Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

In KAP treatment, the client is given a subanesthetic dose of ketamine, usually administered sublingually or intramuscularly. Ketamine has been shown to boost neuroplasticity by increasing Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which promotes an enhanced capacity in the brain to alter rigid thinking and behavioral patterns — in other words, increasing the brain’s ability to learn and change. Ketamine’s proven antidepressant effects are also connected to these brain changes, which can be strengthened and sustained through supportive psychotherapy. Research suggests that a “neuroplastic window” opens following ketamine treatment, typically beginning within hours and lasting a few days or longer. KAP works to leverage this window of brain adaptability; by engaging in “integration” sessions with a KAP therapist, the client works to make sense of insights from their ketamine experience and is supported in making positive life changes to sustain these benefits. Many KAP therapists follow the model of “the inner healer” as the expert in this process, helping the client access a source of wisdom within to find their own meaning and path towards healing.