FAQ

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy treatments cost $475 per session (IV or IM).

Psychotherapy services (intake, KAP preparation, KAP integration, or traditional) cost $195 per session (approximately 50 minutes).

Integrative Psychiatric Care with a Nurse Practitioner costs $275 for intake (60 minutes) and $175 for follow up (30 minutes).

Unless otherwise specified, our services are considered out of network with insurance. Ketamine treatment is generally not covered by insurance. If requested, we will provide you with a copy of your Superbill so that you can submit it to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement. Please allow up to 7 business days for us to complete your Superbill.

We will develop a treatment plan with each individual. Treatment typically flows according to the following stages.

Pre treatment: Intake sessions with therapist and prescriber.

Preparation Sessions: 1-3 sessions with psychotherapist to prepare for Ketamine treatment. 

KAP sessions: Typically up to 6 sessions for an initial course of treatment. This may be adjusted according to your individual response to the treatment.

Integration sessions as needed: Integration sessions are designed to help you convert the insights and discoveries from your KAP journey into long lasting healing and transformation.

Booster KAP sessions as needed.

The amount of sessions is individual depending on overall treatment goals and responsiveness to the treatment. Some patients benefit from only one session, while many benefits from a series of 3-6 sessions, and some come for more ongoing “booster sessions” intermittently over months or years.

Current research on ketamine infusion treatment shows that 70% of patients with treatment resistant depression respond positively to 1-3 administrations, and 30-60% report some remission of their depression symptom for varying length of times. With repeated sessions, there is a cumulative beneficial effect.

Most clients are referred to Ketamine by their primary therapists, other medical providers, and/or family or friends who have heard about this innovative treatment. Many of those who are referred have undergone courses of psychotherapy and/or trials of anti-depressant medications without success. Self-referral also occurs, especially in response to recent media coverage of the benefits of ketamine- and psychedelic-assisted therapies.

It should be noted that some individuals struggling with long-term challenging psychological issues may find themselves directed to KAP therapy by way of current media hype. Eye-catching headlines and click-bait journalism can create unrealistic expectations that are counterproductive to successful KAP outcomes. KAP is, therefore, sometimes approached with the false notion that ketamine provides a quick-fix mental health shortcut. Some have even incorrectly referred to ketamine as a “magic bullet.”

To help protect and promote a productive KAP treatment process, managing expectations is an important consideration.

We recommend defining realistic expectations and identifying achievable goals for symptom relief with your therapist and/or treatment team:

• understanding and cultivating resilience

• understanding and cultivating meaningful engagement and interconnectedness

• developing heightened compassion for oneself and others

• gaining access to a wider range of feelings (i.e., sadness, joy, grief, wonder, inspiration, anger, etc.) than previously available

• developing cognitive and emotional flexibility

• gaining perspective on one’s identity and history

• working through and releasing unhealthy levels of shame, guilt, and self-defeating beliefs

• developing an appreciation of, and tolerance for, ambiguity and uncertainty

• increasing self-awareness

• improving interpersonal communication and relationships

• enhancing creative problem-solving abilities

• improving self-care and healthy habit formation

• decreasing or discontinuing addictive and self-destructive behaviors

It is helpful to foster realistic expectations for the short- and long-term timeline of KAP’s beneficial effects. Some changes may come in sudden shifts of perspective during a KAP session that may remain long after the session has been completed. Also, it is important to note that some of the most valuable KAP influences and insights may evolve slowly over time with extended integration and reflection. We have found that the benefits of KAP are extended when clients engage in a variety of self-care practices during and after the treatment.

Although ketamine is the catalyst for change, it is actually the therapeutic relationship – with mindful reflection, investigation, patience, and integration – that is the vehicle of transformation. KAP is best approached with the understanding that developing “a resilient and meaningful life worth living” is an ongoing process.

Common side effects include mild nausea, increase in blood pressure, and changes in perception including blurred and altered vision. 

Due to risk of nausea and vomiting, you will be advised to refrain from eating at least 4 hours prior to a session.

We will monitor your blood pressure as needed to ensure your safety.

Due to possible blurred and altered vision, as well as impaired balance and coordination, you will be advised to remain lying down and keep your eyes closed (as long as you are comfortable doing so) or use an eye mask until the main effects have worn off.

Driving an automobile or engaging in hazardous activities should not be undertaken on the day of the dosing session. You will be assessed for safety prior to leaving the office.

Ketamine has been shown to worsen certain psychotic symptoms in people who suffer from schizophrenia or other serious mental disorders. It may also worsen underlying psychological problems in people with severe personality disorders and dissociative disorders.

Some people report that the transpersonal experiences are bizarre or frightening, while many describe them as pleasurable, joyful, or fascinating. We have found that even frightening or overwhelming experiences can be of great value to the healing process, and pivotal in the resolution of the suffering that brought people to seek treatment in the first place.

You will receive ongoing guidance from your therapist in making the best and most meaningful use of these experiences.