $700-$1000
    • KAP prep and integration therapy sessions - $180/50-minute session
    • 2.5 hr Ketamine Dosing Sessions - 3 x therapy session rate

    *A limited number of reduced rates are available for clients with limited financial resources.
    I am not on any insurance panels, but can provide Superbills to those whose insurance covers out of network providers.

  • While the experiences of each individual may vary, some common experiences and benefits of ketamine include (Polaris Insight Center, Wolfson & Hartelius):

    Deep feelings of peace and joy
    A “time out” from ordinary mind and reality
    Decrease in negative or obsessive thoughts and negative self-talk
    Profound shifts in perspective on self, relationships, and worldview
    A more positive outlook on challenging life situations and relationships
    Increase in self-esteem and self-compassion
    Enhancement of creative problem-solving abilities
    Greater motivation for lifestyle or behavior changes
    Relief from existential distress
    Reliving important life experiences, trauma reprocessing
    Feelings of unity with all, interconnectedness with all people and nature
    Sense of sacredness or transcendence