Ketamine + Psychotherapy

Ketamine assisted psychotherapy, ketamine preparation, integration, and support

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy & Support

These materials and related websites do not constitute or replace medical advice from your licensed medical provider.

Psychedelic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: On Ketamine, Context and Competencies in “Assisted-Psychotherapy”
There are many tools to help a psychotherapist help clients learn to speak the language of cognitive behavioral therapy, especially tools which may help facilitate therapeutic alliance, including, but not limited to telehealth.

Ketamine was FDA approved for use in humans and animals in 1970, as a dissociative anesthetic at very high doses. Ketamine may be prescribed off-label by medical clinicians who specialize in this medicine’s sub-anesthetic doses for mental health and pain management in collaboration with a mental health provider specializing in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.

"Because ketamine is used as an elective treatment for a non–life-threatening condition (ie, pain), it is prudent to heed these relative contraindications and precautions, even though the likelihood of complications is low."

Considering Ketamine

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be prescribed by a knowledgeable medical provider and referred to a psychedelic mental health practitioner or other types of practitioners of the body, mind, heart and spirit in a way that makes sense to you and your experience. Learning to integrate psychedelic experiences for improved mental health and well-being in your daily life is how psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy brings these transformative substances and experiences to the wider population, incorporating a bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach.

Routines keep you alive, until they turn into ruts. Rituals of introspection and inward journeying may lead towards transformation, especially when paired with informed care and community support. Approaching this medicine work with careful intention, screening, medical clearance, and multi-modal clinical and social support is how we strive to maximize this medicine’s benefits for as many people as possible who’ve yet to find relief with other medicine practices or approaches.

Finding the minimal amount of medicine and dose needed for the most amount of improved quality of life is key. The medical provider will decide the setting — whether in an office being monitored, or at home with a sober sitter of your choice.

Preparation and integration continues to be provided via telehealth, in-home or on-location

Supervised practicums for chaplains, ketamine therapists, ketamine sitters, hospice providers, medical providers, shamanic practitioners which include 6-12 medicine experiences, scholarships & work study available.

At very low doses ketamine is sub-perceptual. At moderate doses it is used in psycholytic therapy where the client is communicating with a therapist. At doses considered in the psychedelic, yet still sub-anesthetic range, people report a meditative state with a range of experiences from terrifying to mystical, that, when properly prepared for, supported, and integrated, can lead to a marked change in quality of life.

These experiences happen with a variety of medicines and other types of practices from around the world, throughout human history, but generally not without some sort of supportive wisdom approach. One system of support is through psychotherapists trained in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Another system of support of these experiences are through curanderos, taitas, sangomas, and other types of cultural practitioners, although these types of practitioners aren’t usually working with ketamine.

Ketamine for mood disorders, anxiety, and suicidality in children and adolescents: a systematic review - PubMed
Mood disorders, anxiety, and suicidality in youth are increasing and rapid-acting treatments are urgently needed. One potential is ketamine or its enantiomer esketamine, which was FDA approved in 2019 to treat major depressive disorder with suicidality in adults. This systematic review evaluated the …

Physician Consultation

KETAMINE-ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY IS A PROCESS THAT BEGINS WITH REFERRAL FROM A MEDICAL PROVIDER

Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy — Rates, Referrals & Registration
Psychotherapy via telehealth from the Psychedelic Institute of Mental Health & Family Therapy is available for residents of CA, NY, UT and VT. Local appointments available in the Greater Palm Springs | Joshua Tree area.

Ketamine Cost Considerations & Comparisons

IV Ketamine Infusion Clinic

  • 40 minute medicine session
  • est cost $500-$1500 per session, not covered by insurance
  • may or may not have a mental health specialist as part of treatment

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy & Support - 18 hours - $3,150.00 (Institute rate)

  • Preparation and Goal Setting for Treatment with psychotherapist (1 hour)
  • 2.5 hour medicine sessions
  • 1 hour integration session (within 4 days of the medicine session)
  • possible insurance reimbursement for preparation & integration sessions *Outside Medical Visit + Pharmacy are outside cost considerations
    • Racemic ketamine is an FDA approved generic drug that has been prescribed off label for myriad uses ranging from mood disorders to pain management, and has been studied nonstop for over 60 years. Your medical provider prescribes your medicine, after a thorough medical / psychiatric assessment. Your PCAB-accredited compounding pharmacy will dispense your medicine to you. Talk to your medical provider about a Referral or check out one of the independent providers listed here

Compare to one psilocybin session, upwards of $2500 for a single dose, delivered without mental health or medical support (Oregon model)

Ketamine ameliorates post-traumatic social avoidance by erasing the traumatic memory encoded in VTA-innervated BLA engram cells (LI, et al, 2024)

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Provides Lasting and Effective Results in the Treatment of Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at 3 and 6 Months: Findings from a Large Retrospective Effectiveness Study (Yermus, et al, 2024)

At-home, telehealth-supported ketamine treatment for depression: Findings from longitudinal, machine learning and symptom network analysis of real-world data (Mathai, et al, 2024) — over 11,000 patients followed over multiple years is largest real-world study of ketamine therapy to date.

At-home, telehealth-supported ketamine treatment for depression: Findings from longitudinal, machine learning and symptom network analysis of real-world data - PubMed
At-home, telehealth-supported ketamine administration was largely safe, well-tolerated, and associated with improvement in patients with depression. Strategies for combining psychedelic-oriented therapies with rigorous telehealth models, as explored here, may uniquely address barriers to mental heal …


You are not REQUIRED to take this medicine, or ANY medicine, for that matter. Our team is here to support you in minimizing any harm that may come from medicines, practices and experiences that may evoke an altered state of consciousness, and maximize any potential benefits.

The goal of mental health counseling is to restore some sense of balance in your mental health and personal well-being without relying on a daily pharmaceutical treatment.



A harm reduction model supports the least amount of medicine for the most amount of observed benefit paired with psychotherapy to maximize any positive effects, and reduce the likelihood of harm.

Your dosing may depend on the route of administration.

Ongoing collaboration with your medical team and compounding pharmacy helps reduce the likelihood of misuse or abuse of medicines.

Employee ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program developed in conjunction with the Psychedelic Institute of Mental Health & Family Therapy, with preparation and integration sessions delivered remotely via telehealth.



Psychedelic Therapy: Does the psychedelic experience matter?
Psychedelic medicines have been studied in the Western medical literature consistently for over 100 years, over 60 of which in the ongoing study and practice of racemic ketamine. Psychedelic experiences are described similarly and often felt as profoundly meaningful.

Ketamine + Couples (Relational) Therapy
Psychedelic ketamine is being used in relationship counseling, couples counseling, marriage therapy, family therapy and group therapy

Ketamine Group Therapy

Ketamine Group Therapy (Palm Springs) - Support Group in Palm Springs, CA, 92262 | Psychedelic Institute of Mental Health and Family
Ketamine Group Therapy (Palm Springs) - Support Group hosted by Michael DeMarco - Psychedelic Institute of Mental Health and Family in Palm Springs, CA, 92262, (760) 313-6764, 5 member closed group for 8 weeks of at-home ketamine preparation, support and integration facilitated remotely. Collaboration with a medical team required. Although we’ll be working remotely, this group is for folks in the Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, Coachella Valley area.

ON-LOCATION Greater Palm Springs | Joshua Tree Area | Additional Group therapy options via telehealth

Community is such an important aspect of the integration process. Group therapy can be a cost-effective way to build on what you’ve started with the medicine and individual integration with psychotherapy. Group members will be accessing their ketamine treatments along the same arc together over 8 weeks.

Institute Staff available for groups on location. Inquire for on-location rates and fee arrangements.

Ketamine Clinician Practicum (Thursdays/Sundays 6-9:30) - Michael DeMarco, PhD
Introduction to Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy & Support Clinician Practicum meets Thursdays and Sundays over 6 weeks from 6-9:30pm PST. through our clinician video conferencing platform.

Slouching towards engagement: interactions between people using psychedelics naturalistically and their healthcare providers - PubMed
Our results show that psychedelic use is generally disconnected from primary and psychiatric clinical care. This disconnection may result in safety issues, including inadequate screening for contraindicated conditions, lack of support during emergent adverse events, and drug interactions. Enhanced c …

PlanetMedicines (@PsychedelicInstitute@toad.social)
2.16K Posts, 67 Following, 175 Followers · Psychedelic Institute of Mental Health & Family Therapy | Telehealth therapy | CA, NY, UT, VT | Palm Springs | Joshua Tree | By Referral “#Psychedelic”: a made-up word from the mid-20th Century for states of consciousness arising from #ketamine #mdma #dmt #lsd #ibogaine #psilocybin, & non-medicine practices. #Psychedelicresearch spans 100+ years, suggests least harm, most good when offered with cognitive behavioral #psychotherapy to prepare, support & integrate #psychedelicexperiences

Racemic Ketamine has been studied in humans and animals since 1962, and was FDA approved in 1970. — Psychedelic Institute of Mental Health & Family Therapy

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