Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy

Many souls suffer from depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), suicidal thoughts and/or other mental health struggles. Anti-depressants are typically first line treatment, but are often ineffective, inadequate on their own or have undesirable side effects. They can take up to 4-6 weeks to see their effect at each dose change, resulting in months or years of symptoms before their condition is adequately treated. For those who don’t respond to treatment often go through several rounds of trial and error to find the right medication, many times with an insufficient response. 

Alternative solutions are being explored for treatment. Thankfully, ketamine infusions work very well, not only for depression but for a variety of mental health conditions including PTSD, OCD, suicidal thoughts, anxiety and more. There are several clinical research papers demonstrating the efficacy of ketamine, many of which show improvement within a few days.

At MBLDN Psychiatry and Wellness, we offer a warm and welcoming environment where you can take this journey safely and emboldened.

How does ketamine work?

Ketamine blocks a receptor called NMDA, and by blocking this receptor, it increases a neurotransmitter called glutamate. This causes a cascade of responses that increases BDNF. Through this mechanism it promotes neuroplasticity by increasing dendritic spines, which creates new connections in your brain. It accesses areas of the brain that build our construct of ourselves and stories that create that construct. By altering these areas, our understanding of ourselves and the world around us, making our ego more flexible. 

There is also a dissociative effect that seems to correlate with the treatment effect. Dissociation, or a disconnection with your body/self, allows you to travel down new pathways and to see your self and life differently. Rigid pathways become flexible, and you become more whole.

Is ketamine assisted psychotherapy worth it to improve mental health?

The decision to move forward with ketamine is a personal one. There are no known long term side effects to dosing used for mental health, and the short term side effects are minimal (nausea, dizziness, fatigue occur in about 10% of people on the day of treatment and subside by the next day). Most studies involved 6 treatments over the course of 2-4 weeks. The results are temporary, and future maintenance infusions may be necessary, though far less often than the initial course. The frequency is personalized to each person’s needs.

Ketamine benefits will vary depending upon severity and nature of your mental health condition. In most cases you will see an improvement of 50% or greater. 

Intravenous ketamine infusion therapy shows the highest success rate as it has 100% bioavailability, giving your body the full effect of ketamine. In some cases it is two and a half times more effective than ketamine administered by other routes (including oral, nasal or intramuscular). Intravenous route of ketamine has been proven safe, effective and fast-acting in over 50 peer-reviewed research studies at leading medical institutions and universities. Even in patients with treatment-resistant cases that have not responded to most conventional treatment options have a success rate around 70% or greater.

Should I get a single infusion or is it better to get multiple?

Most patients do not respond until after their second or third infusion, while some require a full series of six before experiencing significant relief from their symptoms. Much of the early research on ketamine for mood disorders was based on a single infusion that deemed many patients as non-responders, and in those patients that saw benefit, they only saw it for 7-10 days. The effects of six infusions within 2-3 weeks produce a more pronounced and much longer-lasting benefit. Often patients will need maintenance infusions for long-lasting effects.

Are there any requirements to do ketamine sessions with MBLDN?

It is highly recommended that you have a therapist to see weekly or even twice a week during the course of your treatment. This helps with integration of insights discovered during or after your sessions. If you would like your treatment to be optimally effective, please have a therapist prior to setting up your ketamine infusions.

I require a follow-up with me after your last ketamine session. I also generally schedule a maintenance infusion one month after your last infusion to maintain efficacy. This timing may be adjusted based on an individual basis.

What’s the process and schedule look like at MBLDN?

Regardless of where your treatment goes with us, it starts with an initial intake during which I get to know more about your story, medical and psychiatric history, and what treatment options we have for you. If we determine that ketamine would be a good fit for you, we can schedule ketamine infusions after intake. Ketamine is most successful when the initial course is given over 6 treatments in 2-4 weeks. Some people may require more in the initial course. After your course we will schedule a follow-up session the following week to discuss next steps.

Our schedule may look something like this:

Intake appointment

Week 1: Two ketamine infusions

Week 2: Two ketamine infusions

Week 3: One ketamine infusion

Week 4: One ketamine infusion

Follow-up appointment

We can use the schedule above or in some cases it can be 2-3 times a week for 3-2 weeks respectively. Each ketamine infusion is $600. I can provide a super bill you can take to your insurance that may reimburse for elements of your treatment, though this is not guaranteed. 

Contact us today to move forward with your path towards an emboldened life, facing the unconscious with bold ambition to tear down your ego, and become free of the constructs that stifled your full self.