Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Ketamine is a synthetic pharmaceutical compound classified as a dissociative anesthetic. It is a widely used medication and is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. It was developed in 1963, approved for use in 1970, and adopted by many jurisdictions because of its rapid onset, proven safety, and short duration of action.

Ketamine is most commonly used as an anesthetic agent in surgical and emergency department settings due to its good safety profile. It has also been utilized successfully in managing acute and chronic pain conditions due to its analgesic properties.

While ketamine is known to be used recreationally as a street drug outside of medical applications, its use in this context is unrelated to medical and therapeutic use, which is known to be safe and associated with positive outcomes.

In the last two decades, ketamine has been increasingly clinically applied at subanesthetic doses as an off-label treatment for various chronic treatment-resistant mental health conditions, such as depression, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other mental health diagnoses. If you have any questions or concerns about ketamine itself, don’t hesitate to inquire with the Numinus medical team about it during the screening process.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy combines structured psychotherapy with the medical administration of ketamine. When used in relatively small doses, ketamine is a psychoactive substance that can contribute to altered or ‘non-ordinary’ states of consciousness. Recent research has shown that, when combined with forms of counselling by trained mental health professionals, these psychedelic experiences can enable people to overcome a broad range of mental health challenges, ranging from depression and anxiety to addiction and trauma.

In the context of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, the idea is to harness the openness of this altered state with structured psychotherapy to engage with and process strong emotions that may otherwise be painful or simply difficult to access. Cultivating this emotional awareness with your therapist can then make it possible to ‘reorganize’ core experiences, see important relationships in a new light, and create a coherent and meaningful narrative that supports transformation, and coming into balance.

Ketamine can be administered in a number of ways, including intravenous infusion (IV), intramuscular injection (IM), as well as via nasal sprays and lozenges or rapid dissolving tablets that are placed under the tongue. At Mindspace, presently only nasal spray and rapid dissolving tablets are used for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. The specific dose and method is determined on a case-by-case basis with your medical team at Mindspace.

At the dosages provided at Mindspace, while under the effect of ketamine, you will most likely experience mild reductions in pain, anxiety and depression, in addition to other possible psychoactive effects such as:

● Increased sensitivity to light and sound
● A dream-like or ‘floating’ feeling
● Diminished body sensations
● Altered sense of time
● Mild changes in perception of sound and vision
● Relaxation of ordinary concerns and usual mindset
● Disruption of negative feelings and preoccupations

While many clients find the effects of ketamine to be pleasurable, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can involve experiencing uncomfortable feelings, engaging in difficult interactions, revisiting painful experiences, or being challenged to see the world in new and different ways. Additional details of the therapeutic approach will be shared with you should you choose to go forward with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.

During the ketamine dosing sessions, you will be in a room that has been specifically designed to support ketamine and other psychedelic-assisted psychotherapies, and to feel as comfortable as possible. Most clients will prefer to rest in a semi-reclined or reclined position. You will have the opportunity to wear eye-shades if desired, and preselected music, specifically designed to enhance the experience, will be offered.

At Mindspace ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is only available to individuals between the ages of 18 and 65, and to Quebec residents. At present, youth under 18 years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers are not eligible for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, since the effects of ketamine on pregnancy, nursing children and youth are still relatively unknown. Though research indicates that ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be effective for a number of mental health indications, Mindspace is currently focused on addressing treatment-resistant depression.

To be eligible for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for depression, you must be evaluated by a medical practitioner and not have any contraindications to this therapy, including any medical or other psychiatric illnesses that suggest this treatment might be unsafe. Conditions that may make you ineligible for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy include, but are not limited to: a history of psychosis (e.g. hallucinations), mania, untreated hypertension, heart disease or stroke, and seizure. Similarly, severe liver disease, untreated thyroid disorders or other medical conditions may require management prior to ketamine assisted psychotherapy.

If you are suffering from treatment-resistant depression our team will work directly with you to determine whether you are a good candidate for treatment by taking a full medical and psychological history.

No, we can only provide KAP for clients who are resident in Quebec.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is an exciting innovation in mental health care, but because it is still new, it is presently still an uninsured medical service. Unless you have a private insurance provider or other provider to pay for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, you will need to pay out of pocket as it is presently an uninsured service. The price of the full program is currently under $4700. This includes the cost for all facilities, equipment, screening, medical visits, treatment and psychotherapy sessions but not the ketamine prescription itself. If you have an insurance provider you may be able to claim some portion of the individual psychotherapy sessions, depending on your insurance plan. We will provide you with a detailed breakdown of the costs for each aspect of the service should you require it for any additional insurance coverage you may have.

From day one our team will be focused on ensuring that you are receiving the best possible care, and supporting you through what may be both a challenging and profoundly healing experience. In the event that you choose or need to withdraw from the program before its completion, you may stop without incurring any additional charges, as long as you cancel your next session with sufficient notice, which varies depending on the session type, but ranges between 1 and 3 days. This will be discussed with you in more detail by your Health Navigator.

If you believe you are eligible for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and would like to proceed with the program, the next step will be to obtain a referral from your primary care physician, so that we can initiate the screening process to confirm your suitability. Our Care Coordinators can work with you to obtain this referral from your GP or primary care provider. Once we receive your referral you will be assigned a Health Navigator and we can initiate the medical screening process.