Are You Forging A New Path And In Need Of A New Perspective?
• Are depression, trauma, or intrusive patterns not shifting the way you hoped?
• Have you come to a standstill in your traditional talk therapy progress and are struggling to feel the relief you seek?
• Are you experiencing fatigue, frustration or hopelessness with trying new psychiatric medications or other supplemental treatments — yet still feeling stuck?
At bareWell in San Diego, we offer Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) as an integrative treatment option for individuals navigating treatment-resistant depression, trauma, OCD, and other chronic mental health concerns. KAP combines clinically-dosed ketamine (provided by an external licensed medical provider) alongside structured, relational psychotherapy with our KAP-certified psychotherapist to support your journey towards deeper insight, emotional processing, and lasting change.
As we are entering mental health treatment for the first time, it seems like everyone is on the same path. We all learn coping skills, symptom management, emotional identification skills, and probably talk about mom & dad quite a bit more than we ever wanted to. But for some of us - talk therapy doesn’t feel like enough. Where at first the insight can be exciting and liberating, it sometimes also can feel like just increased awareness of what feels so terribly overwhelming without the corresponding clarity of how to move forward in a different way.
It may be that big changes in your life have caused you to struggle with symptoms of depression and anxiety, such as constant fear and worry, a desire to withdraw from others, or an inability to focus on what’s ahead of you. Or perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed or longing for the past when things felt simpler and more straightforward.
Change is the only constant in life, and a list of common life transitions could go on forever. Nevertheless, no matter which crossroads you find yourself at, you found yourself here and perhaps that’s exactly where you need to be to learn if KAP could be right for you.
What Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy & How Does It Help?
Ketamine therapy involves the use of sub-anesthetic ketamine doses prescribed and medically managed by an independent physician or nurse practitioner. When paired with psychotherapy, this model is called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).
Ketamine is a DEA Schedule III medication long used safely as an anesthetic. Its use for mental health conditions such as depression and PTSD is considered off-label, and research is ongoing with emerging studies suggest promising outcomes for some individuals with treatment-resistant depression.
At bareWell, ketamine is never used in isolation — it is integrated into a structured therapeutic process with a therapist you get to know & trust prior to taking this next step in your treatment journey.
Research suggests ketamine may enhance neuroplasticity in short-term bursts following administration because of the way that brain's glutamate system responds to it —enhancing neuroplasticity and fostering new synaptic connections — creating a window for therapeutic work to deepen & expand with the guidance & support from a knowledgeable and trustworthy KAP-certified therapist.
Thus far, studies show that those who most often sought out KAP as a treatment option presented with symptoms & feelings congruent with treatment-resistant depression, trauma and PTSD, obsessive-compulsive patterns, persistent anxiety and/or rigid, entrenched cognitive and emotional loops. Thereafter, many individuals reported experiencing one or more of the following therapeutic ‘breakthroughs:’ accessing emotions or memories that previously felt blocked, ‘loosen’ trauma-based or self-critical patterns, experience new insights and perspectives, process difficult experiences with increased flexibility, and integrate meaningful change beyond the dosing session.
The medicine may create openness. Therapy creates meaning.
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy Opens The Pathway To Hope And Possibility
As you prepare to take your life’s next big step, you may need a space to weigh your options or gain clarity about what’s ahead. In therapy, you will be given a chance to safely explore, understand, and gain awareness about your “stuck points,” or the areas where you feel unable or unmotivated to change. By working with a KAP clinician at bareWell who will commit to building a trusted and supportive connection, you can learn to manage, process, and tolerate even the toughest emotions.
After an initial consultation and obtaining a prescription from a licensed medical provider, you will spend the first few sessions with your KAP therapist exploring where you are in your treatment transition and what you need to feel successful in navigating it. Using a blend of client-centered approaches, your KAP therapist will help you to develop a better sense of what to anticipate throughout different phases of KAP, answer any questions you have regarding the process, your areas of need, as well as any preferences & boundaries to ensure that you feel most comfortable in this next step on your mental health journey.
Once you feel confident in proceeding with the ketamine portion of the treatment, you'll engage in a collaborative dialogue with your prescriber and therapist to prepare you for what to expect in your dosing session. Depending on the treatment plan determined by your prescriber, you may have the options of receiving ketamine infusions in their medical office, or using a nasal spray form of the medication. In most cases, your KAP psychotherapist through bareWell will be able to support you during and after your dosing session as you explore emotional issues that arise during the experience. As you gain a deeper awareness of your emotions & experiences, your therapist will help you to be better prepared to organize your thoughts and adapt to new realities.
You already maintain the instincts and wisdom that will allow you to heal and grow—we are merely here to help you cultivate those strengths so that you can navigate new circumstances with self-assurance and self-compassion.
You don’t have to face life’s big changes alone. The therapists at bareWell are here to walk alongside you on your journey of healing and transformation.
Are you curious to know more about KAP? Answers to common questions below:
Is there anyone who is not a Candidate for Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine therapy is not appropriate for everyone. It may be contraindicated for individuals with:
Current or past psychosis
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
History of manic episodes
Certain cardiovascular or medical conditions
Certain medication regimens
Eligibility for ketamine treatment is determined collaboratively by you and your treating KAP licensed medical provider. This medical provider will conduct a medical assessment to determine your eligibility for ketamine, diagnose as appropriate, and ensure your safety throughout treatment.
Am I going to be high in therapy? What does Ketamine feel like?
Ketamine is formally classified as a “dissociative” anesthetic, dissociation meaning a sense of disconnection from one’s ordinary experience of reality and self. At the dosage typically self administered during KAP, most people experience mild anesthetic, anxiolytic (anxiety reducing), antidepressant and, potentially, psychedelic effects though these latter effects are typically minimal. The antidepressant effect tends to have a cumulative effect, that is, be more sustained with repeated use. It has been speculated that dissociative experiences are associated with greater and longer lasting beneficial effects. This may also include a positive change in outlook and character that some describe as profound and transformative.
You should be aware that some emotional and other experiences that arise during KAP may be temporarily disturbing to you. Visual, tactile and auditory processing may be altered. A mingling of the senses and emotions may occur. Your ordinary sense of time may become dilated, meaning your perception of the passage of time may be different than the actual passage of time.
No matter your experience, your KAP psychotherapist will support and guide you as you encounter and explore sensations that arise during and after the dosing experience.
My Treatment Resistance is incredibly unique; do you still think you can help?
Our therapists are highly trained and have worked with a diverse array of clients — there’s nothing we want more than to help facilitate your healing & path to relief. While we can’t guarantee a magic fix, we have seen meaningful results in patients who have also presented with significant difficulty in other modalities & fears of ‘incurable’ mental health symptoms. No matter where you are in the midst of your transition or what challenges you’ve been facing as a result, we will meet you where you are on your journey and provide a nonjudgmental, supportive point-of-view.
Find The Confidence To Face And Navigate The Unknown
If experiencing stagnation, a feeling of being ‘stuck’ or ‘broken’ has caused you to feel as if you will never ‘feel better’ or out of therapies to try, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy at bareWell may be able to help you regain your footing and move forward. To schedule a free, 15-minute consultation or find out more about how we can help, please fill out our contact form.
