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Ketamine Psychotherapy Services

Are you suffering from treatment resistant depression or treatment resistant anxiety? Are you suffering from post traumatic stress disorder? Are you struggling to move past a previous trauma in your life?

Have you tried therapy and medications but still aren’t able to shake the feeling that you will never feel better? Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy might be the answer you have been looking for to get the results that have eluded you thus far.

How Does It Work?

You have several options to get started quickly and easily.

We want to make sure ketamine is a good fit for you based on your diagnosis, medical history, and current medications and treatments. In as little as two hours, you can have your evaluation and first treatment. We usually can treat you the same week you contact us.

You will be evaluated at our clinic by one of our nurse practitioners or physician assistants. Or you can contact your doctor, psychiatrist or NP to obtain a referral for ketamine treatment.

Once you are approved for ketamine treatment, you will engage in six to eight ketamine infusion treatment sessions.  We also encourage you to have a therapist trained in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy or Ketamine integration treatment to assist you through the treatment processs. We can refer you to our sister company, Great Salt Lake Wellness, for a ketamine integration therapist which you can meet with 24-48 hrs following your infusion. Please discuss your individual situation with your Affordable Ketamine Clinic provider, to determine if an appropriate treatment would include a referral to a therapist/psychologist. 

Benefits of Ketamine

Based on Condition

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Depression and Suicidal Ideation

Individuals with depression can experience sadness, low energy, poor sleep, loss of appetite, low self-esteem, nervousness, apathy, withdrawal. restlessness, thoughts of death or suicide, and racing thoughts.  Individuals can experience the immediate effect of Ketamine as it circumvents classic serotonin pathways to glutamate activation, rather than typical antidepressants which can take 4-6 weeks to activate serotonin before glutamate.

brain-on-ketamine

PTSD and/or Suicidal Ideation

Individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, can experience flashbacks, loneliness, fear, nightmares, insomnia, irritability, jumpiness, hostility, social isolation, flashbacks, and emotional trauma. Individuals struggling with PTSD can feel relief of symptoms through intravenous (IV) Ketamine treatment which may enhance synaptic connectivity in the brain otherwise inhibited by extreme stress from trauma. Previous trauma can also be processed in different ways with the use of ketamine, so that individuals can find resolution for previous traumatic events. 

brain-on-ketamine

Other Anxiety Disorders

Individuals can struggle with a number of anxiety disorders, which can include a range of symptoms to include excessive cognitive worry, rumination, physiological signs of anxiety (racing heart, restlessness, difficulty breathing, shaky hands, panic), agitation, hyper-vigilance, and compulsive thoughts. According to a study published by clinicaltrials.gov, fifty percent of patients receiving ketamine felt their symptoms ease within  three days.

brain-on-ketamine

Chronic Pain

Individuals experiencing chronic pain, migraine, fibromyalgia, back pain, radiculopathy, chronic neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, post-herpetic neuralgia, and chronic pos-surgical pain, can experience both short and long term (up to three months) benefits of Ketamine’s powerful analgesic properties. 

brain-on-ketamine

OCD

OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) can cause individuals to experience repeated, persistent, and unwanted thoughts; intrusive urges or images, agitation, impulsivity, hyper-vigilance, hoarding, and compulsive thoughts. According to a study published by clinicaltrials.gov, fifty percent of patients receiving ketamine felt their symptoms ease within  three days.

FAQs

To prepare for ketamine infusions, please fast for 4 to 6 hours to reduce the risk of nausea. The treatment works best when you are not feeling stressed or exhausted. To the extent you can, avoid stressors and get a good night’s sleep before your scheduled treatment. You must bring a relative or friend to stay with you during the infusion and drive you home afterward. For your mind and body to fully benefit from ketamine infusions, please refrain from alcohol and recreational drug use for several days before your appointment.

You will receive an individualized treatment plan from your provider during your intake appointment. Generally, people engage in 6-8 infusion sessions for ketamine treatment. Once you contact us, you will receive a PDF copy of our “Good Faith Estimate,” which lists all your out of pocket costs we can reasonably anticipate, based on our current rates and the type of treatment you are requesting.

We have provided a number of resources for learning more about the benefits of ketamine. Check out our resources page for links to Ketamine research. We also have several blog posts with related content.

Yale Medicine reports ketamine being one of the biggest breakthroughs in depression research. Ketamine is referred to a miracle drug because of how quickly it works.
Ketamine treatments for depression and other health conditions are customized. Generally, a patient starts with an initial series of six infusions over two to three weeks. After the initial series, they may benefit from receiving additional maintenance treatments at one- to three-month intervals. You decide when the effects of an infusion have diminished, and consult with our providers for a customized booster schedule that fits your needs. We have found that patients who exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and practice mindfulness and meditation tend to come back for treatment less often.
Most patients will experience feelings of dissociation and a little dizziness. Some may feel nausea, sleepiness, headaches, or weakness. These symptoms usually are mild and generally are resolved within a few hours of the infusion.
We answer our phones from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. We generally schedule infusion appointments between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., but will work with you to accommodate your work schedule.
Ketamine infusion treatment’s distinct advantages include: less nausea and a reduced risk of hallucinogenic episodes or dysphoria. Infusions gradually introduce ketamine into the body, as opposed to a large dosage of ketamine administered in a single shot. The amount of ketamine can be increased or decreased during a 40-minute infusion, while once a shot is given, the entire amount enters the body and cannot be altered.
If you have found opioids to be ineffective, desire to decrease dependence on opioids, or are seeking alternative treatment, you are encouraged to try IV infusion pain treatment. Studies show that certain pain syndromes that are modulated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors may respond to a regimen of NMDA blockers—we currently treat pain with a formula of ketamine, lidocaine, and magnesium sulfate. The analgesic effects of this regimen can last up to 12 weeks. The liver metabolite norketamine may partially account for the desired long-term effects, as well as the desensitization of hyperalgesia associated with chronic pain.
Ketamine is not a cure but is an integral part of a holistic approach to treatment to optimize your mind and body. Experts recommend receiving 6 treatments over 2 to 3 weeks. Thereafter, patients may schedule booster infusions as needed, typically once every 30 to 120 days.
Generally, you should continue taking the medications prescribed by your medical provider and consult with them about the addition of ketamine to your regimen. It is important to know that Lamictal (Lamotrigine) blocks the therapeutic effects of ketamine. Obtain advice and authorization from your prescriber to cease taking Lamictal for at least 2 weeks before initiating ketamine treatment. Narcotics and benzodiazepines may blunt the effectiveness of ketamine. (Benzodiazepines include Valium, Versed, Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin, and Lorazepam.)
We provide treatment for patients 13 years and older. Consult your medical provider to obtain a referral for your ketamine treatment before requesting an appointment at our clinic. Dosages of ketamine are based on the patient’s weight and response to ketamine rather than their age.
Most health insurance companies currently do not cover ketamine infusions. Ketamine is a drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in anesthesia. It has been used off-label for depression, mood disorder, and pain treatment successfully for more than a decade. Off-label prescribing means that you are given a drug that the FDA has approved to treat a condition different from your condition. This practice is legal and common–one in five prescriptions written today are for off-label use. We recommend contacting your insurance provider to learn more about whether ketamine infusion therapy is covered under your health plan.
When treatment begins, patients enter a dream-like state and may have some time perception distortion and disassociation, but they don’t fall asleep. Many patients will report feeling relaxed within a few minutes. We have a special “relax” treatment room, where patients will settle into a soft leather recliner and begin their infusion therapy.

Appointments for infusions for depression and mood disorders are about an hour in length, with the first appointment’s orientation lasting an additional half-hour. Pain infusions last one and a half hours each time.

Patients should avoid alcohol and illicit drugs for a minimum of 1 day before treatment. You will get the most benefit from ketamine as a psychedelic medicine if you also avoid alcohol and elicit drugs for 48-72 after the ketamine medication, as the brain is the most malleable and open to change following a psychedelic medicine during that 72 hr window. You want to get maximum benefit from each ketamine dose and give your brain an opportunity to change and develop from its ketamine experience. 

We strongly encourage patients to live a healthy lifestyle, which has a positive effect on their ketamine treatment outcomes. 

Ketamine is a drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in anesthesia. It has been used off-label for depression, mood disorder, and pain treatment successfully for more than a decade. Off-label prescribing means that you are given a drug that the FDA has approved to treat a condition different from your condition. This practice is legal and common–one in five prescriptions written today are for off-label use.

The use of ketamine is on its way to becoming a mainstream treatment with the 2019 FDA approval of an isomer form of ketamine, called esketamine (Spravato, manufactured by Janssen), for mood disorder treatment, available only in a nasal spray that must be administered in a physician’s office.
Infusion therapy for treatment of chronic pain employs a larger dose of ketamine and includes NMDA blockers, creating a synergistic effect. Pain treatments are usually an hour and a half, while mood disorder treatments are one hour.
Not everyone is a candidate for chronic pain therapy, including patients with poorly controlled cardiovascular disease, severe liver disease, substance abuse problems, elevated intracranial pressure, and glaucoma. Please see your treating doctor or nurse practitioner to obtain a referral for chronic pain treatment.

Tips to Maximize your Treatment Results

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If you’ve had a ketamine treatment for your mental health issues, you know that it can provide relief from challenging symptoms like depression and anxiety. But sometimes the symptoms come back to some degree even after receiving intensive treatments. We put together some helpful blog posts that include ways to extend the effectiveness of treatment.

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