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Safety Measures
for at home ketamine assisted psychotherapy
Robust safety measures are taken to ensure that clients feel safe and comfortable using ketamine therapy at home. With the support and oversight of board certified providers at Journey Clinical, you’ll be provided with the guidance and education about your prescription. Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on patient eligibility and health screenings. Mind by Design’s therapist provide 1:1 consultation, therapy sessions, psychedelic integration sessions and processing sessions.
Health Screening
To adhere to safety measures, positive outcomes and wellbeing, all clients will receive a live health screening with a Journey Clinical provider to ensure that ketamine therapy can be safely introduced prior to beginning treatment.
The medical decision to provide the patient a prescription of ketamine relies solely on the prescriber after a full medical consultation.
Oral Ketamine Safety Measures
While IV administration of ketamine can feel abrupt, Journey Clinical prescribers provide lozenges that are dissolvable, allowing for a gentle onset of effects.
Ketamine in Mental Health
Ketamine is a legal and effective treatment option that works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors as well as by stimulating AMPA receptors, which are thought to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood.
Effects such as mood-enhancement can begin to take effect within 1-2 hrs. after treatment. Therapy assisted with Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity used to support used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement.
Though ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, and nasal spray, Journey Clinical and Mind by Design offer sublingual lozenges.
oral ketamine for gentle onset of effects
The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience.
Once these effects subside, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happens during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are clear.
Free yourself from anxiety & depression with ketamine therapy
Want to know more about the research behind our process, the effects of ketamine and how ketamine assisted psychotherapy helps to treat anxiety, depression, PTSD, pain and more?
Frequently asked questions
about Ketamine Therapy
Could anyone benefit from Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)?
KAP has shown promise for individuals with treatment-resistant depression and certain anxiety disorders. However, its efficacy can vary from person to person.
What does Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy help treat?
Ketamine has shown promise in treating various mental health conditions, including PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Phobias and OCD. As Ketamine therapy providers, we offer this service to help clients break cycles of thinking traps that lead to compulsive behaviors.
Is Oral Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy similar to IV Ketamine?
KAP is a therapeutic approach that combines the use of ketamine with psychotherapy. Our Process of providing ketamine assisted psychotherapy is different from ketamine infusions, which are typically administered without the accompanying psychotherapy. Our partnership with Journey Clinical provides patients with lozenges for self-administering their Ketamine dose prescribed by the Journey Clinical provider.
How does ketamine work in the brain?
Ketamine works by blocking NMDA receptors in the brain, which can lead to an increase in the release of certain neurotransmitters. This can result in rapid antidepressant effects
Is ketamine addictive?
While ketamine has the potential for misuse, when used in a controlled medical setting for therapeutic purposes, the risk of addiction is considered low according to medical researchers
How many ketamine treatment sessions do clients need for KAP?
The number of sessions can vary based on individual needs and the specific protocol followed by the provider. You will see in “Our Process” above that generally 2-3 sessions are held prior to a dosing session, and then integration sessions are held after a dosing session. Depending on your treatment plan, there may be more or less number of sessions
Do I need to take off work for KAP treatment? And if so, how long should I plan for?
It’s recommended to take some time off work after a KAP session to process the experience and ensure safety, especially if any side effects are experienced. Clients are provided with safety measures and consents which stipulate that clients should not drive after a dosing session and should have a trusted person with them to drive if needed.
What medical conditions might disqualify someone from KAP?
Certain medical conditions, such as uncontrolled hypertension or a history of psychosis, might be contraindications for KAP. See Our “Safety Measures” page for more information about the precautions that the medical team adheres to, along with other safety measure sin place.
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
At Mind by Design, we do not require pre-approval to begin the process. We do require a medical clearance through our partnership with Journey Clinical Medical Staff to participate in a ketamine dosing session.
How often would KAP be needed?
The frequency of KAP sessions would depend on the individual’s response to treatment and the medical provider’s recommendations.
How does ketamine compare to other psychedelic medicines?
Ketamine is unique in its rapid antidepressant effects and mechanism of action. Other psychedelics, like psilocybin, have different mechanisms and therapeutic potentials.
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Meet your Ketamine Therapist
Rebecca Sidoti, LCSW
