• Ketamine is a NMDA antagonist which works on a different neurotransmitter, compared to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), it stimulates brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) production. Some people think of BDNF like it’s Miracle Grow - a “fertilizer” for the brain.” BDNF boosts results in the growth of new brain cells, and better brain cell connections.

    Researchers are still investigating why ketamine works so well for so many conditions. We know that ketamine has been shown to stimulate the growth of neurons and synapses in the brain, which is believed to have an antidepressant affect.

    Many scientists studying ketamine are focusing on the neurotransmitter glutamate, which plays a key role in neural activation. Ketamine has also been found to be a strong anti-inflammatory, a property that is currently being studied for its positive effects on treating depression and chronic pain.

  • Sessions are held in person and last approximately 2-3 hours. Preparation and integration are a critical part of the therapeutic process, equally weighted as the ketamine session itself.

    The journeying part of a ketamine session lasts about 40-60 minutes but the development of clear intentions and a sense of security requires preparation.

    Together we identify intentions for what  you would like to address in your KAP experience. A custom music playlist is created to support the duration of your inner journey and helps guide your inner healing wisdom to provide you with exactly what you are ready for and need in your experience.

    Each experience is unique. We begin each session with a guided mediation, setting intentions, some breathwork and somatic psychotherapy to prepare your for your journey.

    Often, revelations arise during the session and are integrated in subsequent sessions. An effective treatment may require 4-12 sessions, depending on the issues, embedded in prep and integration work.

    We connect you with a prescriber for sublingual/oral (also referred to as troches or lozenges) as part of your KAP experience. I do not and am not licensed to provide the medicine itself (this must be provided by a nurse practitioner or physician). 

  • Its effect is dependent on how you’re using it: Dosage matters, as does whether it’s injected in the vein or in the muscle, taken by mouth, or taken intranasally. In our work together, we work with lozenges, taken orally by mouth. 

    Low dose sessions may involve mild dissociation, relaxation, mindfulness, lowered defenses, anxiety relieving and empathogenic effects, as well as anti-depressant effects. 

    Moderate dose sessions may involve moderate dissociation, out of body experiences, and an expansive sense of self. One may experience euphoria and a deep sense of relaxation, allowing them to connect with a higher source of wisdom within.

    High dose sessions may involve full dissociation from body and various transpersonal and mystical experiences. It is important we start at a low dose initially to see how your body responds and tolerates ketamine.

  • Your need for therapy is specific to you. You might desire short term intensive therapy or you might decide you are looking for deeper, ongoing work to address core wounds that originated from childhood that require a longer approach.

    With all new clients, I prefer weekly sessions. Less frequent sessions can make it difficult to maintain the momentum for sustained change. We can always adjust as your process naturally unfolds.

    I recommend a minimum of 4-12 KAP sessions to see effective results, with one integration session in between each KAP session to maximize your desire for change and transformation.

  • I help clients organize with a local or online provider for sublingual (also referred to as troches or lozenges) for participating in ketamine assisted therapy

  • Researchers at Johns Hopkins University assembled playlists after decades of observing the effects of music on psychedelic experiences. The sound of soothing violin and classical guitar, modern and multicultural tracks without losing with calm, predictable, and steady pace can influence the journeyer to make contact with unconscious memories allowing for a reorganization of the nervous system for more loving and compassionate experiences.

  • Ketamine is NOT for you if:

    1. Not Ready for Deep Healing Work: Individuals who are not prepared or willing to engage in deep healing work may not be suitable candidates for ketamine treatment.

    2. Pregnancy and Nursing: Pregnant women and nursing mothers are not eligible for ketamine treatment due to potential risks to the fetus or breastfeeding infant.

    3. Poorly Controlled Cardiovascular Conditions: Individuals with poorly controlled or untreated hypertension and other cardiovascular problems should not undergo ketamine treatment due to potential risks to heart health.

    4. Poorly Controlled Hyperthyroidism: Ketamine treatment is not recommended for individuals with poorly controlled or untreated hyperthyroidism due to potential complications.

    5. Acute Mania/Hypomania: Individuals experiencing acute episodes of mania or hypomania are not suitable candidates for ketamine treatment.

    6. History of Psychosis or Schizophrenia: Individuals with a history of psychosis or schizophrenia are not eligible for ketamine treatment due to potential exacerbation of symptoms.

    7. Allergy or Past Addiction to Ketamine: Individuals with a known allergy to ketamine or a history of past addiction to ketamine should not undergo ketamine treatment.

    8. Recent Traumatic Brain Injury: Ketamine treatment is not recommended for individuals with a recent history of traumatic brain injury due to potential complications.

    9. Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea or Respiratory Disease: Individuals with severe obstructive sleep apnea or respiratory diseases should not undergo ketamine treatment due to potential respiratory depression.

    10. Obesity (>300 pounds): Individuals with obesity exceeding 300 pounds may not be suitable candidates for ketamine treatment due to potential complications.

    11. Ongoing Substance Abuse Disorder or Addiction: Individuals with an ongoing substance abuse disorder or addiction are not eligible for ketamine treatment.

    12. History of Bladder or Cystitis: Individuals with a history of bladder or cystitis issues should not undergo ketamine treatment due to potential exacerbation of symptoms.

  • Ketamine is not for everyone. It must be delivered in the proper dose in the proper way, in the proper setting for safety.

    Set (one's state of mind) and setting (the environment which the medicine is taken and with a trained professional) are critical factors in delivering a successful KAP experience. You will need to have ongoing psychological support during and after KAP.

    Ketamine is a Schedule III drug, which means it is approved for medical and clinical use and requires a prescription. Drugs are classified as Schedule III if they are designed for medical use but have a risk of dependence. In the case of ketamine, the risk of physical dependence is low to medium. However, the risk of developing psychological dependence is very high.

  • Research suggests that ketamine therapy can be both more effective and less risky than conventional pharmaceuticals (like opioids and SSRIs). Ketamine’s high success rate and low risk of side effects makes it a popular choice for patients seeking relief from depression and chronic pain.

  • I have an at-home office in Santa Barbara, California.

  • I do not accept insurance. However, I can provide you with a super bill or receipts you can submit to your insurance company to see if the service would be covered. You will want to check with your insurance provider.

  • Important FDA Safety Information:

    Ketamine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of depression or anxiety. Learn more about off-label uses here.

    Side effects of ketamine treatment may include: altered sense of time, anxiety, blurred vision, diminished ability to see/hear/feel, dry mouth, elevated blood pressure or heart rate, elevated intraocular or intracranial pressure, excitability, loss of appetite, mental confusion, nausea/vomiting, nystagmus (rapid eye movements), restlessness, slurred speech, synesthesia (a mingling of the senses).

    Do not proceed with ketamine treatment if any of the following apply to you:

    Allergic to ketamine

    Symptoms of psychosis or mania

    Uncontrolled high blood pressure

    CHF or other serious heart problem

    Severe breathing problem

    History of elevated intraocular or intracranial pressure

    History of hyperthyroidism

    Other serious medical illness

    Pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant

    In rare cases, frequent, heavy users have reported increased frequency of urination, urinary incontinence, pain urinating, passing blood in the urine, or reduced bladder size

    Users with a personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia, or severe personality disorders, should not use ketamine.

    To promote positive outcomes and ensure safety, follow these ketamine treatment guidelines:

    Do not operate a vehicle (e.g., car, motorcycle, bicycle) or heavy machinery following treatment until you’ve had a full night of sleep

    Refrain from taking benzodiazepines or stimulants for 24 hours prior to treatment

    Continue to take antihypertensive medication as prescribed

    Avoid hangovers or alcohol intake

    Refrain from consuming solid foods within 3 hours prior to treatment and liquids within 1 hour prior to treatment

    Ketamine treatment should never be conducted without a monitor present to ensure your safety

What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)?

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is a transformative psychotherapeutic process that can offer rapid improvement for conditions such as anxiety, depression, grief, PTSD, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Ketamine is the only legal form of psychedelic psychotherapy and is a dissociative anesthetic best known for supporting treatment-resistant depression.

KAP is above all, an intensive psychotherapy that gets to core feelings and can support the rewiring of emotional, overwhelming, and traumatic memories. Ketamine lowers the amygdala (our fear response) and anxiety, helping us bypass defenses, and giving us access to deep feelings that we may have not felt safe enough to feel.

At one time we needed the protection of defenses and anxiety, but today they are activated automatically, underneath our awareness, and keep us stuck. Once they are soothed, a natural healing orientation can take place.

Researchers have called this 'inner healing intelligence.' We can also think of this as our 'inner guide' or a human’s innate orientation to healing, connection, empowerment, and curiosity, so clear in childhood but stifled in difficult or traumatic development.

KAP also has a psychedelic component, that can help release us from those stuck pathways, probably through temporary modulation of a specific serotonergic gate; it also enhances new learning through glutamine mechanisms, so that we can quickly learn new habits, change limiting cognitive beliefs and create new perspectives on our life, reframing past traumatic/painful experiences.

KAP offers extensive evidence for safe and effective treatment. We leverage ketamine within intense psychotherapy to relax prior habitual ways of thinking and update the nervous system with new motivation, and the capacity to feel joy and be deeply present in our life.

KAP Process:

1. Meet with Jacqueline for a consultation to determine if this treatment aligns with your needs and is appropriate. We will assess your medical history, current symptoms, and individual therapy goals.

2. I help you coordinate with a medical professional who assesses and prescribes ketamine and provides a medical clearance (no cost for the assessment). The cost of a one-time KAP prescription is $100.

3. If approved, we schedule your first 3-6 individual therapy sessions ($275 per 55-minute) to build our therapeutic relationship, establish safety and trust, and prepare you for KAP.

4. Attend your first two-hour KAP session ($600) and experience the impact of ketamine on your targeted goals and intentions.

5. Attend your KAP integration session ($275 per 55-minute) within three days following each ketamine session to explore and discuss insights of your experience and how you will apply what you gained into practical, cognitive, tangible, and behavioral action.

6. KAP sessions can be scheduled weekly or bi-weekly to continue the momentum of progress from 4-8 sessions.

Resources