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What is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

What is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy? (KAP)

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy - or KAP - is an innovative treatment that combines the off-label use of ketamine for psychiatric disorders with psychotherapy. Ketamine has been used for anesthesia (with FDA approval) since 1970. In lower doses, it can be helpful for depression that has not responded to traditional medications. In combination with psychotherapy, the effects can be powerful.

Ketamine, as a chemical, has an antidepressant effect. It falls under the rubric of psychedelic medicine, and the dissociative state that people experience can open doors that make it easier to talk in psychotherapy, and to facilitate change. After the ketamine experience, there is a period of neuroplasticity, a 24 to 48 hour period where old patterns can be unlearned, and new ones can be learned. This can be very helpful in breaking negative thought patterns that fuel depression and anxiety, such as feelings of inferiority or of not measuring up to others. It can also be helpful in breaking behavior patterns or in seeing troubling ideas in a new light.

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In addition to its use for depression, ketamine has shown promise in treating anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, compulsive behaviors and OCD. While ketamine is safe, its use for psychiatric disorders is off-label and not evidence-based medicine, so we are only offering this treatment to people who have not had an adequate response to conventional therapies.

KAP is powerful on its own, but it is even more powerful to have this experience in a small group setting. Groups consist of 3 to 4 patients along with Dr. Miller and a second group facilitator, Barb Fowler, Ph.D.

Psychiatric disorders can be very isolating, and this treatment is about finding new ways to heal and grow. Ketamine does not work for everyone, but our hope is to provide a transformative experience that catalyzes a journey of change.

Safety is the first priority and the patient's treatment team is consulted to get the best possible outcome. 

To hear more about how ketamine is used to treat depression and anxiety, and how it impacts the ability to learn new patterns of thinking, please listen to the Huberman Lab Podcast: 

 

‎Huberman Lab: Ketamine: Benefits and Risks for Depression, PTSD & Neuroplasticity on Apple Podcasts

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If you'd like to see a study of outcomes using KAP, please see:

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient Demographics, Clinical Data and Outcomes in Three Large Practices Administering Ketamine with Psychotherapy

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