We are working with Thank you Life so that you can help fund someone's KAP treatment with your tax-deductable donations. Whether it's a loved-one or a stranger in need, your support makes a difference in other's lives.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a form of Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy, which is being studied within institutions such as Johns Hopkins , NYU, Stanford, Imperial College of London, Usona Institute, and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Some research universities, including Yale, have created specialized groups of clinicians and scholars who gather regularly to discuss psychedelic medicine. One such group, which Lorna was a member and has since dissolved, resided at URMC, where the March 2021 Grand Rounds featured Roland Griffiths from Johns Hopkins presenting on the neuropsychopharmacology of psilocybin.
Ketamine has been used as an anesthetic since 1970. At lower doses, it can act as a dissociative psychedelic. Studies reveal ketamine’s antidepressant effects with FDA approval of eskatamine/Spravado (a nasal spray) for refractory (treatment resistant) depression in 2019.1,2,3
Currently, ketamine is being used off-label to treat an array of psychiatric diagnoses. 4 In recent years, ketamine infusion clinics have cropped up across the country. This IV (infusion) model differs from KAP and this distinction is described eloquently by Dr. Raquel Bennett, founder of KRIYA Institute. In short, KAP's effectiveness derives mainly from psychological effects facilitated by an altered state of consciousness within a trusting therapeutic relationship. It is our belief that this inner transformation gets to the root of suffering (i.e., accesses our innate trove of healing intelligence).
KAP involves a long-term commitment of multiple sessions and at least two specially trained practitioners - the therapist and a medical prescriber. Initial (50-minute) therapy sessions are geared towards building a therapeutic alliance, making therapeutic progress, intention setting, and preparation for dosing sessions. A one-hour intake with a medical prescriber addresses medical history and other factors to determine the appropriateness of taking this medicine. Individualized dosing instructions for oral ketamine are provided by the prescriber, after which three-hour dosing sessions are scheduled. Each of these dosing sessions are followed by an “integration” (50-minute) therapy session. Integration is ongoing and is the main agent of transformation.
For ketamine dosing sessions, eyeshades, pillows, blankets, and specially curated playlists are provided. Music is an important element of the session, as explained by Mendel Kaelen. The music is played through a speaker in the room, headphones, or both. You must have a chaperone drive you to dosing sessions since you cannot drive after taking the medicine. For virtual dosing sessions, you must have a trusted chaperone in the same household and available to assist throughout the session.
We are grateful to Thank you Life for expanding access to KAP. This brief video highlights some individuals whose lives have been transformed with the help of this organization. We also collaborate with Journey Clinical to bring ketamine assisted psychotherapy to many of our clients.
References
1. Gregor Hasler (2019). Toward specific ways to combine ketamine and psychotherapy in treating depression. Cambridge University Press, 25 (3), 445-447. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1092852919001007
2. Dore et al. (2019). Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient demographics, clinical data and outcomes in three large practices administering ketamine with psychotherapy. Psychoactive Drugs, 51(2) 189-198. doi:10.1080/02791072.2019.1587556
3. Lee, E. et al. (2015). Ketamine as a novel treatment for major depressive disorder and bipolar depression: a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis. General Hospital Psychiatry, 37(2), 178-184, doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2015.01.003
4. Jones, J. et al. (2018). Efficacy of Ketamine in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9(277), doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00277
5. Gnomes, A.M. & Navais, F. (2025). Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 12(14), doi.org/10.1007/s40501-025-00346-z
5. Fernando et al. (2025). Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Emerging Treatment for Trauma and Depression. Psychiatric Times, 42(7).
Podcasts/Videos
Podcast with Dr. Sylver Quevedo: Psychedelic Assisted Therapies . Learn how different psychedelic medicines (ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin) work to alleviate mental health conditions/symptoms.
Podcast with Veronika Gold (KAP therapist) on Ketamine & The Healing Potential of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness.
"The potential significance of non-ordinary states of consciousness is nothing less than revolutionary."
Stanislav Grof