Ketamine Assisted
Psychotherapy (KAP)
Experienced KAP Therapists
Serving Arizona & Florida
Why Consider KAP?
Have you been in therapy for a while and feel like you've hit a wall? Maybe you understand your patterns intellectually, but something still feels stuck. Or perhaps there's material you know is there - old pain, deeper wounds - but approaching it feels overwhelming, like your nervous system won't let you get close. You're not alone in this. We've worked with many people who have done meaningful therapeutic work and still find themselves circling the same struggles. Sometimes the mind needs a different kind of support to access what talk therapy alone can't reach.
What is Ketamine & KAP?
Ketamine is a fast-acting, dissociative anesthetic that alters sensory perception, creates feelings of detachment, and causes hallucinations. While originally used for surgical sedation, it is now also prescribed in controlled settings to treat severe depression and chronic pain.
KAP, also known as psycholytic therapy uses very low doses of ketamine, a much lower than what you may have heard about in the news.
At these doses, you:
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Stay fully awake and aware the entire time
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Can talk normally with your therapist
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Feel relaxed and open, not “tripping”
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Remember everything from the session
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Feel like yourself, just a bit softer around the edges
We offer ketamine-assisted sessions in partnership with qualified psychiatric providers, using a gentle, low-dose approach sometimes called "psycholytic" therapy. Unlike higher-dose psychedelic experiences, this method keeps you present, conversational, and in control. Sessions fit within a regular 50-minute to 100-minute therapeutic time frame.
What clients often notice is a softening of defenses or protective parts, of the inner critic, of the vigilance that usually guards difficult material. You're not lying down with eyeshades on, but fully engaged in the therapy process. One psychiatrist described these sessions simply: "They're regular sessions - they just go deeper and better."
What are The Expected Benefits of KAP?
The main benefits include reduced defense mechanisms, increased emotional access, heightened insight, and greater capacity for reflection. Cliients may also become more aware of subconscious patterns, enabling more effective therapeutic interventions. Additionally, due to its neuroplastic effects, the progress made during sessions may last longer.
Who Is A Good Candidate?
This approach may be worth exploring if you:
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Feel stuck despite consistent therapeutic work
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Experience anxiety, depression, or PTSD symptoms that haven't fully responded to other treatments
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Want to work with trauma but find your nervous system shutting down when you try
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Are curious about psychedelic-assisted therapy but want something gentle and integrated into ongoing work
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In order to do this work, you will be required to engage in a full medical/psychiatric screening, and a qualified prescriber will ultimately determine if Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy is right for you. They will work with you based on your health profile and needs to determine the best dosing for you.
What Is The Experience Like?
Low-dose ketamine (psycholytic doses) is a sub-anesthetic amount used primarily to enhance therapeutic sessions. Unlike higher doses, which can cause dissociation or sedation, low doses can help you remain fully present while reducing defenses, increasing openness, and promoting new perspectives.
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The psycholytic state is relaxed and open. Clients experience reduced anxiety and reduced resistance. They often report much mental quiet and fewer thoughts, especially negative thoughts. However, they are fully oriented and lucid. It is not a dreamlike state, without instability or hallucination.
The effect of the medication usually begins within 20- 30 minutes, and the full effects wear off in about 90- minutes. However, the neuroplastic and therapeutic benefits, such as mood improvement and increased insight, can last for days or weeks after the session.
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KAP is safely administered in controlled settings (such as your home!) and closely monitored. While you are experiencing a KAP session via telehealth, we will make sure you have a support person present (in another room).
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We encourage clients not to drive or operate heavy machinery for at least four hours after they take the medication.
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Your KAP integration process will continue for days after each dosing session! Regular integration sessions with your therapist are an important part of this process. Your therapist will provide you with a detailed integration handbook and assignments so you can continue to observe your shifts and insights, deepening the healing work between sessions.
Is KAP Safe for Clients With Trauma?
Yes. Because psycholytic ketamine does not distort reality or lead to ego-dissociation, it is considered safe for patients with PTSD and C-PTSD.
The degree of impairment has been compared to a "glass of wine," and is typically found to be relaxing rather than distressing.
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Your therapist will assess the appropriateness of this type of therapy with you based on your unique experience.
We do not recommend clients attempt to address their own trauma without the help of a qualified therapist.
Is There a Risk of Dependency or Abuse?
While ketamine does have a history of misuse in recreational settings, the risk of dependency is low when administered in controlled, therapeutic doses.
In clinical use, ketamine is carefully monitored, and its administration is spaced out to minimize risks. Proper patient selection and oversight further reduce the chance of misuse. Our clients will work with a qualified prescriber who will regularly monitor their experience and assess the risk of abuse or dependency. The doses prescribed are low enough that they typically constitute 10% or less of a typical daily dose for a ketamine addict. Ketamine has, in fact, been found to be a promising treatment for addiction in several studies.
Is Ketamine Safe & What Are The Potential Side Effects?
Yes, when administered in controlled environments with well-trained, licensed professionals, ketamine is safe for therapeutic use.
Common side effects can include mild dissociation, nausea, or dizziness, but these are typically short-lived. Your therapist will monitor you closely during and after administration to ensure comfort and safety. Most clients experience at most slight nausea or lightheadedness for not longer than 30 minutes. Unlike traditional treatments there is no change in libido, no weight gain, no emotional numbing.
How Do I Find A Partner Prescriber?
When engaging in ketamine assisted psychotherapy, it is important that your medical doctor (prescriber) and therapist coordinate to ensure your optimal experience and care.
While you are free to consult with your existing psychiatric prescriber, we have also partnered with a medical team that specializes in this type of therapy and offers convenient, affordable telehealth services.
If you're interested in learning more, please click the button below to chat with Kimberly!