KETAMINE-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY (KAP)
Low-dose trauma processing (KA-EMDR) and traditional KAP for depression, emotional shutdown, and patterns that won't shift through talk therapy alone.
Medical Oversight: All prescribing handled by licensed medical providers through Journey Clinical.
WHEN TALK THERAPY ISN'T ENOUGH
Many people reach a point where traditional therapy helps—but only to a point.
You've done the work. You've shown up, been honest, tried to change. And something shifted—but not enough.
You understand your patterns. You know what happened in your past. But inside, something still feels stuck: a shutdown you can't break through, emotions you can't access, numbness you can't explain, or a sense that you're living behind glass.
KAP isn't about a shortcut. It's about creating the conditions for deeper, safer, more compassionate access to yourself—when your defenses have been too rigid for too long.
I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness.
— Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
TWO APPROACHES TO KETAMINE THERAPY
I offer two distinct protocols, each suited to different therapeutic needs:
Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy™ (KA-EMDR)
Low-dose ketamine combined with active EMDR trauma processing during the session.
At psycholytic doses, ketamine softens rigid defenses and reduces emotional overwhelm, allowing you to process traumatic material that would otherwise feel too activating. You remain alert and engaged throughout—able to follow bilateral stimulation and work directly with memories, sensations, and emotions as they arise.
This approach is especially effective for:
Complex trauma or PTSD
Stuck traumatic memories
Clients who feel too defended or shut down in regular EMDR
Those who need accelerated trauma processing
My training: Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy™: Enhancing Trauma Treatment with Low Dose Ketamine
Traditional Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Higher-dose ketamine that creates a deeper dissociative or psychedelic experience.
At these doses, you enter an altered state of consciousness where rigid thought patterns dissolve, new perspectives emerge, and compassion for yourself becomes more accessible. I provide therapeutic presence, safety, and grounding—not active processing during the session itself.
Integration happens afterward, where we make meaning of what surfaced and translate insights into lasting change.
This approach is especially effective for:
Chronic shame or self-criticism—especially minority stress or queer-related shame
Treatment-resistant depression
Emotional numbness or dissociation
Rigid defenses or cognitive loops
Clients seeking deeper existential or identity exploration
My training: Essentials of Psychedelic Therapy (Fluence), Journey Clinical KAP Training, EMBARK Psychedelic-assisted Therapy for Major Depression
Together, we'll determine which approach—or combination—makes sense for your specific needs and goals.
WHAT BECOMES POSSIBLE
Imagine emotions that have been walled off for years finally becoming accessible—not flooding you, but available.
Imagine the rigid inner critic quieting enough that you can actually hear yourself think. The shame that's run the show for decades losing its grip—not gone, but no longer in control.
Imagine looking at your life from a new angle and realizing the story you've been telling yourself isn't the only one. That the defenses you built to survive aren't who you are.
Imagine your body softening. Not because you forced it, but because something finally felt safe enough to let go.
This is what KAP can open up—not as a shortcut, but as a doorway to deeper work.
HOW KETAMINE WORKS
Ketamine temporarily softens the brain's rigid survival defenses and increases neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to form new pathways.
This creates a window where you can:
Access emotions that have been walled off
Experience yourself in new ways
Interrupt patterns rooted in trauma
Reduce shame and self-blame
Loosen ingrained narratives
Feel safe enough to explore old wounds
KAP is not:
A quick fix or magic cure
Spiritual bypassing
Dissociation disguised as healing
A replacement for therapy
KAP is:
Slow, grounded, relational work
Integrated with trauma therapy
Paced to your nervous system
Focused on lasting change, not just temporary relief
MY APPROACH TO KAP
My approach to KAP is grounded in the same principles that shape all my clinical work: trauma-informed pacing, existential-phenomenological depth, relational safety, and integration across multiple levels of experience.
We work at your pace, not the protocol's pace. You are never pushed into intensity your nervous system isn't ready for.
I track not just what emerges during sessions, but how your experience relates to your attachment history, identity formation, meaning-making, and the systems that have shaped you.
The medicine creates a temporary opening—a softening of rigid defenses, an increase in neuroplasticity—but the therapeutic relationship is what makes that opening safe enough to explore.
Integration is where change solidifies: making meaning of what surfaced, connecting insights to your lived experience, and building new pathways forward.
WHAT KAP SESSIONS LOOK LIKE
1. Medical Evaluation (with Journey Clinical prescriber) They determine whether ketamine is appropriate, screen for contraindications, decide on dosing and route, and establish the medical protocol.
2. Preparation Sessions (with me) We explore your intentions, history, fears, defenses, what tends to shut you down, how to stay grounded, and what safety looks like for you. We also determine whether KA-EMDR or traditional KAP is the better fit.
3. Dosing Sessions (with me)
For KA-EMDR: We actively work with EMDR processing while ketamine softens your defenses.
For traditional KAP: I provide steady presence, emotional safety, grounding, and witnessing as you explore your inner experience.
4. Integration Sessions (with me) This is where change solidifies. We explore what came up, what shifted, what softened, what surprised or frightened you, what your mind and body are communicating, and what new choices become available.
Integration turns the experience into transformation.
IMPORTANT CLARITY ABOUT MY ROLE
I do not prescribe ketamine. I am not a medical provider.
You will meet with a licensed prescriber through Journey Clinical for:
Medical evaluation
Safety screening
Approval or denial
Prescription
Dosing protocol
Medical monitoring
If the prescriber determines you are a good candidate, I support you therapeutically through:
Preparation sessions
Presence during dosing
Integration therapy
KAP is most effective when medical and psychological care are separate but coordinated.
WHO KETAMINE THERAPY IS FOR
KAP may be a good fit if you:
Have hit a wall in talk therapy
Experience treatment-resistant depression
Feel emotionally numb or shut down
Carry chronic shame or self-criticism
Have trauma that feels too overwhelming to process in regular therapy
Are high-functioning but internally exhausted
Are LGBTQ+ and processing identity trauma or minority stress
Are a man who struggles with vulnerability or emotional access
WHO KETAMINE THERAPY IS NOT FOR
KAP is not appropriate if you:
Are looking for a quick fix without doing therapy
Want ketamine without therapeutic support
Are actively using substances in risky ways
Have certain medical or psychiatric contraindications (the prescriber screens for these)
Expect a psychedelic "breakthrough" without integration work
Are currently in active crisis or severe psychiatric instability
Part of our initial consultation is determining whether KAP is safe and appropriate for you.
IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING KETAMINE THERAPY
This isn't a decision to rush. We'll talk about what you're hoping for, whether this path makes sense, and what preparation would look like.
If you move forward, we do it slowly, thoughtfully, and together.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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No. A licensed medical prescriber through Journey Clinical handles all evaluation, prescribing, and medical monitoring. I provide the therapeutic preparation, support, and integration.
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KA-EMDR uses low doses of ketamine while actively processing trauma with EMDR during the session. You remain alert and engaged. Traditional KAP uses higher doses that create a deeper dissociative or psychedelic experience. Active processing happens in integration sessions afterward, not during dosing.
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It depends on the dose and protocol. KA-EMDR is sub-psychedelic—you remain present and can engage with EMDR. Traditional KAP can range from mildly dissociative to deeply psychedelic, depending on your prescriber's protocol and your needs.
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My role is to help you stay connected, grounded, and safe. We slow down together. Your nervous system's capacity always takes priority over any protocol.
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No. Ketamine creates an opening—therapy helps you walk through it. Integration is where the real change happens.
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See the Rates & Insurance page for complete pricing information, including both my therapeutic fees and Journey Clinical's medical costs.