Frequently Asked Questions

• What you need to know about Ketamine-assisted Therapy from Psychedelic Therapy Frontiers (Podcast episode)
• “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence,” by Michael Pollan (Book)
• “Ketamine Therapy is Going Mainstream. Are We Ready?” The New Yorker (article)
• “My Ketamine Journeys, or Ketamine and the Enchantment of Other Worlds,” by Stanislov Grof
• More resources

Studies show that Ketamine can be effective in treating mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, addiction, OCD, chronic pain, and PTSD. Some people also seek KAP for deeper psychological and existential exploration. Others turn to KAP when feeling “stuck” and seeking direction, when navigating life transitions, when processing grief and loss, or simply to gain a broader perspective on life.

Certain medical and psychiatric conditions need to be treated before you can safely receive Ketamine therapy. These conditions include Bipolar I and II, personality disorders, DID, hallucinations, chaotic substance use, untreated mania, schizoaffective disorders, cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, increased intracranial pressure, cystitis, or evidence of liver disease.

Ketamine produces a relaxing, floating, dissociative effect that many describe as being “out of” their body. Many experience shifts in perception of both inner and outer worlds that often feel expansive in nature. People's experiences range from a restful, sleepy feeling to a full-blown mystical experience. A minority may not have any conscious response to Ketamine at all - and while this can feel disappointing, it is often just as therapeutically rich and important as the “bigger” experience one was perhaps hoping to have.

Under the influence of Ketamine, people commonly experience reduced control over motor functions such as speaking or walking. These phenomena are often experienced with relief or amusement. You’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience.

While you may be accessing deep and painful psychological material while on your journey, Ketamine is an “anxiolytic,” meaning it reduces anxiety and keeps you feeling calm and relaxed. In this regard, Ketamine can allow safe and supportive access to parts of oneself that may feel too painful or too scary in the context of regular talk therapy.

Ketamine is regarded as extremely safe with minimal risks of cardiac issues or respiratory depression, and is widely used as an anesthetic agent in medical practice, both in the US and around the world. However, as with any medication, there are also potential risks and side effects to consider. These include nausea and elevated heart rate or blood pressure. These are typically mild and transient, wearing off within a few hours following treatment. You will be carefully screened for underlying medical concerns prior to taking Ketamine to ensure you are a good fit for this treatment. Patients must have a pre-arranged transportation from our office as driving is not allowed on the day of the dosing session.

We encourage our patients to take a nonjudgmental stance towards everything that might arise in a KAP session. Ketamine therapy can open a wide variety of doors during a session, including ones that are pleasurable and ones that are frightening. We have found that frightening or “challenging” experiences can be extremely therapeutically valuable, and ultimately catalyze important breakthroughs that may lead to significant improvements in perspective, mindset, and relationships. Regardless of whether you saw your trip as “good” or “bad,” we work with you to utilize your experiences to facilitate insight, awareness, and growth.

1. Contact your insurance company (phone number is usually on the back of your insurance card).
2. Find out if you have Out-Of-Network (OON) Benefits - ask if your plan includes OON benefits for mental health care.
3. Find out if you have a deductible before coverage starts - ask what your OON mental health deductible is and what amount you will need to pay out of pocket before your policy begins to reimburse you.
4. Find out how much your plan will reimburse - Ask your policy’s maximum amount for the mental health service code 90834 and what percentage your policy pays for a masters level therapist (mental health counselor).
5. You can then use this information to understand how much therapy will cost.

In the dosages and frequency of administration we utilize for treatments, Ketamine does not pose any concerns for addiction. Drug abuse data suggests that Ketamine’s abuse potential is equivalent to other hallucinogenic compounds that do not meet criteria for chemical dependence. This is because they do not cause tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. However, cravings and abuse have been reported by individuals with the history of heavy use of psychedelic drugs. Repeated high-dose, chronic use of Ketamine has been known to cause urinary tract symptoms in some individuals, and even permanent bladder dysfunction. This is not a risk within the structure of KAP work at BPT. We carefully monitor all patients for tolerance and continually assess responses to treatment to optimize the benefits of Ketamine in your care.

Ketamine’s rapid response rate is one of its most significant advantages over SSRIs and other mental health treatment approaches. Our bodies metabolize Ketamine very quickly, meaning that the effects begin to appear after about 5 minutes, and last only up to 1-1.5 hour. By 2 hours after dosing, you are fully back in your body and your cognitive faculties are back to normal operation. 

People will often notice benefits in a matter of hours, as opposed to weeks or months for other pharmacological treatments. Studies show that Ketamine can facilitate acute reduction of depression, suicidality, and anxiety symptoms in patients within a day or two of treatment.

As Ketamine grows in popularity as a mental health treatment, Ketamine infusion centers have become very common. These settings are often medicalized, providing Ketamine in sterile environments without incorporating sufficient therapeutic or psychological support. Oftentimes people are left to “trip” alone, disoriented and confused, and are not given proper preparation and integration to make sense of their experiences. Instead, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) emphasizes the importance of safety and intentionality above all else, prioritizing “set and setting” which have been shown to promote greater healing and lasting change.