Ketamine Therapy in
Cleveland Heights
Is It Time To Try Something Different Than Talk Therapy?
Are you struggling with persistent worry, frequent feelings of sadness, and disconnection from people you love? Do you have a hard time getting over things that have happened in the past?
Maybe you’re having a hard time adjusting to major life changes such as divorce, grief and loss, or a traumatic event. Perhaps you’ve spent years trying to manage your challenges on your own, but things haven’t shifted enough for you. Or maybe you’ve been in therapy on and off for years and tried many different psychiatric medications, only to find that you haven’t made as much progress as you hoped.
If this is the case, then Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) may be right for you. Among other benefits, ketamine primes the brain for new connections and revelations by creating a discreet period of neuroplasticity, which allows for new connections to be made resulting in mood changes and perspective improvement.
The most potent aspect of ketamine therapy is that it allows you to tap into your own inner knowing and innate ability to heal yourself. Ketamine treatment can be especially helpful for people who haven’t found traditional approaches effective, and can foster deeper healing and faster relief than other psychiatric medications and talk therapy.
Have any questions? Send me a message!
What Makes Ketamine Therapy So Effective?
Numerous studies point to the healing power of ketamine therapy in alleviating mental health conditions. In private practice settings, it’s been shown to provide immense relief to people suffering from treatment-resistant anxiety and depression. Ketamine can also help with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), providing a “near complete resolution of symptoms” in trauma survivors.
In recent years, a growing number of psychologists and researchers have begun to advocate for psychedelic-assisted therapy as an alternative to the traditional route of therapy and medication. And no form of psychedelic treatment has become more popular than KAP, given its proven safety and documented history of clinical use.
Part of what makes ketamine therapy so effective is not merely the medicine itself, but the context in which it is experienced. When you have a compassionate, caring therapist who knows how to hold space for you and create an atmosphere of safety and support, the mind-expanding effects of ketamine are powerful.
How Does Ketamine Therapy Work?
How I structure ketamine treatment ultimately depends on your needs, goals, comfort level and experience in “non ordinary states of consciousness.” I generally recommend three preparation sessions to help you prepare for psychedelic treatment and explore your intentions. After that, there will typically be eight to twelve ketamine sessions with non-medicinal appointments in between.
This is a marathon, not a sprint :)
The three main phases of ketamine treatment are outlined below:
The Preparation Phase
First things first, I will conduct an evaluation to see if you’re a good candidate for ketamine treatment. If you’re determined to be a good fit, you will schedule an assessment with my partnering medical provider, Dr. Dana Lerman. She is a licensed MD and the founder of Skylight Psychedelics with decades of experience in this area. Once you’re medically cleared, she will prescribe the medication and it will be sent to your home via a partnering compounding pharmacy.
During this process, we will begin the preparation phase of the work. We will talk about what you hope to get out of ketamine therapy and how your goals for treatment align with your vision of your future. This intention-setting part of treatment is loose, open-ended, and non-prescriptive, meaning that you don’t need to have all your plans set in stone or built around a single goal.
Additionally, I’ll help prepare you for the actual medicine and discuss planning for ketamine sessions (for your safety, you will need a chaperone to pick you up and accompany you home following your dosing sessions). The ultimate goal here is to have you moving into the next phase comfortable and informed.
The Dosing Phase
Once the preparation work is complete, we’ll begin your dosing sessions. You will bring in your medication that has been sent to you (each bottle is marked Dose one, two, three, etc.) The medicine comes in the form of rapidly dissolving tablets (RDT’s). Each session lasts approximately two-and-a-half to three hours (metabolizing rates differ) and I will be with you the entire time. You will be lying down while wearing an eye mask and listening to a curated KAP playlist.
The Integration Phase
This is where you get to make meaning of it all, which can look different for everyone. It relies on curiosity, thoughtfulness and exploration and will likely continue for weeks, months and even years. Questions you might ask yourself may include, “how did the ketamine journey impact my original intention?” “What will I do with the newfound knowledge I gained and how will it influence my actions going forward?”
Why Should You Choose Ketamine Therapy?
KAP has great healing potential in part because the medicine itself creates the neuroplasticity in the brain which allows for new connections to be made. This often results in significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms. When Ketamine is coupled with psychotherapy with a trained psychedelic therapist, these changes can be truly life altering, leading you to:
Feel joy and pleasure for the first time in a long time
Feel more confident in building and growing healthier, more fulfilling relationships
Get clear on the things you truly want in life and what needs to change to get them
Tap into your own inner healing wisdom so that you can do the things that support your own wellness
Experience The Healing Power Of Ketamine Therapy For Yourself
I have a certification from the Integrative Psychiatric Institute as a Psychedelic Psychotherapy practitioner. This is an intensive yearlong program that includes experiential trainings. I know firsthand how powerful and life changing KAP can be and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to share it with you!
To learn more about the positive life effects of KAP and determine if it may be a good fit for you, I invite you to schedule a complimentary phone or Zoom call!
Serving clients through in-person sessions in Cleveland, Ohio.
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