Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
PRISMA’s Emerging Therapies
PRISMA CLINICAL INNOVATION
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
Expanding the possibilities of psychological change through the integration of neuroscience, psychotherapy, and carefully guided altered states of consciousness.
Research suggests that ketamine may temporarily increase psychological flexibility and emotional openness, creating a window in which meaningful therapeutic work can occur.
At PRISMA, KAP is not approached as a standalone medical treatment, but as a carefully structured psychotherapy process supported by emerging neuroscience.
Join our waitlist for individual and group programs, with couples-based offerings planned for the future.
What Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (often referred to as KAP) combines the use of prescribed ketamine with psychotherapy before, during, and after the medicine session.
In traditional medical settings, ketamine has long been used as an anesthetic. More recently, research has explored its effects on mood, cognition, and emotional processing. Studies suggest that ketamine may temporarily increase neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s capacity to form new connections and patterns.
In a therapeutic context, this shift may allow people to step outside of habitual ways of thinking or feeling. Experiences that previously felt rigid or overwhelming can sometimes be approached with greater curiosity and flexibility.
When combined with psychotherapy, this period of openness can become an opportunity for meaningful psychological work.
The goal is not the medicine experience alone. The goal is the insight, integration, and change that follow.
Why Explore KAP?
People come to ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for many reasons. Often, they have already done significant personal work and are looking for a different way to move forward.
Some individuals explore KAP when they have been living with depression, trauma, emotional stuckness, or relational stress that has not shifted despite previous therapy or medication.
Many people who are curious about KAP are thoughtful, high-functioning individuals who carry significant responsibility in their professional or personal lives. They may be leaders, caregivers, or entrepreneurs who are used to operating at a high level externally while feeling that something internally remains unresolved. These individuals are seeking deeper insight and psychological flexibility.
KAP is not appropriate for everyone, and careful screening is always part of the process. For some individuals, however, it can open new possibilities within psychotherapy.
PRISMA is committed to offering innovative treatments within a framework of ethical practice, scientific evidence, and careful clinical assessment.
The KAP Treatment Process
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy at PRISMA follows an evidence-based structured therapeutic model designed to support safety, reflection, and in-depth psychological work. Our process includes four phases:
1. Assessment
Assessment of medical and psychological suitability for the program.
Assessment helps determine whether Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is an appropriate option. This includes a review of medical history, mental health history, and current circumstances to evaluate both medical and psychological suitability for the program.
3. Medicine Session
Guided ketamine session with therapeutic support.
During the ketamine session, the medication is administered under the supervision of a qualified medical professional. Your treatment team remains present to provide psychological support throughout the experience.
Sessions typically unfold in a quiet and carefully designed therapeutic space that supports reflection and inward attention.
2. Preparation
Orientation to the program, intention setting, and psychological readiness.
Preparation sessions focus on understanding your goals, clarifying intentions for the work, and establishing the psychological framework that supports the medicine session. These conversations help ensure that the medicine session is approached safely and within a clear psychological context.
4. Integration
Processing insights and translating them into meaningful change.
Integration sessions take place after each medicine experience. These conversations help translate insights from the experience into meaningful change. Clients reflect on themes that emerged during the session and consider how they relate to everyday life, relationships, and ongoing therapeutic work..
Many people find that integration is where the most meaningful therapeutic work occurs.
Each phase of the process supports the next, allowing the medicine experience to be integrated within an ongoing therapeutic framework.
The Science Behind Ketamine Therapy
Research on ketamine for mental health has grown steadily over the past fifteen years.
Clinical studies have shown that ketamine can produce rapid antidepressant effects for some individuals, particularly those with treatment-resistant depression. Researchers are also studying how ketamine appears to influence brain networks associated with rumination, rigid thinking, and emotional distress.
Another area of interest involves neuroplasticity. Ketamine appears to temporarily increase the brain’s capacity to form new connections, which may create an opportunity for psychological learning and change.
While the field is still evolving, many clinicians and researchers believe that combining ketamine with psychotherapy holds particular promise. The medicine experience can create a window of increased openness, while psychotherapy provides the structure needed to translate that openness into insight and lasting change.
Research in this area is still evolving, and clinicians continue to learn more about when and how these approaches are most helpful.
Safety And Medical Collaboration
Client safety and psychological readiness are central to the development of PRISMA’s KAP program.
Participation begins with a careful screening and assessment process. This helps determine whether Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is an appropriate option based on medical history, mental health background, and personal goals.
Ketamine sessions are conducted in collaboration with a qualified medical professional who oversees the medical aspects of the treatment. Therapists remain present throughout the experience to provide psychological support and guidance.
This collaborative model allows both the medical and psychological dimensions of the work to be addressed with care, safety, and professionalism.
KAP Programs at PRISMA
Individuals
One-on-one work within an ongoing therapeutic relationship.
Six-week program:
1 to 2 prep sessions (1h each)
3 dosing sessions (approx 2.5 hours each)
3 integration sessions (approx 1 hour each
Individual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy allows for personalized work within an ongoing therapeutic relationship. Clients and therapists can focus closely on specific patterns, emotional experiences, or life questions that are most relevant.
Groups
Small groups of 6–8 participants.
Six-week program:
1 prep sessions (2h)
3 dosing sessions (approx 4 hours each)
3 integration sessions (approx 2 hours each
Group models can deepen integration through shared reflection and interpersonal insight.
Hearing how others reflect on their experiences can bring new perspectives and foster a sense of shared humanity that is often missing from modern life.
Couples
PRISMA is initially developing individual and small-group KAP programs, with the intention of expanding into relational and couples-based work in the future.
Couples KAP is an emerging model that may help partners step outside familiar patterns and reconnect with empathy, curiosity, and understanding.
While this offering is not yet available, it represents an area of future development for the practice. We’ll provide more details as soon as they are available.
Waitlist for KAP Programs
We anticipate launching our Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy program within the next several months.
Joining the waitlist allows you to:
• receive updates
• learn about group programs
• be among the first to access openings
If you are curious about this work, we invite you to leave your contact information below.
Clinician Interest
This work is still developing, and we believe it should evolve within thoughtful clinical communities that value psychological depth, ethical practice, and careful reflection.
With this in mind, PRISMA is developing a clinically rigorous Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy program and welcomes conversations with therapists interested in this emerging field.
Future KAP Programs
Over time, we are interested in developing more focused therapeutic cohorts. These may include groups organized around shared life contexts or interests, such as leadership, creative professionals, gender-specific groups, or particular clinical themes. These ideas are still evolving, and we welcome thoughtful collaboration as the program develops.
Consultation for Community Clinicians
Some therapists will have clients participating in KAP while continuing therapy with their primary clinician. PRISMA plans to offer a consultation space for community clinicians seeking guidance as they support clients through preparation and integration.
This work requires humility, rigorous preparation, a sound ethical compass, and respect for the complexity of human experience.
If you are exploring Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy or have ideas for collaboration in this area, we would welcome a conversation.
PRISMA’s Approach to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Interest in psychedelic-informed therapies has grown quickly in recent years. Alongside this growth, many clinics have approached ketamine primarily as a medical procedure.
At PRISMA, we see the work differently.
While ketamine alone has helped many people, the medicine experience can open a window of increased neuroplasticity that supports therapeutic work. When approached thoughtfully within psychotherapy, this window can allow deliberate and sustainable psychological change.
We collaborate with medical professionals who share our philosophy and view ketamine as a catalyst for psychological insight, emotional transformation, and behavioural change. Our interdisciplinary approach is supported by research, and our team values the perspective that this collaboration allows the whole process to become greater than the sum of its parts.
Psychological growth often requires stepping outside familiar patterns. For some individuals, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy offers a new pathway for doing that work.
At PRISMA, our goal is to bring this approach forward safely and responsibly within a psychotherapy framework that respects scientific evidence and values depth, reflection, and meaningful change.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Yes. Ketamine is a legally prescribed medication that has been used in medical settings for decades. When used for mental health treatment, it must be administered under the supervision of a qualified medical professional.
-
Ketamine produces altered states of consciousness that can support psychological work, but it is pharmacologically different from classic psychedelics such as psilocybin or LSD. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy combines the medicine with structured therapeutic support.
-
Ketamine infusion clinics typically focus on the medical administration of ketamine, often using intravenous infusions as a rapid-acting antidepressant. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy builds on this effect by integrating the medicine experience within a structured psychotherapy process that includes preparation, therapeutic support during the session, and integration afterwards. The goal is not only symptom relief, but also meaningful psychological and behavioural change that supports longer-term growth.
-
Experiences vary. Some individuals describe a sense of distance from their usual thoughts or emotions, which can make it easier to reflect on difficult experiences with greater perspective.
-
Ketamine has been used in medical settings for decades and is administered in this context under the supervision of a qualified medical professional. Participation in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy also begins with a careful screening process to review medical and mental health history. This assessment helps determine whether the approach is appropriate for a particular individual.
-
Ketamine does have the potential for misuse when used outside medical supervision. In Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, however, the medication is administered in carefully controlled doses under the supervision of a qualified medical professional. Sessions occur infrequently and are part of a structured therapeutic process, which helps reduce the risk of problematic use. Screening and assessment are also used to determine whether this approach is appropriate for each individual.
-
Certain medical conditions or psychiatric histories may make ketamine inappropriate. This is why careful screening and consultation are always part of the process.
-
Coverage varies depending on the provider and policy. Some psychotherapy components may be eligible for reimbursement, while the medical portion of treatment may not be.
-
The first step is to join the PRISMA waitlist for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy. When the program opens, individuals on the list will be invited to schedule an initial consultation. This consultation allows us to assess whether the approach may be appropriate and to discuss the next steps in the preparation process.
Curious about KAP?
Take the next step in your care and join our waitlist.