Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) is a therapeutic process that combines ketamine treatment with preparation, in-person therapeutic support, and integration. My approach honors the mind, body, nervous system, and spirit while creating a grounded and supportive space for your experience.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Serving clients in Newburgh, NY and the greater Hudson Valley, NY area
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01-Preparation
Creating safety, trust, and intention
Before beginning a ketamine session, we spend time preparing together. At least three preparation sessions allow us to build a therapeutic relationship, establish safety, explore your intentions, and help you feel grounded and supported as you approach the experience.
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02-Dosing Session
A supported, in-person experience
Ketamine sessions take place in person and typically last 2–3 hours. During the experience, I offer a calm, grounded therapeutic presence, creating space for you to explore what emerges while providing support and gentle guidance when needed.
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03-Integration
Making meaning and bringing insights into daily life
The therapeutic process continues beyond the ketamine experience. Integration gives us space to reflect on what emerged, explore its meaning, and consider how insights, emotions, and shifts in perspective can be woven into your everyday life.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. I believe the therapeutic work surrounding the ketamine experience is an essential part of the process. We begin by establishing safety and preparing for the experience, spend time together during the dosing session, and then slow down afterward to integrate what emerged. The pace and number of sessions are individualized based on your needs and therapeutic process.
Learn more about KAP
Every person's experience is different. Explore the questions below to learn more about the process and what you can expect.
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Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines ketamine treatment with psychotherapy and therapeutic support. Ketamine can create a different relationship to thoughts, emotions, memories, and physical sensations, sometimes allowing people to explore their inner experience in new ways.
In my approach, ketamine is not viewed as a standalone treatment. The therapeutic process includes preparation before the experience, in-person therapeutic support during the dosing session, and integration afterward. Ketamine is prescribed and medically managed by a licensed medical provider, while I provide the therapeutic component of the process.
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Preparation is an important part of creating a safe and meaningful therapeutic experience. I require at least three preparation sessions before a first dosing session. This time allows us to build trust and therapeutic rapport, explore your intentions and expectations, develop grounding and nervous-system regulation practices, and assess whether KAP feels appropriate for you.
Preparation isn't about trying to control what will happen. Instead, it helps you develop a foundation from which you can approach the experience with curiosity, openness, and a greater sense of safety.
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Dosing sessions take place in person and typically last 2–3 hours. Your ketamine is prescribed and medically managed by the medical provider. During the session, my role is to provide a calm, grounded, and compassionate therapeutic presence.
I don't direct or interpret your experience. Instead, I create space for you to explore what emerges while remaining available for grounding, emotional support, or gentle guidance when needed. Every experience is different, and there is no particular experience you are expected to have.
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Everyone experiences ketamine differently. You may notice changes in your perception of time, space, your body, or your sense of self. Thoughts, emotions, memories, and sensations may feel different from your everyday experience.
Some people describe their experiences as peaceful, expansive, or deeply meaningful, while others may encounter emotions or sensations that feel unfamiliar or challenging. There is no "right" way to experience ketamine. The intention is not to have a particular experience, but to create a safe therapeutic space where you can notice and explore what arises.
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Integration is the process of reflecting on and making meaning from your experience after a dosing session. It provides space to explore what you noticed, felt, or experienced and consider how it may connect to your life outside of the session.
Integration may include exploring emotions or memories that surfaced, changes in perspective, bodily or nervous-system experiences, relationships, or insights that emerged. Together, we consider what you want to carry forward and how you might translate meaningful insights into everyday life.
I recommend at least one integration sessions following a dosing experience and often recommend additional sessions depending on your individual process.
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KAP isn't appropriate for everyone, which is why preparation and careful assessment are an important part of the process. It may be worth exploring if you feel stuck in patterns despite traditional approaches, are interested in experiential or somatic work, or feel ready to explore your inner experience in a different way.
The medical provider will determine whether ketamine treatment is medically appropriate for you. Our preparation work also gives us an opportunity to explore whether the therapeutic process feels like a good fit for your needs, goals, and readiness.
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There is no predetermined number of ketamine sessions that is right for everyone. I don't follow a one-size-fits-all protocol and I don’t assume that more sessions are better.
After a dosing session, we take time to integrate and assess what has shifted, what remains unresolved, and what may be helpful next. For some people, one dosing experience may be enough. Others may benefit from additional sessions after a period of integration.
Decisions about future ketamine treatment are made collaboratively with you and the medical provider based on your individual needs and therapeutic process.
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Ketamine is a medication and must be prescribed and medically managed by a qualified medical provider. I work collaboratively with a prescribing provider as appropriate throughout the process.
The medical provider is responsible for determining whether ketamine treatment is medically appropriate and for managing the medication. My role is the therapeutic component of the process: preparation, therapeutic support during the dosing experience, and integration afterward.
*Ketamine received FDA approval in 1970 for use in anesthesia and analgesia (sedation and pain management). It is not FDA approved for any mental health indication at this time; the use of ketamine for any psychiatric or psychological application is an off-label use. In addition, ketamine is a controlled substance (in DEA Schedule III), which means that there are special considerations for prescribing it.*
Deciding whether to pursue ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is a personal decision. If you're interested in learning more, I invite you to reach out for a consultation.