Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

In the context of mental health and psychotherapy treatments, ketamine is used as an “off-label” treatment for a range of mental conditions and disorders.

“Off-label” ketamine is currently being used in the medical context to treat depression, alcohol and substance dependence, trauma, and several other psychiatric disorders, however, the only official indication for use of ketamine is anesthesia.

Since 1999, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has labeled ketamine a Schedule III non-narcotic controlled substance with accepted medical use and safety in the United States under medical supervision. Traditionally ketamine has been used as an anesthetic and analgesic.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers ketamine to be an investigational drug and its prescribed use and administration in the mental health context to be “off-label.”

Ketamine’s efficacy in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, treatment resistant depression, post-partum depression and other mental health disorders is currently being evaluated in FDA approved clinical trials.

While the medical understanding of ketamine’s mode of action is incomplete and still under investigation, Ketamine, as currently understood, likely works as an NMDA antagonist in the glutamate neurotransmitter system and in a way quite different from many other psychiatric medications.

Ketamine is believed to exert antidepressant effects by enhancing neuroplasticity, or the ability of brain cells to form new connections with one another.

Before participating in KAP, you will be carefully screened by a partner medical team to determine whether KAP is an appropriate and safe treatment for your medical condition. 

Screening may include a medical history, a physical exam including bloodwork if deemed necessary, review of your medical/psychiatric records, and psychiatric history. 

While information on ketamine’s interaction with other medicines is only partially available, screening will assess various indications and contraindications for ketamine in the context of your physical, psychological, and pharmacological history and presentation. 

We reserve the right based on our medical and clinical judgment to determine if you are eligible for KAP or excluded from this treatment.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers are not eligible for ketamine treatment.

• Depression (especially treatment resistant depression)
• Anxiety
• Trauma
• Death Anxiety/ End of Life
• Stuck Patterns
• OCD/ Rigid Thought Patterns
• Compulsive Behaviors
• Maladaptive Patterns
• Psycho-Spiritual Growth
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Current mania or psychosis
• Diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizophreniform
• High blood pressure/ hypertension (untreated)
• Arrhythmia
• Thyroid disease (Untreated)
• Active addiction
• Caution with previous stroke or vascular disease
• Caution with obstructive sleep apnea
• Pregnancy

The effects of ketamine last for approximately 45 minutes-90 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 subside, 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 happens during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are clear.

Processing and insight can continue after the actual experience, and this is why Integration 1-2 days after your dosing session is important.

All side effects are temporary and tend to go away within a couple of hours.

They are typically minimal, and most are not common but can include:

• Nausea/ Vomiting (Prescription of Zofran can be prescribed)
• Dizziness/ Vertigo
• Sedation/ Fatigue

1. Initial consultation with Medical Team

• You schedule an initial evaluation via zoom with a psychiatrist that I partner with in my practice. They will go over your medical and psychiatric history with you, provide education on the treatment and determine if you are eligible for KAP.
• If the medical team determines that you are eligible for KAP, they will develop a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan for you.
• The medical Psychiatrist 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.

2. Preparation sessions:

• Once approved we will then schedule your preparation sessions. These sessions can be 2-3 sessions before the ketamine dosing session. These sessions are information gathering sessions. We will discuss history and current life circumstances, cultural considerations, intention setting, goals and expectation management. The preparation sessions are as important as the dosing and integration sessions. The goal of a preparation session(s) is to align on the process and set intentions for our KAP sessions together.

Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time together for our KAP preparation, dosing, and integration sessions.

Preparation session(s) will be scheduled just like regular therapy sessions prior to the KAP dosing session.

3. KAP Dosing Session:

• My typical ketamine dosing session are scheduled for 3 hours and take place in-person at my office.
• During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge in my office. You will be laying on a comfortable couch while wearing eye shades and listening to calming music on noise cancelling headphones. Although a KAP dosing session may be largely an internal experience, I will be present with you the entire time to hold space and provide support as needed. Some integration work may take place during this time and integration will take place 1-2 days later either via zoom or in my office.

4. Integration Sessions:

• Integration can happen during the dosing sessions. If more integration is needed a few days after the dosing session, we can create a 30 zoom call. If we find these are needed more often after the dosing session then this will be an additional $150 session cost.

5. Follow-up consultations with your medical provider:

• After our first KAP session, your 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, at a minimum of once per quarter. In addition, I work in collaboration with your medical team.

Please note you will have two costs: Medical Prescriber Intake and cost of medicine, and my therapy cost.

I work with two providers.

I will share the two providers I partner with you once we connect. You can review their website to decide which one you think is a good fit for you.

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy by Laurie Newcomb
Minimum of 4 ketamine medicine sessions scheduled.

Total cost for 2 preparation sessions and 4 (3 hour) medicine sessions with integration is $2100.

This payment can be made as you go or in a lump sum.

You can cancel at anytime except once in a medicine session. We just ask that you have at least 2 medicine sessions, as these sessions can be very different.

Preparation will be 2-3 1 hour sessions to prepare for the medicine sessions. These sessions are fact gathering and creating the therapeutic relationship.

Integration sessions can be during the medicine session. If a client finds they need an additional integration session then we can create one for 30 minutes to one hour a few days after the medicine session.

These can be via zoom or in person. There will be an additional cost added.

Total initial cost is $2100 for 14 Hours of therapy.

If you would like to explore the possibility of working with me on KAP, please email me at laurie@transformationcounselingatl.com or call 404-449-1236 to discuss eligibility and next steps.