KETAMINE-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY
A holistic complement to psychotherapy for sustained symptom improvements.
The Center for Integrative Change offers a therapeutic modality called ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with an organization called Journey Clinical.
We offer ketamine-assisted therapy virtually and in person at our office locations in Ventura, California, and Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is a holistic mental health treatment in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible clients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained symptom improvements.
We handle the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while Journey Clinical’s medical team supports you on all medical aspects. This includes determining eligibility, developing a tailored treatment plan that’s right for you, prescribing the medicine, and monitoring outcomes. We’ve included more information about ketamine-assisted psychotherapy below to help you determine if it may be a good fit for you.
What is ketamine?
Ketamine is a legal, safe, and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, which can begin to take effect within 1–2 hours after treatment and last for up to 2 weeks.
While there is no research yet on ketamine’s effects on sexually compulsive behaviors and betrayal trauma, the body of research on substance use disorders and PTSD suggests that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be effective in treating these conditions as well.
Ketamine therapy works by helping the brain form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement. In our work with Journey Clinical, we only use the sublingual lozenge form of ketamine as the method of ketamine administration.
How does ketamine feel?
The effects of ketamine treatment, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. Ketamine is a dissociative analgesic, so these effects can make you feel “far from” your body and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be reclining or lying down in a comfortable position during the experience. Once these effects subside, we’ll spend the remainder of your appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, clients tend to feel like the insights gained are nevertheless clear. Meeting with your therapist the following day or later in the week for an integration session can strongly support the treatment process and meaning-making journey. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the ketamine session.
What is Journey Clinical?
Journey Clinical is a platform for independently licensed psychotherapists to incorporate science-based psychedelic therapies in their practice safely and effectively, starting with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP). Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on patient eligibility, prescriptions and outcome monitoring, while we take on the therapy. Their collaborative care model is designed to deliver personalized mental health treatment plans to meet your individual needs and improve long-term outcomes.
What is the consultation process with Journey Clinical?
You schedule an initial evaluation with a clinician from the Journey Clinical medical team via Zoom. They will go over your medical and psychiatric history with you, provide education on the treatment, and determine if you are eligible for ketamine-assisted therapy. If Journey Clinical’s medical team determines that you are eligible for KAP, they will develop a personalized ketamine treatment prescription and outcome-monitoring plan for you.
Journey Clinical’s medical staff will write a ketamine prescription for you, and a small amount of oral ketamine will be sent to your home, enough for the first 2 ketamine-assisted psychotherapy sessions. You will be taught to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges by Journey Clinical’s medical team in advance of our KAP treatment sessions.
What are preparation sessions like?
Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time together for our KAP preparation, ketamine administration, dosing, and integration sessions. Preparation sessions will be scheduled just like regular therapy sessions prior to the KAP dosing session. The goal of a preparation session is to align on the process and set intentions for our ketamine-assisted psychotherapy sessions together. Your therapist will orient you to KAP, including dosing sessions, safety procedures, and the integration process.
What can I expect from a KAP dosing session?
A typical ketamine dosing session lasts between 2-3 hours and can take place remotely via telehealth.
During a treatment session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge either in your home or our offices. You will be in a comfortable, reclining position wearing an eye mask and listening to calming music. Although a KAP dosing session may be largely an internal experience, we will be present with you the entire time to hold space and provide support as needed. Although ketamine can be safely used in accordance with your prescription in your home during virtual sessions, your therapist will help you enlist the support of a trusted other to be in contact with your therapist should the need arise during your ketamine session (e.g., if there is a loss in your internet connection).
What happens after the KAP dosing session?
Integration Sessions: After our ketamine-assisted psychotherapy treatment session, we will meet for multiple integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts, and insights that arose during your dosing session and to prepare for the next ketamine-assisted therapy session.
Follow-up consultations with Journey Clinical: After our first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules regular follow-ups with you to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow-ups depends on your unique mental health treatment plan, at a minimum of once per quarter.
What is the cost?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is an affordable, accessible modality. Depending on your insurance plan and therapist, the medical intake, follow ups, medication management are covered by insurance, or eligible for out-of-network reimbursement.
Your CIC therapist will bill you his or her standard hourly rate. The Center for Integrative Change is considered an out-of-network provider and can provide you with billing statements to seek reimbursement for your psychotherapy sessions.
First Time Patients
Initial Medical Consultation: $250
Medication: $97 (2 sessions)
Ongoing Treatment
Follow-up Medical Consultation: $150 (at least 1x per quarter)
Medication: $148 (6 sessions)
Ongoing Psychiatric Medication Management Sessions: $163
Want to learn more about Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
If you would like to explore the possibility of working with us on ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, please contact us to discuss eligibility and next steps.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you.