Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
KAP
We offer innovative Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) as a breakthrough treatment for individuals experiencing treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. This cutting-edge approach combines the therapeutic benefits of ketamine with evidence-based psychotherapy to facilitate healing when traditional treatments have not provided adequate relief.
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance that was approved by the FDA for use as an anesthetic agent several decades ago, and it has an extraordinary record of safety. In recent years, ketamine has been studied and promoted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health for the treatment of depression, alcohol use disorder, other substance dependencies, and PTSD. Other psychiatric diagnoses currently being studied include anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders.
Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic, dissociation meaning a sense of disconnection from one’s ordinary reality and usual self. At the dosage level administered to you, you will most likely experience an anxiolytic, antidepressant and, potentially, psychedelic effects. It is our view that psychedelic, ‘dissociative’ experiences may well be instrumental in providing a more robust effect.
How Does Ketamine Work?
The medical understanding of how ketamine works continues to be researched. The current understanding is that ketamine is an NMDA antagonist in the brain's glutamate neurotransmitter system. This is a different pathway than those typically targeted by other psychiatric medications such as SSRIs, SNRIs, antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines. In targeting the glutamate system, individuals may experience rapid and significant relief from mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Research has also shown that ketamine enhances the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), thereby contributing to its antidepressant effects. BDNF promotes neuroplasticity, helping your brain learn, adapt, and break free from “stuck” patterns of mood, thought, and behavior.
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) at Cottonwood Creek
At Cottonwood Creek Wellness Center, we believe that ketamine is best utilized in conjunction with psychotherapy in a model called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). This approach takes advantage of ketamine’s ability to promote deeper states of self-awareness and accelerates its healing potential. In KAP treatments, clients collaborate with a therapist to better prepare for and understand the insights that typically arise during ketamine sessions. Additionally, KAP emphasizes the importance of integration for optimal benefits. Integration helps you make sense of what you learn in ketamine sessions and apply those insights to make positive, lasting changes in your life. We are proud to offer KAP as a unique and transformative treatment for our clients.
KAP may be a good option for those with:
Treatment-resistant depression
PTSD
Anxiety disorders
OCD
KAP is NOT a good fit for those with:
Uncontrolled hypertension
Unstable cardiovascular disease
An unstable medical condition
A Ketamine allergy
Active ketamine abuse or dependence
Active substance use disorder
Acute mania or mixed state
A history of primary psychotic or thought disorder
A significant personality disorder
Pregnancy or breastfeeding
The Process
We follow a 5-step process for our KAP treatment
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Your first step will be a no-cost consultation with our KAP Coordinator. This meeting can be completed by phone, virtually, or in person at our downtown location. During this conversation, you will review the structure, logistics, and financial considerations of the program, receive an overview of our KAP services and protocols, and discuss your general medical and psychiatric history to determine whether this approach is an appropriate fit for your needs.
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The second step is a medical clearance appointment with one of our psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners. They will do a thorough assessment of your current medical and psychiatric status as well as your history to determine if ketamine is safe and appropriate for use to address your psychiatric symptoms.
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Once you are medically cleared, your next visit will be scheduled with a therapist to begin preparation for your KAP sessions. We will discuss your goals for KAP, help set expectations, and answer any questions you might have about the process.
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Once your preparation is complete, we will schedule a 2 hour KAP medicine session. Your medicine sessions will take place in a comfortable, private room with your therapist. The medicine typically lasts 40-60 minutes. During this time, you may experience an altered state of consciousness. Some patients describe feeling a sense of detachment from their physical body or a heightened awareness of their thoughts and emotions.
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Following your medicine sessions, we will schedule an integration session, ideally within the next 24 to 72 hours. The purpose of these sessions is to help process material that has arisen during your ketamine sessions and help you create lasting changes in thought and behavior.
