Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
The Science Behind KAP
Ketamine works on a different brain system than traditional antidepressants. Instead of primarily affecting serotonin, it acts on the brain’s glutamate system, which plays a key role in learning, mood, and emotional flexibility. By temporarily changing how these pathways communicate, ketamine can reduce rigid patterns of thinking and emotional reactivity.
Research suggests that ketamine also supports neuroplasticity which is the brain’s ability to form new connections. This helps create a window in which new emotional insight and perspective are more accessible. When this biological shift is paired with psychotherapy, the brain is more receptive to therapeutic work, allowing insight gained during sessions to be more effectively integrated into lasting emotional and relational change.
How Ketamine Works and Who It Works For
Ketamine works by helping the brain and nervous system become more flexible. When we’re depressed, anxious, or stuck in long-standing emotional patterns, the brain can get locked into the same loops of thought, feeling, and reaction. Ketamine can temporarily loosen these loops.
Rather than numbing emotions, ketamine often creates a sense of space around them. Many people describe feeling less overwhelmed by difficult thoughts or emotions, as if they can observe them instead of being pulled into them.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is a possible modality for clients experiencing:
Post traumatic stress disorder
Depression or persistent low mood
Anxiety
Emotional numbness or a feeling of disconnection
Entrenched relational or attachment patterns
Difficulty accessing emotions through traditional talk therapy
Periods of life transitions
Existential distress
Our Medical Partner
We partner with Journey Clinical for all medical oversight regarding Ketamine use. The medical provider checks your current medical standing as well as all medications to ensure safety and efficacy. Journey Clinical writes the prescription for the Ketamine which you will fill at a local pharmacy. The prescription is for a Ketamine lozengier which you will bring to your dosing session. is administered by a licensed medical provider, while psychotherapy focuses on preparation, emotional support, and integration of the experience into daily life and relationships
The number of dosing sessions follow Journey Clinic’s researched protocal. The suggested schedule is up to six sessions over one to three months with a required medical check-ins every three months. .
KAP at Therapy Beyond Words
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines thoughtfully administered ketamine with ongoing therapeutic support to help you access deeper emotional processing, expand insight, and create durable change. Each session is designed to provide safety, structure, and meaningful integration so the work you do during therapy becomes part of your daily life.
At Therapy Beyond Words, ketamine is always provided by an external medical professional. Psychotherapy focuses on preparation, emotional support, and integration to help ensure the experience is meaningful and well-contained. Our KAP program includes several steps which are crucial to this modality including an evaluation session, the dosing session, and regularly scheduled integration sessions also known as individual psychotherapy sessions:
Psychotherapy evaluation session gages if this type of therapy will work for you. (Approximately one hour)
Pre-dosing therapy session to discuss goals and answer questions prior to the actual dosing session (Approximately one hour).
Dosing session. Session in which the ketamine is administered and the effects are experienced within the clinical setting (Approximately four hours).
Integration session the day following the dosing session (Approximately one hour).
Additional integration sessions happen on the weekly or bi-weekly schedule. (Approximately 50-60 minutes per session).
Clients may repeat the process up to six times with three months between sessions.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Packages
Standard KAP Series
The most common and clinically effective protocol.
This series provides the stability and repetition needed for deeper therapeutic work. Clients receive the medicine twice and spend dedicated time integrating the experience into daily life.
Includes:
Initial Evaluation – $240
Two Dosing Sessions (3–4 hours each) – $960 total
Four Integration Sessions – $720 total
Total Package Investment: $1,920
Best for:
Depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship patterns, emotional stuckness, and clients ready for a structured therapeutic arc.
Foundational KAP Package
A supportive introduction to ketamine-assisted therapy.
This program is ideal for clients who want to explore whether KAP is a good clinical fit without committing to a full course of treatment.
Includes:
Initial Evaluation (1 time) – $240
One Dosing Session (3–4 hours) – $480
Two Integration Sessions (1 hr each) – $180 per session
Total Package Investment: $1,080
Best for:
Clients who are KAP-curious, want a single therapeutic journey, or want to supplement ongoing psychotherapy with a medicine session.
Comprehensive Transformational KAP Program
For clients ready for meaningful, sustained change.
This deep-dive protocol allows clients to work through layers of emotion, memory, and meaning over multiple medicine sessions with robust ongoing support.
Includes:
Initial Evaluation – $240
Four Dosing Sessions (3–4 hours each) – $1,920 total
Six Integration Sessions – $1,080 total
Total Package Investment: $3,240
Best for:
Chronic or treatment-resistant depression, complex trauma, long-term patterns, and clients wanting a truly immersive therapeutic experience.
Optional Add-Ons
Additional integration session: $180
Monthly maintenance session: $200
