Ketamine Therapy
Ketamine therapy for whole-person healing of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and postpartum depression.
Administered by IV infusion, allowing for real-time dosage adjustment to maximize safety, efficacy, and comfort
Dosed to augment ketamine’s beneficial psychedelic properties
Accompanied by live instrumental sound healing in a safe, welcoming medical environment
WHAT IS KETAMINE?
Ketamine has been used widely for anesthesia and in emergency medicine for decades.
Physiologically, ketamine rapidly strengthens specific brain networks that have been damaged by depression, anxiety and trauma. Its neuroplastic effects help loosen maladaptive mental and emotional patterns that have become rigid over time, and promote new neural connections that support healthier habits and ways of being.
Ketamine can also produce powerful psychedelic experiences that open the mind to new perspectives and awareness. This can lead to greater self understanding and acceptance and the ability to view relationships, past traumas, and other experiences through a more compassionate lens.
OUR APPROACH
Ketamine therapy is a process of healing, with optimal benefits achieved through three phases:
INDUCTION
Two sessions per week over three weeks. While each session lasts 3-4 hours, the ketamine and its metabolites continue to circulate in your body between sessions, reinforcing healthier neural circuits and providing durable improvement in your function and mood.
OPTIMIZATION
Over three months, we customize your treatment schedule until you feel in harmony with your goals and new state of mind. Sessions are spaced out at least every two weeks.
MAINTENANCE
We continue to monitor your progress and offer periodic booster treatments (at least one month apart) over the long term.
Psychedelic medicine empowers you to determine when it’s time to reconnect with treatment. Ongoing integration is essential to maximizing long-term benefits.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Every session begins with meditation, music, and intentional breathing to help you enter a receptive state. You will lie in a comfortable, zero-gravity recliner with a blanket, pillow, and eye shade as desired.
DURING THE JOURNEY…
You will receive ketamine as an IV infusion. This allows your provider to control dosage, and therefore the intensity of your experience, in real time. We can tailor your experience as needed, starting slow and going deeper as you’re ready.
As the medicine takes effect, you may enter an expanded or extraordinary state of being that many people describe as a “blissful waking dream.”
While every session is different, ketamine invites you to experience your “self” from a different perspective.
You may experience a range of sensations including floating, sinking, tingling, warmth, or a sense of separation from your body. You may see colors, textures, or even specific images relative to your life, like an immersive dream.
CPM waiting room
Integration space
AFTER THE JOURNEY…
You will be offered water or tea with time to process the experience. Plan to be on site for 3-4 hours. You cannot drive or work after a session and will benefit from rest, reflection, creative activities, and/or contact with nature.
Ketamine treatment room
You may have access to more dormant emotions and other emotions may be amplified, while you may find it easier to think about common and also esoteric ideas or topics in a more expansive or novel way.
Spiritual experiences may include feelings of ego dissolution, heightened connection with nature or “source” energy, a feeling of boundlessness, and more.
COST + ELIGIBILITY
COST
Preparation Visit: $235
Individual Sessions: $685
Sliding scale rates are available with proof of taxable income (line 15 on IRS Form 1040) less than $80,000 annually.)
Ketamine infusions are currently an off-label treatment with variable insurance coverage. We accept direct payment only and can provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.
ELIGIBILITY
18 years of age
Current diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Postpartum Depression, PTSD, or related conditions by a qualified mental health provider (release of medical records required but no referral is necessary)
Must not be receiving ketamine treatment in any form from another provider
QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
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With very careful preparation, in combination with our optimized setting, most experiences are quite pleasant.
However, difficult or unpleasant themes may arise as your mind works through the healing process. Themes such as trauma, abuse, abandonment, shame, and grief are often felt more through a lens of compassion and acceptance than fear or anger. This can help transform your relationship to past events and allow for meaningful healing.
Both blissful and challenging experiences can facilitate transformation, offer insights into your mental health, and serve as valuable tools for ongoing therapy and integration work.
By communicating and collaborating during the session, we can adjust the intensity of your ketamine experience. This allows you to get deeper into the medicine at your own pace and offers an immediate way to lessen the intensity or stop the experience if necessary.
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Yes. For decades, ketamine has been widely used for anesthesia at much higher doses than used in this setting. Ketamine is safe to receive in combination with most commonly prescribed medications, including SSRIs.
CPM offers the safest possible ketamine experience and we pride ourselves on our robust safety and monitoring protocols and equipment.
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A small percentage of patients will experience nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, palpitations, headache, poor concentration, tremors, blurred vision, or restlessness, among others. Most of these resolve within 80 minutes after the infusion.
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The vast majority of our patients do not experience physical pain related to the process. We use a topical anesthetic spray and a small IV line to help minimize any discomfort.
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We have a robust screening process to determine if ketamine is safe and appropriate for you. Conditions that may make you ineligible to receive ketamine treatment include severe hypertension, aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVM), unstable angina, uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, glaucoma, history of seizures, previous severe allergic reaction during anesthesia, history of psychosis, mania, bipolar disorder, and pregnancy.
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As your ketamine treatment progresses, you may feel significant improvement and wish to taper off of some of your medications. It is extremely important to only do this under the guidance and supervision of your prescriber.
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No, you do not need a formal referral. However, we will review the most recent notes from your primary mental health provider to determine if you have a qualifying diagnosis. We view ketamine as a complementary component of your journey towards better mental health and will collaborate with your whole team.
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Yes. Very little ketamine (<1%) gets into breastmilk. In addition, ketamine is poorly absorbed when taken by mouth, so the amount of ketamine entering a breastfeeding child’s system is negligible. Ketamine is also safely administered directly to infants and children for procedures and treatment of refractory seizures.
If you want to be extra conservative, it is reasonable to pump and discard breastmilk for 6 hours after an infusion for infants < 6 months old.
