KETAMINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a medically supervised treatment for individuals experiencing treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, or trauma-related symptoms that have not responded fully to traditional therapies. KAP combines the therapeutic effects of ketamine with structured psychotherapy to support emotional processing, insight, and healing.
At The Place, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is delivered in a safe, inpatient clinical setting under direct medical and nursing supervision. A trained clinician is present throughout the experience to support safety, comfort, and therapeutic integration. KAP is used as part of a comprehensive, trauma-informed treatment plan, designed to complement - not replace -ongoing psychotherapy and psychiatric care. Each KAP experience is carefully tailored to the individual’s clinical needs, treatment goals, and recovery path.
What is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines a carefully administered medication, ketamine, with psychotherapy before, during, and after the session. The medicine is given in a controlled inpatient medical setting, while therapy helps clients prepare, process the experience, and connect insights to real-life recovery.
Why consider KAP treatment?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may:
- Reduce the intensity of depression or anxiety symptoms quickly enough for a patient to re-engage in psychotherapy, relationships, and daily functioning.
- Create a short window of emotional relief that makes it easier to participate in trauma-focused work without becoming overwhelmed.
- Interrupt persistent rumination and negative thinking patterns, allowing new coping strategies to “stick.”
- Improve mood stability and reduce emotional reactivity, which can support better progress between therapy sessions.
- Help decrease feelings of hopelessness, enabling patients to access motivation and future-oriented thinking.
How does KAP Treatment work at The Place?
- KAP is only offered to residential clients and is never a standalone service.
- It is always part of a full residential program, including trauma-informed therapy, group and individual sessions, medical, psychiatric, and holistic care.
- KAP is not for everyone. Many residents succeed with therapy, holistic support, and appropriate medications alone.
Who Do We Consider for KAP?
KAP may be considered for clients with:
- Persistent depression, anxiety, or PTSD that has been resistant to other treatments or medications
- Severe trauma-related symptoms that interfere with recovery
- Compulsive or impulsive behaviors linked to emotional collapse, hopelessness, or shutting down
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic. In mental health, ketamine is commonly used off-label in carefully monitored settings, while intranasal esketamine (Spravato) is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression under specific conditions. At The Place, KAP is only offered under full medical and psychiatric supervision, after careful review.
The Three Pillars of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Treatment at The Place
1. Medical Safety
- Full psychiatric evaluation and dosing review before each session
- Continuous monitoring by a psychiatrist, therapist, and nursing staff
- Ongoing therapeutic follow-up throughout the residential stay
2. Psychological Preparation
- Meetings to clarify intentions, fears, and readiness
- Education about the session and potential emotional experiences
- Planning for safely navigating intense emotions
3. Structured Integration
- Follow-up sessions to process the experience and connect it to therapy
- Turning insights into concrete recovery steps, such as new boundaries or trauma work
- Monitoring mood, sleep, impulses, and relationships in the days and weeks after
Potential Benefits
When KAP is the right fit for a client, they may experience:
Relief from depression and anxiety
- Rapid reduction in despair, emotional numbness, or overwhelming anxiety
- Creates space to engage more fully in therapy and group work
Greater flexibility in thinking and feeling
- Reduced self-blame and shame cycles
- More openness to new perspectives and coping strategies
- Increased tolerance for difficult emotions without self-medicating with compulsive behaviors
Deeper engagement in therapy
- Greater participation in individual and group sessions
- Increased honesty with therapists, partners, and family
- Enhanced capacity for trauma resolution and relational repair
Support for trauma processing
- Loosens the grip of traumatic memories
- Provides emotional distance to work more effectively in EMDR or other therapies
- Reconnects clients with suppressed emotions like grief, compassion, or courage
What a ketamine session looks like
KAP Preparation Session
- Explore history, patterns, goals, and concerns with a clinical professional
- Learn grounding techniques and set safety agreements with a clinical professional
- Medical review, labs, and vital signs assessment with a nurse
Treatment Day
- Conducted in a quiet, monitored setting with medical staff
- Therapists and trained staff provide continuous support throughout the experience
- Typical experiences may include changes in sensation, new perspectives, or emotional release
Integration Sessions
- Discuss insights from the session and link them to recovery work with the therapist
- Apply new perspectives to relationships, boundaries, and trauma work
- Continued integration alongside individual and group therapy
Important Limits and Safeguards
A few things are critical to name clearly:
- Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy is not a cure or a quick fix. Compulsive behavior, depression, anxiety, and trauma still require ongoing work to resolve.
- It is not appropriate for everyone. Certain medical conditions, substance use histories, or psychiatric presentations may make ketamine unsafe or unhelpful for some people.
- All ketamine use is inpatient only, under direct medical supervision. We are not a standalone ketamine clinic. We do not prescribe Ketamine for personal use.
- Every client at The Place continues to receive comprehensive care, including therapy, groups, medical and psychiatric oversight, case management, and aftercare planning, whether or not Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy is part of their plan.