Ketamine Assisted Therapy

Integration therapy is a crucial component of the overall psychedelic therapy process, including ketamine therapy. It involves working with a mental health professional, typically a therapist or counselor, to make sense of and integrate the insights, emotions, and experiences that individuals encounter during their ketamine sessions.

During a ketamine session, individuals may undergo profound and transformative experiences that can bring up deep-seated emotions, memories, or insights.

Integration therapy helps individuals process and understand these experiences in a safe and supportive environment

Ketamine functions as an NMDA receptor antagonist, impacting brain areas related to pain perception, memory, and learning. During and after ketamine treatments, there’s an observed increase in neuroplasticity, essentially a re-wiring or reorganization of certain neural pathways. This neurological shift creates an opportunity for developing new thought processes and approaches to processing experiences, as well as novel strategies for managing internal and external stressors in one’s life.

We offer Ketamine by intramuscular injection (like a vaccine) into your shoulder muscle or by intravenous (IV) infusion. A discussion with our clinical team will help guide which route of administration is best for you. You will relax in a comfortable setting and Zero Gravity chair, with eye shades, and music selected to accompany your experience. You will be supported by 2 members of our clinical team.

Ketamine is commonly prescribed for a variety of persistent mood disorders and chronic pain conditions. It’s particularly effective for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and general anxiety disorders (GAD). Additionally, ketamine has shown promise in alleviating depressive symptoms associated with broader conditions like bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). In terms of pain management, ketamine can be beneficial for conditions such as chronic headaches, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (also known as complex regional pain syndromes), and fibromyalgia. It can also offer support for substance use disorders, eating Disorders, palliative and end-of-life care, existential distress, grief, self-realization and acceptance, and for couples + intimacy.

Physical side effects from ketamine therapy are generally mild and infrequent. Common side effects include nausea, vertigo, and headaches, which can be treated during the session. Other possible effects are increased blood pressure and heart rate, mild respiratory depression, or stronger-than-expected mental dissociation. These side effects typically last between 5 to 15 minutes. Patients may feel lethargic for a few hours post-treatment, but this dissipates as the ketamine is metabolized. Long-term side effects are rare.

If you suffer from:

• Coronary artery disease
• Uncontrolled Hyperthyroidism
• Uncontrolled Hypertension
• Uncontrolled thyroid disorder
• Age 14 and under
• Conditions like bipolar disorder, mania, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders require careful management with ketamine therapy. Patients with these conditions must be closely monitored by a psychiatrist. Treatment decisions are made collaboratively with your psychiatrist on an individual basis.
• For those with active substance use disorders, treatment oversight by an addiction medicine specialist is necessary. We work with various providers in this area and encourage you to contact us for further information.