Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

What is KAP?

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. I take on the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while a medical team supports you on all medical aspects. This includes determining eligibility, developing a custom treatment plan, prescribing the medicine and monitoring outcomes.

Is KAP safe?

All participants of KAP that I work with are screened beforehand by the Journey Clinical or local medical provider. They will take into consideration any medical issues, specific mental health diagnoses or current substance abuse issues which may indicate increased risk. If you are determined to be a good candidate based on your medical evaluation, additional safety steps will be implemented such as but not limited to: preparation sessions, intention setting, safety planning, identifying a chaperone (if dosing at home), education and communication between yourself, your medical prescriber and myself.

What does the process of KAP look like?

There is flexibility to create a process that works well for everyone, however, the general flow of KAP includes screening, preparation, dosing and integration.

Sample KAP process outline:

Step 1: Meet with therapist to learn more about the advantages and appropriateness of KAP to your goals.

Step 2: Refer for medical consult and initial Ketamine prescription.

Step 3: Planning psychotherapy session to set intentions for the dosing session, to plan/prepare the setting for dosing, and to ensure that the client is aware of all safety precautions.

Step 4: Dosing session. (We can talk more about the various ways that this can look depending on what is appropriate for your situation).

Step 5: Integration session (s) to process the dosing experience, including themes, thoughts, emotions, visuals, etc. that occurred and what meaning/significance was taken from the experience. Much of the benefits of Ketamine are inherent in the effects of the medication on the brain, so while there may not be a lot of specifics about your ketamine experience that you want to talk about in session, the change in mood and increased neuroplasticity can help to facilitate more effective and lasting change. This change in mood can feel uplifting and can be a catalyst for further progress towards your personal, spiritual, physical and mental health related goals.

Step 6: Follow-up with medical provider to discuss outcomes and the desire/need for more doses. Patients taking sublingual Ketamine complete 6 dosing sessions on average but some achieve their goals using it only a couple of times.

How much will it cost?

Preparation and Integration sessions are 55 minutes and are charged at my hourly rate of $125 for individual psychotherapy. More time is designated for dosing sessions if you choose to have your therapist present for the entirety of the dosing session, whether in-person or remotely. The initial dosing session is $325 which will last for 2.5-3 hours. When appropriate, patients may decide to do their dosing sessions at home with a chaperone (we can discuss if this option is appropriate for you). In this case the therapist will be less involved so the rate for the initial check-in (10-15 minutes) and post-dosing check-in (10-15 minutes) is $65.

If you choose to experience Ketamine via sublingual tablets prescribed by a Journey Clinical provider, the cost for the medical evaluation in $250 and first two doses of Ketamine costs $85. Follow-up appointments cost $150 and the second prescription (enough for up to 6 sessions) costs $145.

You may also choose to go the route of Intravenous (IV) or Intramuscular (Injection) Ketamine administration at a local clinic which offers this in house. In this case I can refer you to the clinic, assist you in the process of preparation, and conduct your integration sessions. Prices vary by clinic and service.