Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy FAQs

  • Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is a mental health treatment in which ketamine is administered in a safe, controlled medical setting and is intentionally paired with therapy before, during, and after the medication experience.

    Ketamine is not used on its own in KAP. The medication is one part of a broader therapeutic process designed to help people access emotions, memories, perspectives, and insights that may be difficult to reach through talk therapy alone.

  • At therapeutic doses, ketamine can create a temporary shift in consciousness. People often report:

    • Reduced emotional distress or inner criticism

    • Increased sense of openness, flexibility, or self-compassion

    • A different perspective on life experiences

    • Easier access to emotions or memories

    • A feeling of distance from rigid or painful thought patterns

    From a neuroscience perspective, ketamine appears to increase neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form new connections. This can make it easier to step out of long-standing patterns linked to depression, trauma, anxiety, and mood disorders.

  • KAP is typically structured in three phases:

    1. Preparation sessions
    You and your therapist build safety, clarify intentions, discuss hopes and concerns, and learn grounding skills.

    2. Ketamine sessions
    Ketamine is self-administered via a sublingual lozenge. A therapist supports the psychological experience, helping you stay grounded, reflective, and emotionally safe.

    3. Integration sessions
    Afterward, therapy focuses on making meaning of the experience — connecting insights to daily life, relationships, coping skills, and long-term healing goals.

    It’s in the integration work that much of the lasting change happens.

  • KAP is often used as part of treatment for:

    • Depression and mood disorders

    • Trauma and PTSD

    • Anxiety

    • Grief and life transitions

    • Existential distress

    • Feeling “stuck” in therapy or long-standing patterns

    It is especially considered when traditional therapy alone has not been enough.

  • Preparation sessions: $165 (1 hour)

    **Dosing sessions: $450 (3 hours)

    Integration sessions: $165 (1 hour)

    KAP treatment generally lasts for 12 weeks.

    We offer packages that include SIX weeks of KAP treatment for $3450 (A $405 savings!) when paid in full prior to beginning treatment.

    We have a relationship with Journey Clinical to provide your medication; however, are open to providing KAP if you have secured ketamine through other means.

    ** dosing sessions are not billable to insurance; preparation and integration sessions may be billable to your insurance carrier.

  • At The Chrysalis Counseling Center, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is not treated as a medical procedure with therapy added on — it is a deeply relational, trauma-informed therapeutic process where ketamine is one supportive tool within comprehensive mental health care.

    What makes our approach different is the way we hold the entire experience.

    KAP at The Chrysalis is grounded in psychotherapy. We emphasize preparation, emotional safety, intention-setting, and integration. The medicine supports the therapy — not the other way around. Clients are never rushed into dosing without therapeutic readiness and ongoing support.

    Our clinicians are trained in trauma-informed modalities and somatic approaches. Sessions are paced, consent-based, and responsive to the nervous system. We focus on helping clients feel safe in their bodies, supported in the experience, and empowered in their healing.

    Your KAP work is not a stand-alone service. It is thoughtfully woven into a broader treatment plan that may include EMDR, IFS, DBT, ACT, mindfulness-based therapy, and other evidence-based approaches offered at The Chrysalis. Each client’s process is customized — there is no “one-size-fits-all” protocol.

    While many people experience symptom improvement, our deeper focus is on insight, emotional processing, self-connection, and long-term change. We place strong clinical emphasis on integration sessions so experiences translate into real-world healing, boundaries, relationships, and self-understanding.

    The Chrysalis was built to feel different from traditional clinics. Our KAP environment is intentionally calming, private, and supportive — designed to promote psychological safety, comfort, and a sense of being deeply cared for throughout the process.

    KAP at The Chrysalis is about transformation, not transactions. It is about creating a safe container where clients can explore, process, and reconnect with themselves — with professional guidance every step of the way.