Craig Salerno Counseling offers individual, couples, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. To schedule a consultation, click the link below!
Craig Salerno Counseling offers individual, couples, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. To schedule a consultation, click the link below!
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a form of treatment that combines the medicinal and psychedelic benefits of ketamine with the support and guidance of psychotherapy. Ketamine is a legal and safe medicine that provides non-ordinary states of consciousness. This alteration from one’s ordinary mind serves to catalyze the therapeutic process and bring forward content and experiences that may prove beneficial for healing. Ketamine also acts as an antidepressant and provides relief from various mental health symptoms.
KAP is an alternative treatment option for individuals looking to heal from treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, or other mental health concerns. KAP is a safe and effective treatment option for individuals who have not seen success through classic forms of talk therapy or medication.
Individuals who are interested in KAP will first undergo a medical and psychological screen to ensure safety and appropriateness for treatment. Once deemed appropriate, individuals will participate in a series of preparation sessions to align treatment goals and build skills for navigating the ketamine experience. Individuals will then be scheduled a series of ketamine sessions, as the efficacy of the medicine increases with cumulative doses. Ketamine sessions are typically 2-3 hours and may include a psychotherapist and/or medical provider in the room. Ketamine is either self-administered as a sublingual lozenge, or administered by our medical staff via intramuscular injection.
Ketamine is a safe, effective, and generally low-risk medicine. Ketamine is often said to “play well with others,” meaning there are few contraindications for treatment. Ketamine has minimal interactions with other medications and is quickly metabolized by the liver. Before beginning treatment, our team will provide a medical and psychological assessment to ensure the treatment is appropriate.
Ketamine is classified as a dissociative medicine, meaning it will induce a feeling of detachment from one’s ordinary sense of reality and sense of self. While the direct experience of the medicine is unique for each individual, it can include shifts in emotional experience, heightened internal awareness, lowered defenses, increased sense of safety and connection, as well as closed-eye visual experiences. Our team is trained to support you with integrating each experience and finding value and meaning in the content that arises.
The cost of treatment varies and depending on the provider, the frequency of treatment, and the route of receiving the medicine. Typical medical intakes cost between $250-450. Preparation and integration sessions are billed at the hourly psychotherapy rate of $150/hr. Ketamine sessions range between $375-450 for 2.5-3hr oral dosing sessions, and between $550-750 for intramuscular sessions with both a therapist and medical provider present.
To get started, please schedule a consultation to discuss this treatment option.