It’s a dissociative anesthetic and a psychedelic medicine. It is also a synthetic compound that modulates the neurotransmitter called glutamate.  It gives us access to the unconscious process and can quickly allow for processing of negative emotions and offer the client new perspectives.  Essentially, it lets down your “emotional guard” to allow shifts in thinking and perspectives. The therapeutic container can be a useful, emotionally safe place to allow this deep work to unfold.

Yes, it is legal for use in Colorado with a prescription.  It has been used for a long time in the medical setting as an anesthetic.

Yes, there are very few contraindications.  Your prescriber can talk more about this with you.  The biggest contraindications are generally those with high blood pressure, ongoing addiction, and certain mental health disorders that involve persistent psychosis or mania.

Heart Wild Therapy partners with local psychiatrists in Colorado, and we can decide which path is right for you.  Keep in mind that not all psychiatrists are trained in prescribing ketamine for this use and may not prescribe it to you. It’s best to have a referral.

The medication is taken as a lozenge, which you hold in your mouth for ten minutes. Some clinics are offering ketamine as an infusion administered via IV, which is useful for actively suicidal individuals.

For most people, the therapy setting with ketamine lozenge is most appropriate/supportive and allows for a dosage where therapy can still be accessible during the session. We find that the mind is most flexible as the medication is wearing off and there can be some powerful opportunities for therapeutic interventions in that window. We believe that ketamine therapy via lozenge with a therapist guide is the ultimate transformational experience as you have a tailored guide for the experience along with a safe/comfortable space within a therapeutic container. We see the relational piece that comes along with a guided journey to be central to the potential growth you will experience.

Yes, but only the nasal spray.  A lot of research is showing it to be effective for mental health disorders, specifically treatment-resistant depression and that’s irregardless of route.  A lot of medicines are used “off label” in the US based on emerging studies that show their effectiveness for something other than their initial use.

Ketamine assisted psychotherapy is proven to help with depression, anxiety, trauma, and addictions. The evidence is promising, especially for depression, due to how quickly it can improve symptoms.  Most people experience relief immediately following the dosing session.

If you’re wanting a more in depth explanation of ketamine therapy and how it works: click HERE!

You can expect this process to take at least 4 sessions total, including at least 2 preparation sessions (one hour each), one extended KAP experience session (three hours), and one integration session (one hour).  In the preparation sessions we will discuss what you’d like to focus on during the experience. We can add additional experience/dosing sessions as indicated.

Dosing/experience sessions usually take place every 2-6 weeks, with at least one integration session in between.  Treatment is about 6 hours in total at minimum for all sessions, but can be decided jointly between us! 

Some ketamine treatment models recommend 3-6 dosing/experience sessions. I prefer to tailor treatment plans to meet each individual and I have found improvement of symptoms after just one dosing session, although for persistent depression, as an example, 6 dosing sessions may be recommended.

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