Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

I offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with Journey Clinical.

Journey Clinical’s medical team supports all medical aspects: determining eligibility, developing a custom treatment plan, prescribing the medicine and monitoring outcomes.

Ketamine is a legal, therapeutic medicine used to treat depression, anxiety and PTSD. It has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, which can begin to
take effect within 1-2 hrs. after treatment and last for up to 2 weeks.

Ketamine works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors as well as by stimulating AMPA receptors,
which are thought to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity.

How Does Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Work?

  1. Initial consultation with Journey Clinical:
    ● I will help you schedule an initial evaluation with the Journey Clinical
    medical team via zoom. They will go over your medical and psychiatric
    history, provide education on the treatment and determine if you
    are eligible for KAP.
    ● If eligible, the medical team will write a ketamine prescription, and a small amount of oral ketamine will be sent to your home, enough for the first 2 KAP sessions. You will be taught to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges.
  2. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Sessions:
    ● To begin, we will schedule a one-hour preparation psychotherapy session. After the preparation session, we will schedule a two-hour dosing session and a follow-up, one-hour integration session.
  3. KAP Dosing Session:
    ● A ketamine dosing session lasts 2 hours
    ● During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge.
  4. Integration Sessions:
    ● A few days after the KAP dosing session, we will meet for a one-hour, follow-up integration therapy session. Integrations sessions follow each dosing session.
  5. Follow-up consultations with Journey Clinical:
    ● After the first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules
    regular follow ups with you to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine
    lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow ups depends on
    your unique treatment plan, at a minimum of once per quarter.

    What is the Cost of Treatment?
    ■ My hourly rate is $175.
    Journey Clinical Medical Costs
    ■ First-time patients
    ● Initial medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $250
    ● Cost of medication: $88 (enough for 2 sessions)
    ■ Ongoing treatment
    ● Follow-up medical consultation with Journey Clinical $150
    (at least 1X per quarter)
    ● Cost of medication: $148 (enough for up to 6 sessions)
    How Do I Sign Up?
    ● If you would like to explore the possibility of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, please
    email me at ashley.shires@gmail.com to discuss eligibility and next steps.

    Helpful Resources:
  6. Paradigms of Ketamine Treatment by Raquel Bennett, Psy.D. for MAPS
  7. Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Patient Demographics, Clinical Data
    and Outcomes in Three Large Practices Administering Ketamine with
    Psychotherapy – research study by Jennifer Dore et al, 2018
  8. Ketamine for Depression and Mood Disorders by Erica Zelfand, ND for
    Townsend Letter
  9. Ketamine-Facilitated Psychotherapy for Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression by
    goop
  10. Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy with Jonathan Sabbagh of Journey Clinical Psychology Talk Podcast