Sublingual Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP/KAT)

 

​​​​​What is ketamine?

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​​​​​Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic gaining popularity in ameliorating symptoms related to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and many other mental health challenges. Although ketamine does not operate like a classic hallucinogen like psilocybin, (the classical psychedelics have their mechanism of action based in the serotonin system), ketamine works within a separate system in the brain: the glutamate system and the NMDA receptors.

 

​What are the advantages of ketamine?

 

​Ketamine works by enhancing neuroplasticity potential by increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) protein production. This medicine also decreases the activity of the DMN (the default mode network), which is typically overactive when we experience stress. Ketamine works fast (many people observe improvements within hours), and it can provide relief to a wide range of mental health conditions. Unlike conventional psychiatric medications, which require daily dosing, treatment with ketamine only requires a few medicine sessions per year.

 

​Am I a good candidate?​

 

Ketamine is typically well tolerated by many people. A thorough initial evaluation will be conducted to determine if ketamine is a safe option for you. Here are some examples of conditions (psychological and physiological) that present contraindications for treatment: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, active suicidality, history of suicide attempts, psychosis, dysregulated heart rate, dysregulated blood pressure, history of epilepsy/seizures. 

 

​Where do I start?

 

​​Curando collaborates with Journey Clinical for comprehensive KAP care. The physician's team prescribes ketamine to clients with various mental health conditions who meet criteria for treatment. The first step is to schedule an initial session with them for the initial assessments and to obtain your ketamine prescription. And then, you and I can get started!! 

 

​Do I need to do this with a therapist?

 

The importance of working with a well trained professional cannot be overstated. A licensed therapist can help you gain clarity about origins, patterns, and impact of the issues you are having difficulty with, and support your intention setting process.

 

A well rounded professional understands the multiple levels of preparation required for a successful experience. After you take the medicine, it is imperative that you participate in integration sessions in order to unpack and make sense of your journey. These experiences can be confusing and overwhelming at times. A trained professional can support you with processing insights and create a plan to remain connected and accountable to your intentions. 

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If you decide to work with me, please know that I draw from

non-appropriative cultural wisdom traditions in which I have been trained in or initiated with, my clinical studies in psychotherapy, and continuous training in psychedelic therapy. 

 

​​What are sessions like?

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After you are approved to move forward with Journey Clinical, you will receive a prescription for 2 (two) sublingual ketamine sessions. You and I will schedule a preparation session (maybe more), and then 2 (two) medicine sessions spaced out according to your preference. After this trial period, the medical team will work with you to decide if continuing with the full treatment is indicated, and 6-8 more dosing sessions would follow. 

 

Each time we meet, we'll be spending about 3 hours together. You can expect a KAP session to be structured somewhat like this:

 

HOUR 1 :

 

~ Confirm after session care arrangements

 

~ Honorable arrival practices 

 

~ Yoga (including meditation, breath work, movement)

 

~ Bathroom break

 

~ Settling into journey nest

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HOUR 2 :

 

~ Journey with Music

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HOUR 3 :

 

~ Psychotherapy & Snacks!

 

(our opportunity to process your journey immediately, thus maximizing the potential for lasting benefit)

 

~ safe departure check point

 

~ honorable closure practice

 

​​How much does it cost?

 

Each time you and I meet for our 3 hour KAP session will cost $375 dollars.

Your total care package as described above amounts to about $2,250.

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When you and I connect for a consultation session, we can chat about sliding scale, installment payments, and other creative options to fund your care.  

 

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