What Is Ketamine-Assisted Therapy?
If you've been living with depression, anxiety, or trauma that hasn't responded to traditional treatment, you've probably felt the frustration of trying medication after medication or therapy approach after therapy approach with limited results. When standard treatments don't provide relief, it's easy to lose hope and wonder if anything will ever help.
Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) represents a different approach entirely. This innovative treatment combines the therapeutic effects of ketamine, a medication that works differently than traditional antidepressants, with skilled psychotherapy support to create opportunities for healing that other treatments may not reach.
While ketamine therapy has gained significant attention in recent years, many people still have questions about what it actually is, how it works, and whether it might be appropriate for their situation. Let's explore this treatment approach and help you understand whether it might be worth considering.
Understanding Ketamine as Medicine
Ketamine has been used safely in medical settings since the 1970s, primarily as an anesthetic. What makes it interesting for mental health treatment is that, in lower doses, it has rapid-acting antidepressant effects that work through different brain pathways than traditional psychiatric medications.
Most antidepressants work by adjusting serotonin, dopamine, or norepinephrine levels in the brain. Ketamine works differently by affecting glutamate, the most abundant neurotransmitter in the nervous system. This interaction appears to promote neuroplasticity, meaning it may help the brain form new neural connections and break out of stuck patterns that perpetuate depression, anxiety, and trauma responses.
Research shows that ketamine can produce rapid improvements in mood and symptoms, sometimes within hours or days rather than the weeks or months that traditional antidepressants require. For people who have been suffering for years, this speed of response can be life-changing.
What Makes It Therapy, Not Just Medicine
The "therapy" part of ketamine-assisted therapy is just as important as the medication itself. This isn't simply taking a drug and hoping for the best. It's a comprehensive treatment approach that includes preparation, medical supervision during ketamine sessions, and integration work afterward.
Preparation sessions happen before your first ketamine experience. During these meetings with your therapist, you'll discuss your goals, explore what you hope to gain from the treatment, and learn what to expect during the ketamine session. This preparation helps create a framework for making meaning from the experience.
The ketamine session itself typically lasts two to three hours. You'll be in a calm, comfortable environment with your therapist present. At Alba Wellness Group, we use sublingual ketamine lozenges that you self-administer under supervision. As the medication takes effect, you may experience altered perception, shifts in how you process emotions, or insights about yourself and your experiences.
Unlike recreational ketamine use, the therapeutic dose and setting are carefully controlled to maximize healing potential while ensuring safety. Your therapist is there throughout the session to provide support and guidance.
Integration sessions follow each ketamine experience. This is where you work with your therapist to process what came up during the session, make sense of any insights or emotions that emerged, and figure out how to apply these experiences to your daily life. Integration is what transforms a ketamine experience from an interesting altered state into actual therapeutic progress.
Who Might Benefit from Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
Ketamine therapy isn't for everyone, and it's not typically a first-line treatment. It's most often considered for people who haven't found adequate relief through traditional approaches. Research and clinical experience suggest it may be particularly helpful for:
Treatment-resistant depression
Treatment-resistant depression where multiple antidepressant medications and therapy approaches haven't provided sufficient relief. If you've tried several different medications and still struggle with persistent depressive symptoms, ketamine therapy offers a different mechanism that might work when others haven't.
Severe anxiety disorders
Severe anxiety disorders that haven't responded adequately to standard treatments. Some people experience significant anxiety reduction that allows them to engage more effectively with other therapeutic approaches.
PTSD and trauma-related symptoms
PTSD and trauma-related symptoms that remain distressing despite trauma-focused therapy. Ketamine may help create psychological flexibility that makes it easier to process traumatic experiences without becoming overwhelmed.
Chronic suicidal ideation
Chronic suicidal ideation that persists despite treatment. The rapid-acting effects of ketamine can sometimes provide relief from suicidal thoughts more quickly than other interventions, offering a bridge to longer-term stability.
Eating disorders
Eating disorders, particularly when combined with comprehensive treatment. Some research suggests that ketamine therapy may help interrupt rigid thought patterns and create openness to new perspectives about food, body image, and self-worth.
It's important to note that ketamine therapy works best as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes ongoing therapy and appropriate psychiatric care, not as a standalone treatment.
What to Expect During Treatment
The actual experience of ketamine therapy varies from person to person, but most people describe it as unlike any other therapeutic experience they've had. Understanding what typically happens can help reduce anxiety about the unknown.
During the session, you'll be in a comfortable, private space with soft lighting and minimal distractions. Many treatment centers, including Alba Wellness Group, provide eyeshades and carefully selected music to support an introspective experience.
As the ketamine takes effect, you may experience:
A sense of detachment from your usual thought patterns and concerns
Visual or sensory experiences that feel dreamlike
Shifts in how you perceive time or space
Emotional releases or insights that feel profound
A sense of connection or unity that's difficult to describe
Deep relaxation and reduced anxiety
Some people have deeply moving experiences, while others describe it as simply peaceful or interesting. There's no "right" way to experience ketamine therapy. What matters is what you're able to learn and integrate from the experience.
Physical sensations might include feeling floaty or disconnected from your body, mild nausea (though this is uncommon with the doses used therapeutically), or a dreamy, relaxed state. These effects wear off within a few hours, though you'll need someone to drive you home as you shouldn't operate a vehicle the same day.
The frequency of treatment varies. Some people start with a series of sessions over several weeks, while others might have sessions spaced further apart. Your treatment team will work with you to determine the right frequency based on your response and needs.
Safety and Considerations
Ketamine-assisted therapy has been extensively studied and, when administered properly in a therapeutic setting, has a strong safety profile. However, it's not appropriate for everyone.
You may not be a candidate for ketamine therapy if you have:
Uncontrolled high blood pressure or significant cardiovascular conditions
Active psychotic symptoms or unstable schizophrenia
Active substance use disorder (particularly with stimulants)
Pregnancy or nursing
Certain medical conditions that your doctor determines make ketamine unsafe
This is why thorough medical screening is essential before beginning treatment. At Alba Wellness Group, we partner with Journey Clinical to ensure comprehensive medical evaluation and oversight throughout your treatment.
Potential side effects during the session can include dizziness, nausea, temporary increases in blood pressure, or feeling disoriented. These effects are monitored throughout the session and typically resolve quickly. Most people feel normal again within a few hours after the session ends.
Long-term safety appears good based on current research, particularly when ketamine is used at therapeutic doses with appropriate medical supervision. The ketamine used in therapy is very different from recreational use in terms of dose, frequency, setting, and purpose.
The Role of Integration
One of the most important but often overlooked aspects of ketamine therapy is integration. The ketamine experience itself may provide insights, emotional releases, or shifts in perspective, but integration is what allows those experiences to create lasting change in your life.
During integration sessions, you'll work with your therapist to:
Explore what came up during your ketamine session
Connect insights from the experience to your daily life and challenges
Develop practical strategies for applying new perspectives
Process any difficult emotions or memories that emerged
Build on the neuroplastic window that ketamine creates
Think of the ketamine session as loosening the soil in a garden and integration as the planting and tending that allows new growth to take root. Without integration, the temporary shifts that ketamine creates may not translate into sustained improvements.
Cost and Accessibility
One of the challenges with ketamine therapy is that it's typically not covered by insurance, though this is gradually changing. The treatment can be expensive, which creates barriers for many people who might benefit.
At Alba Wellness Group, we're transparent about costs and offer payment plans to make treatment more accessible. We also help you understand what insurance may cover (such as the ongoing therapy sessions) even if the ketamine component isn't covered.
Some people find that even though the upfront cost is significant, the potential to find relief after years of unsuccessful treatments makes it a worthwhile investment in their mental health and quality of life.
Is Ketamine Therapy Right for You?
Deciding whether to pursue ketamine-assisted therapy is a personal choice that should be made in consultation with mental health professionals who know your history and current situation. It's not a magic cure, and it doesn't work for everyone. But for some people, particularly those who haven't found relief through traditional approaches, it offers hope and a new path forward.
Consider exploring ketamine therapy if:
You've tried multiple treatments without adequate relief
You're working with a therapist and are willing to commit to integration work
You're open to an unconventional therapeutic experience
You meet the medical criteria for safe treatment
You're looking for a treatment approach that works differently from what you've tried before
If you're curious about whether ketamine-assisted therapy might be appropriate for your situation, we encourage you to schedule a consultation. During this conversation, we can discuss your treatment history, answer your questions, and help you determine whether this approach aligns with your goals and needs.
Moving Forward with Hope
Living with treatment-resistant mental health conditions can feel hopeless, especially after trying treatment after treatment without finding relief. Ketamine-assisted therapy represents a different approach based on emerging neuroscience and innovative therapeutic practices.
While it's not right for everyone, for those who do pursue it, ketamine therapy can offer new possibilities for healing, growth, and relief. Combined with skilled therapeutic support and commitment to the integration process, it has the potential to create meaningful, lasting change.
If you've been searching for something that might finally help, ketamine-assisted therapy might be worth exploring. Reach out to us today to learn more about our program and whether it might be the right fit for your healing journey.
At Alba Wellness Group, we believe everyone deserves a space where they can heal, grow, and truly belong. If you're ready to take the next step in your journey, we're here to walk alongside you; contact us today for your free consultation.