Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

KAP at SoundMind

What happens during a KAP session at SoundMind?

Unlike clinics that administer ketamine via IV (infusion clinics), SoundMind administers ketamine via lozenge. A treatment session might look something like the image above: you will put on eyeshades and get comfy in one of our reclining couches. We will lead you through a meditation or relaxation exercise, and you will swish the ketamine lozenge in your mouth for 15 minutes before swallowing to allow the medicine to absorb. Then, you will lie down and spend the next two hours or so in a ketamine journey. We will be by your side the whole time.

What will I feel during a KAP session at SoundMind?

Sometimes people want to talk and other times they want to stay quiet, all responses are okay! After about two hours or so most people feel the medicine is wearing off, and will begin talking more. Eventually, you will take your eyeshades off, and we will spend the last portion of the session talking and processing what you experienced while on the medicine. You will have arranged a ride or call a car service, or you can walk home if you live close. We will check in with you the next day, and schedule your next session.

Our patients typically start out with 3 KAP sessions spaced one week apart. Most people need 2-3 sessions of KAP to see if these treatments will work for them. Each KAP session is in-person, lasts 3-4 hours, and includes time for integration of the experience directly following the medicine.

How is the way ketamine administered at SoundMind different from other ketamine treatments?

Ketamine is a versatile medicine that can be given in different ways at different doses. Most ketamine clinics offer ketamine infusions intravenously (in an IV) over 30-45 minutes, and there is typically no psychotherapy integrated into the treatment. Providing ketamine in this way works more like taking any other medication for mental illness—the goal is simply to change your brain chemistry, and it’s not often effective for long-term results. For some patients, this can provide long-term relief after multiple infusions, but for others, the effects wear off once they stop receiving infusions. Other ketamine providers prescribe ketamine in lozenge form for you to take at home, with minimal psychotherapeutic support.

KAP at SoundMind is a different model of care: SoundMind uses ketamine to catalyze psychotherapy and the healing benefits it can provide. We offer the medication in a lozenge or in an intramuscular injection at doses that produce a psychedelic “trip” or “journey” experience that lasts 1.5 to 2.5 hours. An experienced facilitator and physician is with you the entire time to support you and cultivate an ideal environment for safety, growth, and healing. After your journey, we provide psychotherapy to help you integrate and make meaning of your experience, and move you toward your goals for symptom relief and behavior change. Over the course of 3+ journeys, we help you work toward lasting change by healing the root causes underlying your mental health challenges. We cannot emphasize enough the healing potential of this medicine when combined with a safe, supportive psychotherapy experience.