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Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

Early 2022 Andrew Sidoli, our Clinical Director began a 1 year specialty certification program through the Integrated Psychiatry Institute focusing on the use of psychedelic medicine for mental health. This is a top international program for psychotherapists to be trained in the use of psychedelic alternative modalities including ketamine for treatment of mental health issues including clinical depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, addiction and trauma.  Ketamine has been approved as a legal treatment however, insurance has yet to adapt. This service will be self-pay only. Andrew will start to see KAP clients beginning Sept 2022 in collaboration with Restorative Health Primary Care. 

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What is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy? 

Ketamine is a medication that was approved by the FDA in 1970 for use as a general anesthetic. It has been used routinely since that time. It is especially useful because of it is very safe. Compared to other anesthetics, it has minimal effects on the heart and respiratory system.

Ketamine Therapy is the use of ketamine to treat psychiatric conditions. When used in this way, ketamine is given in doses much lower than when it is used as an anesthetic. During Ketamine Therapy, these low doses of ketamine are given through personal prescription lozenges. KAP is an innovative treatment that combines evidence-based therapies with ketamine, a legal psychedelic medication that helps clarify perspective and improve mood.

 

When guided by a trained therapist, the ketamine experience provides a safe and illuminating space to uncover the self-defeating patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior that are caused by a variety of mental health conditions.

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How Does it Work?  

Creating New Pathways

The truth is that all mood disorders, including depression, are very complex and vary widely from case-to-case. This is evidenced by the low response rate for various SSRIs in depression. Scientists have identified many other changes that are thought to contribute to or cause depression. A key change is neuronal atrophy, characterized by the loss of synaptic connections in key cortical and limbic brain regions which are important for mood.

 

This neuronal atrophy is thought to occur due to decreased expression of growth factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Recent studies have demonstrated that Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, increases spine synapses in the prefrontal cortex and can also reverse the deficits cause by chronic stress. Research has shown that this occurs by transient disinhibition of glutamate transmission, followed by compensatory glutamate bursts at the neuronal synapse. This leads to concomitant increase in BDNF, initiating a cascading signal pathway that ultimately increases neuronal spine formation.

Never growth brain .webp

Benefits of KAP

Improved Mood

Ketamine is gaining traction as a treatment for mood disorders like depression and anxiety. It has also been shown to rapidly reduce suicidality. This is likely due to a variety of neurochemical and structural changes that occur within the brain during ketamine treatment. For example ketamine increases two principal neurotransmitters, GABA and glutamate, which help to simultaneously reduce anxiety while increasing the ability to feel excitement once again.

Mindful Adaptibility 

A commonly reported effect of ketamine treatment is more mindful awareness of the world around them, with some patients even describing a perceived improvement in their sense of sight. More commonly, this increased mindfulness shows up as patients begin to feel capable of making more informed and values-aligned choices in their life, feeling unstuck by old patterns, and experiencing more mental clarity. It is hypothesized that these benefits may be due to ketamine’s ability to reset the brain’s default ways of thinking, disrupting old habits and literally growing new neural pathways.

Reconnection

During the journey patients frequently experience feelings of transcendental oneness and encounters with other important figures in their life. Therapeutic integration then encourages patients to engage in activities to sustain these feelings of connection between sessions such as by writing a letter to a deceased loved one, spending time outdoors, or artistically depicting scenes from their journey.

Does it Last? 

Catalyst for Therapy

Ketamine is viewed as a catalyst for recovery; therapy, a collaborative process. During ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, patients and therapists identify adaptive behaviors to support a meaningful life rooted in the patient’s values. Patients are then encouraged to begin implementing these behaviors while the neuroplastic effects of ketamine make behavioral changes easier.

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Through the continuance of these behaviors and other integrative practices, some patients are able to sustain their results from ketamine indefinitely. Others may benefit from occasional ketamine booster treatments. Our medical and therapeutic team are there to support you in deciding a long-term plan that works for you.

Sessions and Pricing

  • $2830: Individual 6 Ketamine Session Series. Includes intention session, medical eval, 2 IV KAP sessions, Lozenge/Spray consult and prescription, 4 in office 1.5 KAP sessions and follow up session.

  • $4120 Couples Series of 6 same as above with the 4 KAP sessions done in office as a couple to work specific couple goals.

  • $2400 Group Series of 6 KAP sessions and 6 processing sessions. Eight per group.

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