What Is KAP?

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is a powerful, non-traditional therapeutic approach that allows people to access non-ordinary states of consciousness, thus enabling exploration of thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors in healing and transformative ways.

In a KAP therapeutic setting—which integrates the use of ketamine with talk therapy—ketamine’s short-term psychedelic effect fosters deep introspection and promotes profound self-discovery. This process can help people break free from entrenched patterns and get “unstuck” from their root causes of distress.

In this safe, guided process, ketamine acts as a “benevolent disruptor,” interrupting rigid mental, emotional, and even contracted physical states by creating shifts in consciousness that generate more expansive thinking, emotional freedom, and psychological flexibility.

Who Does KAP Work For?

For individuals who have had difficulty making progress in traditional therapy or who struggle with unresolved issues, KAP can augment ongoing therapy and accelerate healing. By bypassing the intellectual mind and cognitive defenses, KAP allows access to deeper layers of consciousness, creating a dialogue between the conscious and unconscious self. This leads to increased understanding, compassion, and a sense of wholeness.

For couples, KAP facilitates a softening of defenses, deeper self-exploration, and amplification of compassion for oneself and each other. By fostering emotional flexibility, ketamine helps couples move away from rigid, reactive behaviors like criticism, anger, withdrawal and defensiveness and instead have capacity for more constructive responses. Couples have more access to emotional insights and can process difficult feelings more effectively which supports them in breaking through deep seated relationship challenges that are obstacles to closeness and connection.

Whether working on individual therapy or relationship dynamics, KAP provides a supportive, safe environment for emotional exploration and healing. It’s not about “having a trip” but about unlocking vast hidden possibilities within.

Common Issues Addressed by KAP

Ketamine is used to address various medical and psychological conditions, including:

Mental Health Disorders

• Depression: Particularly treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
  

• Anxiety Disorders: Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and PTSD.
  

• OCD: Cases where conventional treatments are ineffective.
  

Chronic Pain Management

Ketamine disrupts hyperactive pain pathways and decreases pain perception. 

Substance Use Disorders

Ketamine is being explored for reducing cravings and breaking addictive behaviors.

Persistent Challenging Emotional States

Examples: Depleted, Overwhelmed, Empty, Flat, Fearful, Self-Critical, Confused, Despairing, Worried, Troubled, Irritable, Downhearted, Insecure, Restless, Ashamed, Detached, Burnt-Out, Conflicted, Lonely, Purposeless, Withdrawn, Fragile, Stressed.

While occasional feelings like these are normal, being persistently stuck in subtle forms of them can hinder well-being. This list reflects some of the myriad ways emotional challenges can cloud a sense of inner harmony and ketamine can help create movement and change.

Personal and Spiritual Growth

Some seek KAP for personal and spiritual growth rather than relief from distress. As Karen Smith, LCSW, notes, “Ketamine sessions can be magical. They can be some of life’s peak experiences. One reason to engage in KAP is to try to connect with goodness and love and beauty to store inside the self.”

The KAP Process: How Does It Work?

Like any effective therapeutic endeavor, KAP is a collaborative commitment. On the client’s part, it requires a prescription, preparation sessions, experiential sessions, and follow-up integration sessions. The experiential sessions, when you actually take the medicine, are time limited — typically only 4 to 6 sessions — but the entire KAP process includes several different types of sessions before and after the experiential sessions. 

Step 1: Consultation: For those new to my practice, we will begin with a phone consultation to explore your interest in KAP and your goals for the process. I’ll answer any questions you have, and together we’ll determine if my KAP practice aligns with your needs.

Step 2: Prescription: If we decide to move forward, our therapy plan will start with a referral to a ketamine prescriber — an Atlanta-based psychiatrist or an online medical provider who will conduct a medical evaluation to assess whether you are a good candidate for KAP. The prescriber will also determine the correct dosage for you and call in a prescription to a pharmacy. The pharmacy will mail the ketamine directly to you. It comes in the form of a lozenge, and you will bring your lozenges with you to our experiential appointments. 

Step 3: Preparation Sessions: I typically meet with new clients for three sessions before meeting for the experiential session during which a client will take the medicine. Having the client establish a sense of trust in me and in the process is essential for successful KAP. Preparation sessions allows me to understand the client’s history, concerns, and goals while creating a sense of safety and connection. By beginning to explore issues and patterns before the ketamine sessions, clients can enter the experiential phase with a more focused and open mindset, increasing the potential for meaningful insights and breakthroughs. During preparation sessions I will also share how the therapy process works and what clients can expect during the experiential medicine session.  Discussing logistics, such as arranging safe transportation and ensuring physical and emotional readiness, ensures the client’s well-being throughout the process. Overall, preparation sessions lay the foundation for a transformative and integrated KAP experience.

Step 4: Experiential Sessions: Individuals or couples come to my office with their ketamine lozenges, get settled and comfortable, and take the medicine. I provide guidance and  therapeutic support during the session, which lasts for about 2 hours. Clients experience the full effects of the medicine for only about 45 minutes to an hour. Once the ketamine takes effect, clients enter a state of expanded awareness where they can explore their intentions from an entirely new consciousness. These sessions form the core of the KAP process, allowing clients to access non-ordinary states of consciousness that can unlock new insights and emotional processing.

After the session, we’ll spend time processing the insights, emotions, and experiences that came up which can lead to to profound personal revelations and shifts.We  exploring how to translate this wisdom gained during the experience into daily life and way of being. This is the beginning of integration.

Note:  You cannot drive yourself home after the experience, so you’ll need to use a transportation service or have a ride with a trusted friend or family member. 

Step 5: Integration Sessions: For a few days after each experiential session, your brain is in a more open and malleable “neuroplastic” state. So within about 48 hours after each experiential session, we’ll have a full integration session to continue discussing the experience, what was meaningful, what changes you might make, and how to integrate these learnings into your everyday life.

A Comprehensive Journey

While the experiential sessions typically include 3-5 sessions, the entire KAP process encompasses consultation, preparation, and integration to ensure a holistic and transformative process.

Important Considerations: Costs and Accessibility

KAP is an investment in your growth and healing process. It is important to note that KAP can be a significant out of pocket expense. However many people find the benefits far outweigh the costs and can accomplish what talk therapy alone could not do. For more detailed information on pricing, and to get a better sense of of what to expect financially, please refer to the FAQ section.

FAQ

• Is Ketamine Legal in Georgia? Yes, ketamine is legal and FDA-approved for specific uses, including treatment-resistant depression.
  

• Is Ketamine Considered a Psychedelic? Ketamine has psychedelic properties but differs from classic psychedelics. It fosters open, non-judgmental exploration.
  

• Do People Experience Loss of Control with KAP? Unlike some of the classic psychedelics, with ketamine at the dosages used for KAP, you can be aware of who and where you are. I liken the experience to being in an engrossing movie- if necessary you can turn your attention away from the movie at will and remember you are in a theater simply watching a movie, but… you generally don’t want to. Engaging in KAP with a therapist you trust ensures your physical and emotional safety through the process.

• Is Ketamine Addictive? While ketamine has the potential for misuse and dependency when used recreationally, when used in a therapeutic context with therapeutically prescribed doses, ketamine has an extremely low potential for dependency.

• Can People with Addiction Use KAP? If you have history of addiction or wondering if ketamine might potentially help you overcome your addiction, your ketamine prescriber will carefully evaluate your medical and personal history to determine whether KAP is appropriate for you.
  

• Is KAP Expensive? KAP is an investment in your healing process. The medicine itself and the experiential sessions are not covered by insurance, but the medical evaluation by the psychiatrist, the preparation and integration sessions can all be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement. The amount of reimbursement will be dependent upon your individual policy. Here is a breakdown of expenses:

• Medical Evaluation ( to obtain a ketamine prescription) approximately $450.00

• Ketamine Prescription (lozenges) approx. $50.00

• Therapy Fees: My standard psychotherapy rate is $195.00 per hour. KAP will include:

• 2-3 Preparation Sessions (1 hour each)

• 3-5 Experiential Sessions (approx 2 hours each)

• 3-5 Integration Sessions (1 hour each)

If you have questions about costs or insurance, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help.

Final Thoughts

By integrating ketamine with psychotherapy, individuals are given the opportunity to engage in deep transformative healing- one that goes beyond intellectual understanding and taps into the wisdom of the body and spirit. This holistic approach to therapy opens up new possibilities for healing and personal growth, offering a path to a freer, more connected, and empowered life.