Ketamine Therapy Explained
For years as psychotherapists, we’ve seen the traditional model of pharmaceuticals and psychotherapy fall short for many of our clients, so it’s no surprise that alternative mental health treatment options such as ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) are being explored so vigorously.
Though not considered a classic psychedelic, the characteristically psychedelic properties of ketamine allow our clients to find fast relief, new perspective, and a unique opportunity to rewire the brain all within a single session. This has catalyzed our desire to provide the highest quality experience so we can help more clients find relief and joy in living they haven’t found in traditional therapy faster and with more sustainable outcomes.
We’ve discovered intimately that ketamine therapy when applied under the careful care of a team of trained Internal Family Systems guides can elicit powerful and lasting shifts in consciousness.
Even as psychotherapists, we believe in the ancient wisdom practices of psychedelics and have combined this with our therapeutic knowledge, training, and experience to create ketamine retreats.
In this blog, we’ll explore how ketamine works, the science behind its therapeutic effects, and why combining it with IFS psychotherapy in a retreat setting leads to lasting healing.
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine was first synthesized in the 1960s as an option for anesthesia and received FDA approval in the 1970s for clinical use as an anesthetic.
In the 2000s, medical professionals began to notice ketamine’s antidepressant effects and relief of suicidal thoughts in patients receiving it as an anesthetic treatment. Over the last 20 years, a growing body of research has offered hope to individuals struggling with a broad range of treatment-resistant psychiatric conditions, showing that ketamine may be an effective mental health treatment option.
Though ketamine certainly has its place in the clinical setting, it is also being applied in retreat spaces to support those seeking growth and healing through this legal psychedelic-like medicine.
Many explain it as “years of therapy in a single session.” With its fast-acting benefits, it’s a great ally when combined with the uninterrupted, immersive and communal experience of a retreat, allowing healing and growing to happen at the same time.
How Ketamine Works in the Brain
Ketamine works differently from traditional antidepressants, which is part of its appeal. In fact, ketamine works more as a psychedelic than an antidepressant. It acts primarily as an NMDA receptor antagonist, modulating the brain's glutamate system.
Basically, it alters consciousness and interrupts normal patterns of thinking so you can get to the root of the problem much faster than you may have with traditional therapy.
If you’re now curious (like us), here’s a breakdown of how ketamine mechanisms of action work:
NMDA Receptors: NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors are a type of receptor in the brain that play a critical role in controlling the activity of glutamate. Glutamate is involved in processes that affect learning, memory, and overall brain function.
Glutamate System: When glutamate binds to NMDA receptors, it helps to activate them, which allows for the flow of calcium, sodium, and potassium ions into neurons. This process is essential for communication between neurons and for supporting neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new connections and adapt to new information.
Antagonism (Blocking) of NMDA Receptors: Ketamine acts by blocking NMDA receptors. When ketamine binds to these receptors, it prevents glutamate from activating them. This inhibition has several important effects:
Reduced overactivity: In people with certain mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, the glutamate system can become overactive. By blocking NMDA receptors, ketamine helps to reduce this overactivity, which can rapidly relieve symptoms of these conditions.
Increased BDNF: The cascading effects of ketamine increase levels of the protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is involved in helping neuronal connections strengthen and grow to be healthy.
Neuroplasticity: Blocking the NMDA receptor triggers a cascade of events that ultimately promotes neuroplasticity. By inhibiting the NMDA receptor, ketamine indirectly increases the activity of another type of receptor (AMPA receptors), which are involved in promoting new synaptic connections, leading to the formation of new neural pathways that can help in mood regulation and improved cognitive function.
Modulation of Brain Chemistry: Ketamine alters the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly through its impact on glutamate levels. This modulation has been linked to the rapid relief of symptoms like depression and suicidal ideation.
The Therapeutic Benefits of Ketamine Therapy
Ketamine is currently being utilized for the treatment of depression, some clinicians also prescribe it for anxiety and it’s being used to help clients achieve self-actualization and a stronger sense of identity and purpose which often contributes to symptoms of anxiety and depression.
When your brain is not operating on its usual autopilot and begins to explore without the filter of what it usually thinks, it can feel like you’re experiencing yourself from a completely new perspective without your typical biases. At lower doses, ketamine provides an access point into the self that can catalyze the release of past beliefs and the rewriting of new ones. At higher doses, the experience can be more psychedelic and mystical. Oftentimes there’s no language for this, eliminating the need to label it in your mind and instead be with what is. This feeling of connectedness is what clients report as the most expansive, allowing you to explore yourself in a completely new and novel way from a place of deep curiosity over judgment.
The remarkable effects ketamine has on the brain and its neuroplasticity are what lead to change and transformation for individuals exploring this type of treatment. Increased neuroplasticity and the changes in connectivity induced by ketamine allow patients to alter their thoughts and behaviors more quickly, with more sustainability over time.
Integrating Therapy with Ketamine
While ketamine on its own can provide temporary relief from symptoms, its true therapeutic power is unlocked when combined with psychotherapy, especially Internal Family Systems (IFS).
In ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, ketamine is used as a catalyst to deepen the therapeutic process. During a session, ketamine can help lower our defenses of our protective parts and facilitate access to unconscious and deeply rooted emotions, memories, and thought loops that are keeping us in old habitual psychological patterns that no longer serve us.
Ketamine has shown profound capacity in its ability to provide emotional healing, creating just the right environment for an individual to experience a deeper sense of trust within themselves as their own best source of healing.
When ketamine is used alongside other types of therapeutic modalities such as IFS, transpersonal, somatic, and mindfulness-based modalities, it fosters an environment for deeper processing, exploration, healing, and emotional release. When we engage in this type of therapy with a licensed psychotherapist, we experience more openness and a greater likelihood of finding acceptance and connection to Self energy, resulting in transformative change rooted in compassion and clarity.
Without this therapeutic relationship, the insights gained during ketamine sessions may not be fully understood, processed, or integrated, reducing their long-term effectiveness.
Ketamine therapy success stories continue to inspire and amaze us in our field and practice, and many individuals who undergo this model of therapy report profound, life-changing results.
Such stories are echoed in clinical case studies that document the transformative potential of this approach.
What to Expect in a Ketamine Therapy Session
Ketamine sessions can be done both individually and in group settings. Regardless of the approach, a typical KAP session is carefully designed to ensure both safety and effectiveness.
What you can expect in KAP based on the therapeutic standards for treatment:
The client goes through an intake process to establish medical fit for ketamine treatment, discuss potential side effects, and dosage, and determine any other risk factors, this may be in person or virtual.
On the day of the session, the client will be required to follow a series of preparation steps which may include fasting and staying hydrated.
Patients are administered ketamine in a controlled medical environment, with trained professionals monitoring their physical and psychological well-being throughout the process. There are many ways ketamine can be administered: orally through a lozenge or troche, intramuscularly (IM), or intravenously (IV).
The session begins with a moment of guided introspection as the ketamine experience begins.
Depending on the dose, clients are likely to enter a dissociative and internally navigated space. The medical provider and therapist will monitor the patient to ensure they are safe throughout the entire session.
Following the session, the therapist will work with and gently guide the client to begin reflecting and processing the experience for deeper insight and healing.
The following days will be critical for the client to continue processing, integrating, and taking advantage of the increased neuroplasticity that the ketamine has induced.
Is Ketamine Therapy Right for You?
If you’re deciding if ketamine treatment is right for you, it’s important to consult with a qualified practitioner. Alchemy of Compassion offers 1:1 consultations to explore group retreat-style retreat options.
You can book a free 1:1 call with us to discuss this type of experience.
You can expect a qualified practitioner to screen you for medical history, the qualities and symptoms of any medical conditions you may be experiencing, and your overall personal goals for this alternative treatment exploration.
Finding a trained professional who specializes in ketamine therapy is crucial for ensuring both safety and optimal outcomes. Additionally, you want to find a provider that feels like a good fit for your personality and goals.
As you explore your options and find a KAP provider, remember that it’s important to have your own screening process for what you’re looking for so you can set yourself up for the safest and most environmentally comfortable experience. Psychedelic substances such as ketamine can enhance your senses and sensitivity, so it’s important to find a practitioner(s) that you do feel safe with so you can do the deep introspective work.
Conclusion
Ketamine therapy is an innovative treatment that combines the fast-acting effects of ketamine with the lasting impact and safe-container of psychotherapy.
By harnessing the brain's capacity for neuroplasticity and enhanced openness to change, ketamine offers rapid relief for mental health conditions like depression and anxiety while psychotherapy helps patients process and integrate their experiences for long-term healing.
Our favorite aspect of ketamine is that it acts as a psychedelic, allowing you to explore the mind in a new and novel way, widening your perspective, spiritually awakening, and creating a deeper connection to your purpose and meaning.
If you’re considering working with ketamine, take the time to learn more about ketamine treatment, consult with a qualified professional, and explore this promising and transformational therapeutic option.
Want to learn more about our Ketamine and IFS retreats in Colorado? Download the program guide here
Disclosure: Our thoughts and opinions on ketamine and its therapeutic potential are informed by clinical study data and existing research. We do not conduct our own clinical studies, and the information shared in this blog is intended solely for educational purposes.
It is important to note that we do not administer ketamine ourselves. We work in collaboration with trusted third-party professionals who are licensed to provide this service. Our role is to support clients in integrating their experiences and guiding them in their personal development journey.
We encourage all readers to educate themselves thoroughly, consult with qualified healthcare providers, and consider their own unique needs before pursuing ketamine therapy or any other treatment.