What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a legal, safe, and effective medication used to treat various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, often taking effect within 1-2 hours after treatment and lasting up to 2 weeks. Ketamine works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors and stimulating AMPA receptors, which helps form new synaptic connections and boosts neural circuits regulating stress and mood. It has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement.

Ketamine can be administered in several ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, nasal spray, and sublingual tablets. At Journey Clinical, we exclusively use the sublingual lozenge form. This involves dissolving a small tablet in your mouth, swishing it around for 10 to 12 minutes, and then spitting it out.

How Does Ketamine Feel?

The effects of ketamine, which most clients find pleasant, last for approximately 1 hour. These effects can create a sensation of being “far from” your body and facilitate expansive shifts in perception. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you'll lie comfortably with eye shades during the experience. Once these effects subside, we'll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may be hard to articulate what happened during the experience, clients often find the insights gained to be clear.

How Does Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Work?

1. Initial Consultation with Journey Clinical

  • Schedule an initial evaluation with a Journey Clinical medical team clinician via Zoom. They will review your medical and psychiatric history, provide education on the treatment, and determine your eligibility for KAP.

  • If eligible, the medical team will develop a personalized ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan.

  • Journey Clinical’s medical staff will write a ketamine prescription for you, and a small amount of oral ketamine will be sent to your home for the first two KAP sessions. You will be taught how to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges by Journey Clinical’s medical team in advance of our KAP sessions.

2. Preparation Sessions

  • Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time for our KAP preparation, dosing, and integration sessions.

  • Preparation session(s) will be scheduled like regular therapy sessions before the KAP dosing session. Most clients need a minimum of 6 preparation sessions to ensure a safe and healing experience.

3. KAP Dosing Session

  • A typical ketamine dosing session lasts 3 hours and can take place remotely via telehealth or in the privacy of your own home. Remote KAP sessions provide flexibility and convenience, allowing you to engage in therapy without the need for travel. In-home sessions offer the added benefit of receiving care in a familiar and comfortable environment.

  • During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge at home. You will be comfortable reclining, wearing an eye mask, and listening to calming music. Although a KAP dosing session may be largely an internal experience, I will be with you the entire time via telehealth for remote sessions, or in person for in-home sessions, to hold space and provide support as needed. For remote sessions, you will also have a chaperone (such as a friend, partner, or family member) present to ensure your safety. We will discuss all logistics together beforehand.

4. Integration Sessions

  • After our KAP dosing session, we will meet for integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts, and insights that arose during your dosing session and to prepare for the next dosing session.

What is the Cost of Treatment?

Medical intake,  follow-ups, and dosing sessions are not covered by insurance but are eligible for out-of-network reimbursement.

Journey Clinical Medical Costs:

First-time patients:

  • Initial medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $250

  • Cost of medication: $85 (enough for two sessions)

Ongoing treatment:

  • Follow-up medical consultation with Journey Clinical $150 (at least 1X per quarter)

  • Cost of medication: $145 (enough for up to 6 sessions)

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Costs:

  • Preparations and integration sessions are 1 hour (Covered by insurance). 

  • Dosing sessions are 2.5 to 3 hours ($500). 

How Do I Sign Up for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?

If you reside in New Jersey or in New York and are interested in exploring the option of working with me through ketamine therapy, please arrange a complimentary consultation call to go over eligibility and the next steps.