Reclaim your power. Expand your perspective. 

Ketamine is a well-known medication originally developed as an anesthetic in the 1960s. It has been widely used in medical and surgical settings for its fast-acting, dissociative properties that provide pain relief and sedation without suppressing breathing. In recent years, low-dose ketamine has gained attention for its rapid-acting antidepressant effects and its ability to shift perspective through altered states of consciousness.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a therapeutic approach that combines the use of ketamine with psychotherapy to support emotional healing, insight, and behavioral change. In carefully guided sessions, clients may access thoughts, emotions, and memories that can be difficult to reach through talk therapy alone.

KAP is now being used to help treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, and chronic pain, and a growing body of research is showing promise in the treatment of trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), and substance use disorders.

Ketamine works in the brain in several unique ways that support healing and emotional growth. First, it helps reduce overactivity in the amygdala, the part of the brain involved in fear and emotional responses, which can ease feelings of anxiety and trauma. Ketamine also promotes neuroplasticity, meaning it helps build new neural pathways that support healthier thinking patterns and emotional resilience. Additionally, ketamine has anti-inflammatory properties, reducing brain inflammation that is often linked to depression and other mood disorders. Because of these effects, ketamine can also help interrupt chronic pain signals and reset pain pathways, offering relief for those living with persistent pain. 

These powerful neurobiological effects, when combined with the KAP process, create a powerful opportunity for improved mood and functioning by helping clients access and process their thoughts and emotions in new and helpful ways. With skillful preparation and integration, in a trusted therapeutic relationship, KAP can facilitate powerful transformation often with lasting effects. 

Once you’ve been assessed and approved by a licensed medical provider—who will prescribe and oversee your ketamine treatment—we’ll begin our work together. I collaborate closely with trusted prescribers and only work with oral and nasal ketamine.

KAP typically includes three types of sessions: preparation, experiential, and integration.

Preparation sessions are where we begin to build a strong foundation. We’ll explore your intentions, address any questions or concerns, and make sure you feel emotionally and practically prepared for your dosing sessions.

Experiential sessions are the times when ketamine is taken as part of the therapeutic process. These sessions typically last 3–4 hours, depending on factors like whether a booster dose is used. We’ll begin by reconnecting with your intentions and making sure the set and setting feel right for you. You'll self-administer the medication, as prescribed by your provider.
Depending on the dose, you may experience a psycholytic state—where you feel calmer, more open, and better able to access thoughts or feelings that are typically harder to reach—or a psychedelic state, which can bring a sense of oneness, ego dissolution, or vivid imagery that opens new ways of understanding your inner world. Throughout, I’ll be there to provide support and therapeutic presence, helping you navigate whatever arises with care and grounded guidance.

Integration sessions are where we make further meaning of the experience. We’ll process what came up and identify ways to carry key insights into your everyday life. The period of highest neuroplasticity—roughly 24–72 hours after a dosing session—is an especially rich time for integration, though this window can extend up to 5 days. During this time, we’ll work together to develop practices that support lasting, embodied change.

During KAP, small, subanesthetic doses of ketamine are used  to create a temporary shift in how you experience your mind, body, and emotions. Ketamine works in unique ways and has proven to help with depression and chronic pain, as well as showing promising results for treating OCD, trauma, and anxiety. When combined with psychotherapy and proper preparation and integration, ketamine has been seen to offer relief that lasts well beyond the time it’s in your system.

KAP treatment typically includes 3 kinds of sessions: preparatory, experiential dosing, and integration. 

In preparatory sessions, we’ll take time to build our relationship, clarify your intentions for this work, and ensure you feel prepared for the experiential sessioninfusion. 

During the experiential sessions, you’ll receive ketamine in a safe and supportive space. Ketamine helps create a relaxed, altered state of consciousness that allows you to explore your inner world in new and sometimes deeper ways. This can make it easier to access and process feelings that might be harder to reach in a regular talk therapy session. During this process, I’ll be right there with you, helping guide the experience and providing support, so you feel safe as you navigate whatever thoughts, emotions, or sensations come up.

Afterward, in our integration sessions, we’ll process what came up for you and work together to connect those insights to your everyday life.

I offer in-person KAP sessions and intensives in my Asheville, North Carolina office, designed specifically to support this work. If you’re located elsewhere in North Carolina or California, telehealth sessions may be an option—including for experiential sessions—if you're determined to be a clinically appropriate candidate.

For those in California, I also periodically offer in-person KAP sessions in the San Francisco Bay Area, typically 1–2 times per year.

In some cases, it may be possible to begin with one or more in-person sessions to establish a strong therapeutic foundation, and then transition to online experiential work if appropriate. We’ll work together to determine what setting best supports your safety, comfort, and goals.

I primarily offer KAP as part of ongoing individual therapy with me, which typically lasts anywhere from 6 months to several years. This approach allows us to build a strong therapeutic relationship that can support deeper, more sustainable transformation over time. In most cases, we meet for weekly therapy sessions, which include preparation, integration, and general therapeutic support.

Experiential sessions typically happen every one to four weeks, depending on your goals, response to treatment, and other factors. This pacing gives us the flexibility to move at a rhythm that allows you to stay present, and with space for reflection and meaningful integration.

I also offer adjunctive KAP to clients who are in ongoing therapy with another provider and are seeking ketamine treatment as a complement to that work. In these cases, I generally recommend a minimum of 3-6 preparation sessions, three dosing sessions, and integration work throughout, usually over 3–6 months.

How many sessions you may need depends on your individual history and goals. Some people find that a series of 3–6 sessions leads to meaningful, lasting change—especially when paired with ongoing therapy. Others, particularly those with complex trauma, depression, or other chronic conditions, may benefit from an additional series or follow-up sessions over time.

Together, we’ll design a course of treatment that aligns with your needs and supports lasting growth.