Ketamine-Assisted
Ketamine Assisted Therapy
What is Ketamine Assisted Therapy?
Ketamine is a legal, safe, and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Ketamine assisted therapy (KAP) 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 and 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 can be administered in various ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, nasal spray, and sublingual lozenges. In my work with Journey Clinical, we only use the sublingual lozenge form.
How Does Ketamine Feel?
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 mood, and neurological growth benefits can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience.
How Does Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Work?
1. Initial consultation with Journey Clinical
- You schedule an initial evaluation with a Journey Clinical medical team clinician via Zoom. They will review your medical and psychiatric history with you, provide education on the treatment, and determine if you are eligible for KAP.
- If Journey Clinical’s medical team determines you are eligible for KAP, they will develop a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan.
- Journey Clinical’s medical staff will write a ketamine prescription for you, and a small amount of oral ketamine will be sent to your home, enough for the first 2 KAP sessions. You will be taught to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges by Journey Clinical’s medical team in advance of our KAP sessions.
2. Preparation Sessions
- Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time for our KAP preparation, dosing, and integration sessions. 3 Preparation sessions will be scheduled like regular therapy sessions before the KAP dosing session. The goal of a preparation session is to align on the process and set intentions for our KAP sessions together.
3. KAP Dosing Session
- A typical ketamine dosing session lasts 3 hours and can take place either in person at my office or remotely via telehealth.
- During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge either in my office or in your home. You will be comfortable reclining, wearing an eye mask, and listening to calming music. Although a KAP dosing session may be primarily an internal experience, I will be with you the entire time to hold space and provide support as needed.
4. Integration Sessions
- After our KAP dosing session, we will meet for multiple integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts & insights that arose during your dosing session and to prepare for the next dosing session.
5. Follow-Up Consultations With Journey Clinical
- After our first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules regular follow-ups with you to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow-ups depends on your unique treatment plan, which is at least once per quarter.
What do you Recommend?
While the initial 2 sessions may be sufficient for many people to begin to see some initial benefit, 6-8 dosing sessions is what we consider a full course of treatment. This is clinically supported to show benefit and ongoing efficacy, allows for dose finding, and provides opportunity for clients to work through difficult points in therapy. At minimum, it’s recommended to hold dosing sessions once every two weeks. Our medical team will develop a customized treatment plan and dosing schedule for you. For ongoing treatment after 6-8 sessions, clients should return for follow-up consultations with our medical team at least every 3 months.
My background in KAP
I offer a therapeutic modality called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with an organization called Journey Clinical.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. I take on the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while Journey Clinical’s medical team supports you on all medical aspects. This includes determining eligibility, developing a custom treatment plan, prescribing the medicine, and monitoring outcomes. Below is more information about KAP to help you navigate and decide whether it may fit you.
What is Journey Clinical?
Journey Clinical is a platform for licensed psychotherapists to incorporate science-based psychedelic therapies in their practice safely and effectively, starting with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on patient eligibility, prescriptions, and outcome monitoring while I take on the therapy. Their collaborative care model is designed to deliver personalized treatment plans to meet your individual needs and improve long-term outcomes.
What is the Cost of Treatment?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is an affordable, accessible modality. Although the medical intake and follow-ups are not covered by insurance, they are eligible for out-of-network reimbursement.
Insurance Clients
Typically, the initial protocol is 10 sessions:
- 2 Intake & preparation sessions (2hrs) – can be billed for individual therapy
- 1 dosing session (3 hrs)
- 1 integration session (1 hr) – can be billed for individual therapy
- 1 dosing session (3hrs)
- 1 integration session (1hr) – can be billed for individual therapy
$1,500 commitment
The Cost of the Medication:
First-time Patients
- Initial medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $250
- Cost of medication: $88 (enough for two sessions)
Ongoing treatment
- Follow-up medical consultation with Journey Clinical $150 (at least 1X per quarter)
- Cost of medication: $148 (enough for up to 6 sessions)
Self-pay Clients
Typically, the initial protocol is 10 sessions:
- 2 Intake & preparation sessions (2hrs)
- 1 dosing session (3 hrs)
- 1 integration session (1 hr)
- 1 dosing session (3hrs)
- 1 integration session (1hr)
$2,500 commitment
The Cost of the Medication:
First-time Patients
- Initial medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $250
- Cost of medication: $88 (enough for two sessions)
Ongoing treatment
- Follow-up medical consultation with Journey Clinical $150 (at least 1X per quarter)
- Cost of medication: $148 (enough for up to 6 sessions)
How Do I Sign Up?
If you would like to explore the possibility of working with me on KAP, please click the link below to e-mail me at amy@amywelhelmi.com to discuss eligibility and next steps.