The Ultimate Guide to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): How Ketamine Therapy Can Transform Healing
Healing is never a straight line. Sometimes, no matter how much therapy you’ve done or how many tools you’ve learned, you still feel stuck in old patterns of anxiety, depression, or emotional pain. You might intellectually understand what’s happening — but emotionally, it just doesn’t shift.
If you’ve found yourself here, it’s probably because you’ve tried so hard to feel better. You’ve been open to therapy, maybe medication, maybe even lifestyle changes — and yet something still feels out of reach.
That’s where Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) can make a profound difference.
I’m Alicia Taverner, LMFT, and for over a decade I’ve helped individuals and couples heal from deep emotional wounds — including infidelity, attachment trauma, and anxiety — through therapy and intensive work at my practice in Rancho Cucamonga, California. In the past few years, I’ve also become a certified provider of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, and I’ve seen how it can unlock breakthroughs that once felt impossible.
This guide will walk you through what KAP is, how it works, what to expect, and why it can be such a powerful addition to your healing journey — whether individually or as part of a couples intensive.
What Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)?
KAP is a therapeutic approach that combines the safe, guided use of ketamine with psychotherapy to promote emotional healing, insight, and change.
Unlike traditional medication or talk therapy alone, KAP creates a temporary shift in consciousness — quieting the inner critic and opening a space for deep reflection, compassion, and connection.
In a KAP session, you take a small, prescribed dose of ketamine (usually a lozenge that dissolves under your tongue) in a calm, comfortable environment. As your therapist, I’m there with you — helping you prepare, stay grounded, and later integrate what arises into your daily life.
Many clients describe it as “therapy on a deeper level,” where long-buried emotions can surface in a safe and supported way.
A Little Science: How Ketamine Works in the Brain
Ketamine works by temporarily quieting the Default Mode Network (DMN) — the part of the brain responsible for self-criticism, rumination, and looping thoughts.
When that constant mental noise softens, you can see yourself and your experiences differently. Old stories lose their grip. New perspectives emerge.
This isn’t just emotional — it’s biological. Ketamine increases levels of glutamate and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), both of which boost neuroplasticity — your brain’s ability to form new, healthier pathways.
Think of it like a fresh layer of snow: old tracks (your automatic thoughts) fade, and new ones can be made.
For 1–3 days after a session, your brain remains especially open to learning and change — which is why integration therapy is so essential.
How KAP Differs from Medical Ketamine Clinics
You may have heard of IV ketamine infusions or nasal sprays like Spravato®. These are medical treatments, typically provided in a doctor’s office without any psychotherapy component.
KAP, however, integrates medicine and meaning.
Here’s how they compare:
In KAP, the goal isn’t just symptom relief — it’s transformation. You’re not left alone to interpret your experience. You’re supported every step of the way.
Who Can Benefit from KAP?
KAP can be incredibly supportive for people navigating:
Treatment-resistant depression or anxiety
PTSD and complex trauma
Attachment wounds from childhood or relationships
Burnout or emotional exhaustion
Grief, loss, or life transitions
Feeling disconnected or “stuck” despite therapy
It’s also deeply meaningful for couples who are trying to reconnect after betrayal, infidelity, or years of disconnection.
In my couples intensives, KAP can help partners move past defensiveness and fear, opening space for genuine empathy and healing. When the protective walls soften, it’s often the first time couples truly see each other again.
Who Shouldn’t Use KAP
While KAP is safe for most people, it may not be appropriate for those who:
Have uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart issues
Are pregnant or breastfeeding
Have a history of psychosis or bipolar mania
Recently experienced a traumatic brain injury
During your consultation, I’ll review your medical history and collaborate with a licensed prescriber to make sure it’s a safe fit.
The Three Phases of KAP
Every KAP process unfolds in three intentional stages: preparation, dosing, and integration.
Preparation
Before any medicine is involved, we take time to build safety and clarity.
You’ll explore your intentions — what you hope to understand, release, or connect with.
We’ll talk through fears, set up your physical environment for comfort, and discuss how to support yourself emotionally before and after the experience.
This is also where we talk about “set and setting” — your mindset and environment. Both play a huge role in shaping the experience.
The Dosing Session
A dosing session usually lasts around three hours.
You’ll take your prescribed ketamine lozenge and rest comfortably with an eye mask and music that supports inward focus.
During this time, I’m there to hold therapeutic space — quietly ensuring safety, comfort, and presence. Some clients experience vivid imagery, emotional release, or deep peace. Others simply feel relaxed and reflective.
There’s no “right” way for a session to go. Whatever arises is welcomed with curiosity and compassion.
Integration
This is where the real magic happens.
In the days after your session, we meet again to process what came up — emotionally, spiritually, or relationally. Integration helps connect the insights from your journey to meaningful changes in your everyday life.
We might use tools like Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems (IFS), or guided reflection to anchor those insights.
Without integration, the insights fade. With it, they become transformation.
Real Stories of Transformation
One client, a nurse in her 30s, came to KAP feeling exhausted and disconnected after years of people-pleasing and burnout. During her second session, she experienced a wave of compassion for her younger self — the little girl who had learned she had to be perfect to be loved.
Through integration, she began setting boundaries, taking rest seriously, and speaking to herself with gentleness instead of criticism.
Another couple came to me after infidelity had shaken their marriage. Despite months of therapy, they still couldn’t reconnect. Through KAP within their affair recovery intensive, each partner gained a deeper understanding of their pain — beyond blame. For the first time, they were able to speak to each other from empathy instead of defense.
That’s what KAP makes possible: healing at a deeper level that you feel in your brain, your body, and your nervous system.
The Research Behind Ketamine Therapy
Ketamine has been studied for over 50 years and is FDA-approved as an anesthetic. More recently, research has shown its remarkable effects on mood, trauma, and neuroplasticity.
Studies demonstrate that:
Ketamine increases glutamate and BDNF, supporting brain growth and resilience.
6–8 sessions often lead to significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms.
The effects can last for weeks to months — and when combined with psychotherapy, those benefits deepen and last even longer.
In other words, KAP isn’t just about temporary relief. It’s about rewiring your brain and emotions toward healing.
KAP as Part of Individual or Couples Intensives
At my practice in Rancho Cucamonga, California I offer both individual and couples intensives — immersive, extended sessions designed to create major breakthroughs in a shorter amount of time.
When combined with KAP, intensives allow us to go even deeper.
For individuals, KAP can help bypass mental resistance and access insight that traditional therapy can take months to reach.
For couples, it can quiet reactivity, allowing compassion and vulnerability to emerge.
Sometimes we begin an intensive with a KAP session to open the process, or integrate it midway to help digest emotional breakthroughs. The structure is always customized to your comfort level and goals.
Safety and Ethical Care
Client safety and ethical practice are at the heart of everything I do.
All KAP sessions are conducted in partnership with a licensed medical provider — typically through Journey Clinical, a trusted organization that specializes in medically supervised ketamine treatment for psychotherapy.
This means:
The medication is prescribed safely by a licensed prescriber.
Your vitals and health history are carefully reviewed.
I provide the therapeutic preparation, dosing support, and integration work.
This collaborative model ensures your emotional and physical well-being are equally cared for.
What Clients Often Notice After KAP
Most clients describe:
Feeling lighter, calmer, or more open
Relief from anxious or depressive thought loops
A deeper sense of self-compassion
Improved sleep and emotional regulation
More meaningful connection to themselves and others
For couples, there’s often a renewed sense of hope — a reminder that healing is possible even after deep pain.
Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Right for You?
If you’ve been feeling stuck — in therapy, in your relationship, or within yourself — KAP may offer the shift you’ve been longing for.
It’s not about escaping your pain, but transforming your relationship with it. With the right guidance, intention, and integration, KAP can help you reconnect to the parts of you that already know how to heal.
You don’t have to keep struggling alone.
Whether you’re an individual searching for peace or a couple wanting to rebuild trust and intimacy, I’d love to help you explore what’s possible through Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
Ready to Begin?
If you’re curious about whether KAP might be right for you, I invite you to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
We’ll talk about your goals, answer your questions, and create a plan that supports your next steps — whether that’s individual therapy, a couples intensive, or integrating KAP into your healing journey.
