Understanding Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): How It Works and What to Expect
Understanding Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): How It Works and What to Expect
Navigating mental health challenges can often feel overwhelming, especially when the traditional therapies you’ve tried haven't brought the relief you deserve. For individuals facing treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other mental health struggles, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative approach that may offer hope.
At the Center for Integrative Change, we have the privilege of guiding clients through this unique, highly personalized therapy, helping them find relief and rediscover joy. If you’ve been curious about KAP or wondering how it might help you or someone you care about, I want to share more about what it is, how it works, and why it could be a powerful tool for healing.
What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy combines the therapeutic use of ketamine with structured psychotherapy to help clients address deeply rooted mental health challenges. You may be familiar with ketamine as a medication originally used as an anesthetic. However, more recently, its potential to alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, often within hours, has brought it to the forefront of mental health treatment.
The beauty of KAP lies in its ability to create a space where clients can explore emotions, memories, and thought patterns from a new perspective. It’s not just about symptom relief. When paired with therapy, ketamine opens the door to deeper insight, profound emotional processing, and meaningful transformation.
Unlike medications that can take weeks to show results, ketamine tends to have a rapid impact, alleviating symptoms for many clients after just a few sessions. Combined with psychotherapy, that initial relief can create a foundation for long-lasting healing.
How Does KAP Work?
On a neurobiological level, ketamine works by engaging the glutamate system in the brain, which promotes something called neuroplasticity. This essentially means that your brain becomes more flexible, opening the door to new thinking patterns and breaking free from the cycle of depression or anxiety. But KAP isn’t just about biology; its effectiveness lies in the relational and therapeutic process that guides each client through their experience.
When I work with clients, we take things one step at a time, starting with preparation, moving into the ketamine sessions, and following up with integration. It’s a process designed to provide safety, structure, and support at every step.
1. Preparation
We start with preparation, which is one of the most critical stages of the process. I spend time getting to know you, your mental health history, and what you’re hoping to gain from KAP. This step isn’t rushed because it’s so important that you feel safe and ready to begin. Together, we’ll discuss your goals and intentions for the work. For example, you might want to address unresolved trauma, gain clarity about a difficult situation, or simply feel more connected to yourself.
Intention-setting is a big part of preparation—not in a rigid way, but as a way of creating focus. I’ve seen clients benefit immensely from setting even a simple intention, like being open to whatever surfaces or exploring self-compassion during the experience.
2. The Ketamine Experience
Once we’ve laid the groundwork, we move into the ketamine sessions, which take place in a peaceful, supportive environment. Ketamine can be administered in different ways, such as through a lozenge or an intramuscular injection, depending on the client’s needs. Here at Center for Integrative Change we utilize a lozenge which can be done in the office with us or in the comfort of your own home. The session usually lasts about three hours in total, with one hour where the client is in a deeply meditative state.
Clients often describe feeling relaxed, detached from everyday worries, and even a sense of expanded awareness. Some experience a dreamlike or reflective state where they can explore challenging emotions or thoughts with less resistance. One client once described it as feeling like “a bird looking down on my life,” which allowed them to gain new insights into patterns they’d been stuck in for years.
My role during these sessions varies based on what you need. For some, knowing I’m there as a quiet presence is reassuring; for others, gentle guidance and support can help deepen the experience. It’s always about meeting you where you are and creating a space where you feel safe to explore.
3. Integration
After the ketamine experience, we move to the final step, integration. This is the part where we take the insights or emotions that surfaced during the session and connect them to your everyday life. This step is so important because the long-term benefits of KAP lie in how you process and act on what you’ve uncovered.
Integration sessions are often reflective and grounding. Together, we talk about what came up for you during the ketamine session and how we can solidify those insights. For instance, a client who experienced self-compassion during their ketamine session might explore ways to nurture that feeling in their daily life. Another might create a strategy for managing anxiety using the perspective they gained during the session.
Why KAP?
The results can be profound. Many clients share that after KAP, they feel like they’ve been freed from weight they’ve carried for years. They describe feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected to themselves and others. For individuals struggling with trauma, KAP can create a safe gateway to begin working through memories and feelings that may feel too overwhelming in traditional therapy.
Unlike traditional approaches, the combination of ketamine and therapy allows clients to access emotions and insights they might not otherwise reach. And because ketamine’s effects on symptoms tend to be quick, many people feel relief after just a session or two, which provides hope and motivation to keep going.
Why Choose the Center for Integrative Change?
At the Center for Integrative Change, we pride ourselves on not just offering KAP, but doing so in a way that’s client-centered and tailored to your needs. Every step of the process—from location, preparation, to integration—is designed to support your healing, honor your goals, and respect your unique story. We strive to create an environment that is as compassionate as it is professional, blending the art of therapy with the science of ketamine treatment.
A New Path to Healing
For those who have felt stuck or hopeless, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy can be a powerful tool for creating change. It’s not just a treatment; it’s an opportunity to envision and move toward a life that feels lighter, more balanced, and genuinely you. If you’re interested in what KAP could do for you, I’d love to connect and explore that possibility together. Healing is a deeply personal process, but you don’t have to do it alone. At the Center for Integrative Change, we’re here to walk this path with you.
About The Author
Alison Hochman has a master's in clinical psychology from California Lutheran University and is an associate marriage and family therapist (AMFT136501) supervised by Jeremy Mast, MS, MDiv, LMFT, CSAT, CPTT (CA90961). Alison helps people break free from self-destructive behaviors and limiting patterns to live their fullest and most authentic life.
