Ketamine assisted therapy in Houston and all Texas

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• Ketamine is a legal, safe and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Ketamine 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. It 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 for lasting symptom improvement. 

• Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, via nasal spray and using sublingual lozenges. In my work with Journey Clinical we only the sublingual lozenge form. I also work with an MD if IM (intramuscular) or IV is the preferred method.

The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 - 60 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience. Once these effects subside, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are clear. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience. The therapy portion of KAP allows you to make fundamental changes that last a lifetime.

1. Initial consultation 

● You schedule an initial evaluation with a clinician from the Journey Clinical medical team via zoom. 

● If Journey Clinical’s medical team determines that you are eligible for KAP, they will develop a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan for you. 

● Journey Clinical’s medical staff will write a ketamine prescription for you, and a small amount of oral ketamine (lozenges) will be sent to your home, enough for the first 2 KAP sessions. You will be taught how to self-administer the ketamine lozenges by Journey Clinical’s medical team in advance of our KAP sessions. 

2. Preparation sessions: 

● Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time together for our KAP preparation, dosing and integration sessions. Preparation session(s) will be scheduled just like regular therapy sessions prior to the  KAP dosing session. The goal of a preparation session(s) is to align on the process and set intentions for our KAP sessions together. 

3. KAP Medicine Session: 

● A typical ketamine dosing session lasts between 1-2 hours and can take place either in-person at my office, or at your home remotely via telehealth. 

● During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge. You will be in a comfortable, reclining position wearing an eye mask. Although a KAP dosing session may be largely an internal experience, I will be present with you the entire time to hold space and provide support as needed. The effects of the medicine last for 45 - 60 minutes. 

4. Integration Sessions: 

● After our KAP medicine session, we will meet for multiple integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts & insights that arose during your dosing session, and to prepare for the next dosing session. It is during the time following the medicine that you will have specific, agreed upon tasks to accomplish that will facilitate your process of change. 

5. Follow-up consultations with Journey Clinical: 

● 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. 

Journey Clinical is a platform for licensed psychotherapists to incorporate science-based medicine therapies in their practice safely and effectively, starting with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on patient eligibility, prescriptions and outcome monitoring, while I take on the therapy. Their collaborative care model is designed to deliver personalized treatment plans to meet your individual needs and improve long-term outcomes 

1. Paradigms of Ketamine Treatment by Raquel Bennett, Psy.D. for MAPS 

2. 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 

3. Ketamine for Depression and Mood Disorders by Erica Zelfand, ND for Townsend Letter 

4. Ketamine-Facilitated Psychotherapy for Trauma, Anxiety, and Depression by goop 

5. Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy with Jonathan Sabbagh of Journey Clinical - Psychology Talk Podcast