Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
in Arcadia and Irvine, CA
What Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Many of us live with unresolved trauma which not only negatively impacts our day-to-day experience but also our ability to find deeper meaning and purpose. When we’re stuck in survival mode, we become disconnected from our true selves which stagnates our personal growth. Sadly, the chronic anxiety and depression that lingers after experiencing childhood trauma or other forms of complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can limit how we perceive the world and our place in it.
Perhaps even after trying talk therapy, your emotional pain persists. If traditional methods haven’t helped, you may seek an alternative path to access deeper healing. You may be looking for deeper spiritual meaning, purpose, and joy in life and hoping to reintegrate the parts of yourself that were cut off as a result of trauma.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) offers a highly effective treatment for experiencing long-lasting emotional shifts. Through ketamine therapy, you can make meaning of your life journey and forge a profound connection to self, infused with newfound compassion and forgiveness.
How Does Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Therapy Work?
In our initial session, we’ll discuss your mental health history, past treatments, life events, and current symptoms. This in-depth conversation will help us understand your emotional well-being and create a collaborative relationship, ensuring your voice is heard. Thereafter, I will refer you to a ketamine medical provider via telehealth to review targeted treatment options that will be sent by mail.
Before undergoing ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, we’ll conduct a preparatory session to set clear intentions for your journey. Depending on what you want to focus on, I may suggest you create an altar of childhood photos or other meaningful tokens to bring a ceremonial component to the work. We may also utilize Internal Family Systems (IFS) to address any parts of self that could be resistant to change or fearful of ceding control.
The ketamine therapy dosing session will be held in person and typically lasts 3-4 hours. When self-administering the ketamine, you’ll be in a comfortable setting (lying down with an eye mask on while listening to calming music). After initially guiding you through meditation, my role is to create a safe container for your journey, providing whatever support may be needed. I often bring awareness to time or take notes about anything you may bring up verbally. Once the journey has ended, I’ll offer some grounding exercises to help you ease back into the world.
We will also schedule an integration session approximately 48 hours after ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to continue the integration process. Here, you will review the insights of your journey, either by talking it out or through nonverbal techniques, such as journaling and art I will ask you what shifts you have noticed and how you might apply them to daily life or enhance your coping strategies.
Group And Couples Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
I also offer group ketamine therapy integration for anyone who’s had 2-3 individual sessions. The group integration option is not only more affordable but also creates a community of like-minded people who experience collective healing, share insights, and support each other’s journeys toward transformation. KAP can also be modified for couples where, with my oversight, you will take turns guiding each other to build trust and foster empathy.
Who Can Benefit From Ketamine-Assisted Therapy?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can help anyone struggling with unresolved trauma, chronic depression, or anxiety. Unlike other therapies, KAP promotes neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to form new connections.
Ketamine increases the release of glutamate, a neurotransmitter that enhances communication between brain cells and helps rewire areas involved in mood regulation and emotional processing. After approximately 3-6 KAP sessions, clients can bypass mental blocks, process emotions and traumas more deeply, and experience lasting emotional shifts. Combined with post-journey integration, breakthroughs made during ketamine psychotherapy can be applied to daily life, reinforcing new patterns of thinking, coping, and healing.
Ketamine-assisted therapy has shown strong effectiveness in treating trauma, treatment- resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, and emotional stagnation. Studies by Zarate et al. (2006) and Murrough et al. (2013) indicate that ketamine can rapidly reduce symptoms of depression, especially in individuals who haven’t responded to traditional treatment. [1] [2] By combining ketamine with psychotherapy, KAP offers breakthroughs in a shorter time span and supports long-term emotional growth.
I was inspired to integrate ketamine-assisted psychotherapy into my practice after personally experiencing its transformative effects. KAP’s ability to facilitate emotional healing and brain reprogramming fascinated me, leading me to pursue formal training.
After 20+ years of experience as a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist (LMFT), I decided to add ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to my practice in 2022. My unique combination of extensive therapy expertise, personal experience, and in-depth training allows me to provide a compassionate, effective approach to healing. Utilizing ketamine therapy, I’ve witnessed clients release long-held emotions, process trauma, and gain new perspectives.
Why I Utilize Psychedelic Psychotherapy In My Practice
With ketamine working as a co-therapist, you can develop greater self-awareness, gaining insight into deep emotional patterns, past traumas, and unconscious beliefs. The powerful combination of ketamine and therapy allows shifts in perspective, often leading to profound breakthroughs. KAP can enhance emotional regulation and reduce negative thought patterns while also cultivating emotional resilience, improving self-esteem, building healthier relationships, and developing lasting tools for personal growth, healing, and emotional well-being.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can provide tangible, everyday benefits. In the short term, you might notice that you can manage stress more effectively, respond to triggers with greater calm, or feel more present and connected in your relationships. Over time, you may notice you’re no longer stuck in old thought patterns, like ruminating on past mistakes or feeling overwhelmed by anxiety. Instead, you can approach challenges with more confidence, self-compassion, and a clearer sense of direction in life.
Find Out How Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Can Help You
I am excited to share this groundbreaking therapy with you. To schedule a free consultation and learn more about ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, either in-person or online, please contact me to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9207256/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40051583/
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