The provider opens the session to honor the inner healer within each of us by asking for guidance from the higher Self. We ask the Self to work in collaboration with the medicine, ketamine. During the opening, the KAP provider will also include the intention(s) you shared for the session.’ The verbiage used by the KAP provider aligns with each person’s beliefs and preferences.

Now that the space has been ‘opened’ and intentions have been set, the patient can lay back on the mattress in the center of the room and can cozy up under the blanket and put on the eye cover.

The provider will play ambient music that is selectively curated for the ketamine experience and will administer the first small dose of ketamine intramuscularly on whichever arm you prefer.

The provider will then sit beside you to monitor the experience but will not intervene. She will patiently wait about 10 minutes as you experience the initial effects of the ketamine and then will gently check in with you to ask if you are ready for the next dose.

If so, the therapist/nurse practitioner will administer the second dose and sit quietly while you experience the ketamine journey.

The ketamine journey usually lasts 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Throughout this time, the psychotherapist/nurse practitioner is sitting by your side, ensuring that you are safe. She has a pen and paper to transcribe anything you verbalize while on the medicine (these transcripts are sent to you after your session, along with the oracle card, if you pulled one in the beginning). She also has different plants to be used for smudging like palo santo, sage and sweetgrass; these can be burned for you during your experience upon request. We also have Himalayan singing bowls that can be played for you upon request.

There is no particular way that these journeys can be explained because everyone reacts to ketamine differently. However, ketamine is a dissociative, so oftentimes people will feel a numbing sensation in their bodies and a mental dissociative effect that can allow them to process traumatic experiences without the usual accompaniment of distressing emotions.

Because ketamine targets glutamate in the brain (which is associated with emotions like excitement), the journey can often feel quite pleasant and playful.

Once the ketamine starts to wear off (approx. 45 minutes-1 hour after administration), you’ll remove your eye cover when you’re ready and share what you experienced with the psychotherapist. You’ll get to see the transcription of what you said aloud during the session, as well.

Integration is a crucial component of the psychedelic experience because many patients have important realizations that must be processed in order to apply them to daily life. This is why it’s extraordinarily beneficial to have a psychotherapist by your side. Together with the provider, you’ll process ways in which you can work on what you’ve learned throughout the next day and throughout your life.

Ketamine has been scientifically proven to create new branch-like stems in the brain, therefore creating pathways that make it easier for patients to learn and implement new habits in their daily lives. We schedule three sessions within two weeks to keep the effects fresh, so that the patient can get the most out of their experience.

All in all, the duration of a single KAP appointment is about 2.5 hours.

If you’re still curious about ketamine and its effects on the brain, please click ‘BLOG’ on the navigation bar above and scroll down to look at a list of educational resources recommended by our provider.