FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Below are some frequently asked questions about our Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy program. Please take a moment to review before scheduling your phone consultation.
Are you currently accepting new clients?
Yes, we are currently accepting new clients into our Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy program (KAP).
what is ketamine, and why is it used in mental health treatment?
Ketamine is a Schedule III medication that has long been used safely as an anesthetic and analgesic agent to treat both physical and mental pain. Ketamine is not only used as an effective off-label treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance dependencies, and other psychiatric conditions, it is also commonly used as a tool for self-exploration.
There is a growing number of ketamine clinics across the country where ketamine is primarily administered intravenously and usually without associated psychotherapy – in other words, as a drug. However, the therapeutic effect from ketamine generally occurs when part of an overall psychotherapy treatment program. The Luminous Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) program uses the combined approach of psychotherapy and intramuscular ketamine administration. The psychedelic psychotherapy foundation guides the treatment process, strengthening and prolonging the beneficial effects of ketamine.
People who have not responded to typical psychiatric medications, as well as people seeking alternative approaches to healing and growth, seek KAP for many reasons. Ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects which begin within hours of administration, compared to the delayed effects of typical antidepressants. As a dissociative agent ketamine produces a sense of disconnection from one's ordinary reality and usual self, granting a break from typical patterns of thinking, disrupting repetitive negative feelings and obsessive preoccupations. Although the specific mechanisms behind ketamine’s effects are still being defined, growing research suggests that ketamine has an ability to enhances neurogenesis and neuroplasticity by stimulating local protein synthesis, forming new synaptic connections, and strengthening existing synaptic connections in the brain.
There is a growing number of ketamine clinics across the country where ketamine is primarily administered intravenously and usually without associated psychotherapy – in other words, as a drug. However, the therapeutic effect from ketamine generally occurs when part of an overall psychotherapy treatment program. The Luminous Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) program uses the combined approach of psychotherapy and intramuscular ketamine administration. The psychedelic psychotherapy foundation guides the treatment process, strengthening and prolonging the beneficial effects of ketamine.
People who have not responded to typical psychiatric medications, as well as people seeking alternative approaches to healing and growth, seek KAP for many reasons. Ketamine produces rapid antidepressant effects which begin within hours of administration, compared to the delayed effects of typical antidepressants. As a dissociative agent ketamine produces a sense of disconnection from one's ordinary reality and usual self, granting a break from typical patterns of thinking, disrupting repetitive negative feelings and obsessive preoccupations. Although the specific mechanisms behind ketamine’s effects are still being defined, growing research suggests that ketamine has an ability to enhances neurogenesis and neuroplasticity by stimulating local protein synthesis, forming new synaptic connections, and strengthening existing synaptic connections in the brain.
What is included in the Luminous Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy treatment program?
The Luminous Healing Center KAP program includes the following appointments:
The number of preparatory sessions, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy journeys, and integration sessions will be determined by you and your treating therapist. We will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan to best meet your needs and treatment goals.
- Clinical/psychological intake
- Medical screening
- Preparatory psychotherapy session(s)
- Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy journey(s) (intramuscular administration)
- Integration psychotherapy session(s)
The number of preparatory sessions, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy journeys, and integration sessions will be determined by you and your treating therapist. We will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan to best meet your needs and treatment goals.
What is the cost of the Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy program?
The overall cost of the treatment will depend on the individual’s symptoms and treatment goals. We will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan to best meet your needs.
The introductory treatment package costs $2,760 and includes a clinical intake appointment, medical screening appointment, two preparatory psychotherapy sessions, one guided ketamine journey, and two integration psychotherapy sessions. We require a credit card on file before treatment begins and bill the client directly following each appointment.
You and your treating therapist may decide to add additional preparatory sessions ($250/session), and/or integration sessions ($250/session), and/or ketamine journeys ($1,310) to expand on your healing journey. Evidence suggests that repeated administration results in higher rates of response and symptom remission; new patients may consider committing to 2-3 ketamine journeys to allow for familiarization of this potent experience and amplification of its benefits.
The introductory treatment package costs $2,760 and includes a clinical intake appointment, medical screening appointment, two preparatory psychotherapy sessions, one guided ketamine journey, and two integration psychotherapy sessions. We require a credit card on file before treatment begins and bill the client directly following each appointment.
You and your treating therapist may decide to add additional preparatory sessions ($250/session), and/or integration sessions ($250/session), and/or ketamine journeys ($1,310) to expand on your healing journey. Evidence suggests that repeated administration results in higher rates of response and symptom remission; new patients may consider committing to 2-3 ketamine journeys to allow for familiarization of this potent experience and amplification of its benefits.
Are Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy services covered by insurance?
Our KAP outpatient services are considered out-of-network and cannot be billed through your insurance. However, depending on your policy coverage, you may be eligible for reimbursement. We are happy to provide superbills upon request (prepared monthly at the beginning of the month following services rendered), for you to submit to insurance along with any other required insurance documentation for any potential reimbursement. We must receive payment prior to providing superbills. Outside of the provision of the superbill, Luminous will not be involved in the reimbursement process. Please note there will be portions of KAP treatment that the client will be invoiced for that are not reimbursable by insurance. Not all insurance companies will reimburse for services provided by out-of-network providers. It is the responsibility of the client to check with their insurance carrier regarding reimbursement policies.
Is a medical or mental health diagnosis required to be eligible for KAP?
You do not need a formal diagnosis to be eligible for KAP. Ketamine is effectively used not only as an off-label treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance dependencies, anxiety, and other psychiatric conditions, but also as a tool for self-exploration into our existential, psychological, social, and spiritual nature.
What can I expect from a ketamine journey?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) sessions, also referred to as ketamine journeys, are in-person appointments which are approximately 3-4 hours long. The day of your ketamine journey begins with thoughtful preparation through relaxation, breathing, meditation, and intention setting with your therapist. You will take time to settle into the physical space before the journey begins. During this appointment, we employ the intramuscular (IM) route of administration of ketamine (injection in your shoulder).
The purpose of the intramuscular (IM) ketamine experience is to create a non-ordinary ("altered") state of consciousness to facilitate profound transpersonal ("transcendental", "'mystical", "spiritual", "religious") peak experiences. Peak experiences may prove auspicious in resolving existential problems, accelerating psycho-spiritual growth, and often lead to a profound personal transformation and feeling of connection. Such change is best facilitated within a structured, supportive psychotherapeutic milieu in connection with therapists who have a view of your issues, hopes, desires, and struggles. As a byproduct of your experience, you may feel improvement in your emotional state and a reduction in symptoms that bother you. You may well notice that you are a bit different after a ketamine experience and that difference may be liberating and allow for new mindfulness and behavior.
A licensed medical provider will check your vitals before administering ketamine as a singular or multiple intramuscular injection into the shoulder at doses of 10 to 100 mg (130mg maximally). The choice of dose will depend on prior exposure to ketamine and other psychedelics, body weight, and sensitivity. Participants new to ketamine will receive a lower dose initial session. It is always better to start with a lower dose to reduce anxiety and become familiar with what a substance may produce in you. There is always an opportunity to make a choice for a larger dose at a future date. It is more difficult to correct a bad experience because of too high an initial dose and the anxiety it may engender. Individuals experienced with psychedelics may receive a higher initial dose. Ketamine IM creates an unusual experience of formlessness and dissolving of boundaries and has novel effects on the mind. Therefore, it is much better to have an initial learning experience.
The length of the medicine portion of the ketamine session will vary from person to person and from experience to experience. You will be mostly internally focused for the first 45-90 minutes following IM administration of ketamine and remain under ketamine's influence at a lesser level for at least one hour. A licensed medical provider will monitor you to ensure safety, while your therapist will guide and provide therapeutic support throughout your entire KAP journey session.
Your experience will be unique to you. All KAP Journeys are adventures that cannot be programmed. They evolve from who you are in relation to this substance. Journeys vary in intensity. While it is best to form an intention for your journey, you may or may not be able to hold onto that. Indeed, not holding on is best; the journey will flow whether you hold on and resist or follow the path that unfolds. Holding on is the main source of anxiety in this and other related journeys. A ketamine session can be light, dark, or both. There will be concepts, visions, and encounters. You may well deal with your own death, mortality, and immortality. Some journeys are enjoyable and filled with awe; some are difficult, but everyone grows from their experience.
The tail of your ketamine journey day will gently transition into therapeutic integration where you have the space and support to contemplate your experience. Some people find it helpful to write down thoughts, draw images, or audio record feelings that came up during the ketamine journey, if memory allows. This integration work is extremely powerful – it is our opportunity to build a bridge between the wisdom revealed to us during these altered-state, often profound, psychedelic experiences and how we invite and apply that wisdom in our everyday lives.
* Please note you will be required to arrange a ride home from your ketamine journey appointment.
* Please plan on spending the rest of the day at home after initial treatment until the medication effects on you are known.
The purpose of the intramuscular (IM) ketamine experience is to create a non-ordinary ("altered") state of consciousness to facilitate profound transpersonal ("transcendental", "'mystical", "spiritual", "religious") peak experiences. Peak experiences may prove auspicious in resolving existential problems, accelerating psycho-spiritual growth, and often lead to a profound personal transformation and feeling of connection. Such change is best facilitated within a structured, supportive psychotherapeutic milieu in connection with therapists who have a view of your issues, hopes, desires, and struggles. As a byproduct of your experience, you may feel improvement in your emotional state and a reduction in symptoms that bother you. You may well notice that you are a bit different after a ketamine experience and that difference may be liberating and allow for new mindfulness and behavior.
A licensed medical provider will check your vitals before administering ketamine as a singular or multiple intramuscular injection into the shoulder at doses of 10 to 100 mg (130mg maximally). The choice of dose will depend on prior exposure to ketamine and other psychedelics, body weight, and sensitivity. Participants new to ketamine will receive a lower dose initial session. It is always better to start with a lower dose to reduce anxiety and become familiar with what a substance may produce in you. There is always an opportunity to make a choice for a larger dose at a future date. It is more difficult to correct a bad experience because of too high an initial dose and the anxiety it may engender. Individuals experienced with psychedelics may receive a higher initial dose. Ketamine IM creates an unusual experience of formlessness and dissolving of boundaries and has novel effects on the mind. Therefore, it is much better to have an initial learning experience.
The length of the medicine portion of the ketamine session will vary from person to person and from experience to experience. You will be mostly internally focused for the first 45-90 minutes following IM administration of ketamine and remain under ketamine's influence at a lesser level for at least one hour. A licensed medical provider will monitor you to ensure safety, while your therapist will guide and provide therapeutic support throughout your entire KAP journey session.
Your experience will be unique to you. All KAP Journeys are adventures that cannot be programmed. They evolve from who you are in relation to this substance. Journeys vary in intensity. While it is best to form an intention for your journey, you may or may not be able to hold onto that. Indeed, not holding on is best; the journey will flow whether you hold on and resist or follow the path that unfolds. Holding on is the main source of anxiety in this and other related journeys. A ketamine session can be light, dark, or both. There will be concepts, visions, and encounters. You may well deal with your own death, mortality, and immortality. Some journeys are enjoyable and filled with awe; some are difficult, but everyone grows from their experience.
The tail of your ketamine journey day will gently transition into therapeutic integration where you have the space and support to contemplate your experience. Some people find it helpful to write down thoughts, draw images, or audio record feelings that came up during the ketamine journey, if memory allows. This integration work is extremely powerful – it is our opportunity to build a bridge between the wisdom revealed to us during these altered-state, often profound, psychedelic experiences and how we invite and apply that wisdom in our everyday lives.
* Please note you will be required to arrange a ride home from your ketamine journey appointment.
* Please plan on spending the rest of the day at home after initial treatment until the medication effects on you are known.
How long are the appointments?
Clinical screening appointments, medical screening appointments, and non-medicine psychotherapy sessions are 50 minutes. Individual ketamine journeys range between 3-4 hours in the office. Please plan on spending the rest of the day at home after initial treatment until the medication effects on you are known.
How is ketamine administered in this program?
We employ the intramuscular (IM) route of administration of ketamine. A licensed medical provider will administer ketamine as singular or multiple intramuscular injection into the shoulder at doses of 10 to 100 mg (130mg maximally). The dose used in this sub-anesthetic ketamine therapy is 2 mg/kg or less. The choice of dose will depend on prior exposure to ketamine and other psychedelics, body weight, and sensitivity. Naive subjects will receive a lower dose initial session. It is always better to start with a lower dose to reduce anxiety and become familiar with what a substance may produce in you. There is always an opportunity to make a choice for a larger dose at a future date.
Will I have to discontinue my medication to be eligible for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Most likely not. Ketamine has an extensive safety record and plays well with most psychiatric medications. There are very few medications that will preclude someone from using ketamine, and many times we can work around those medications by adjusting dosing/timing around the scheduled journey. Before participating in ketamine treatment, you will be carefully screened by medical providers to determine your eligibility. Our medical providers will look at your list of medications and advise you on any necessary changes. You should never decrease or stop taking your medication(s) without a doctor’s direct order.
What should I be aware of before considering Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Ketamine has a remarkably safe track record, but there are several conditions which may make KAP contraindicated. The list below is not exhaustive and will be expanded upon during your clinical and medical assessment prior to treatment:
- Unmanaged hypertension is a contra-indication to ketamine use as the substance causes a rise in blood pressure.
- Similarly, a history of heart disease may make you ineligible to participate
- Ketamine should not be taken if you have untreated hyperthyroidism
- There have also been reports of some decrease in immune function in patients receiving surgical doses of ketamine.
- Pregnant women are not eligible because of potential effects on the fetus. The effects of ketamine on pregnancy and the fetus are undetermined. It is advisable to protect against pregnancy while exposing yourself to ketamine or in the immediate aftermath of its use.
I am currently nursing, am I eligible for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
If you are nursing/breastfeeding, you may still be eligible for KAP. The appointments with ketamine will require that you pre-pump and store breast milk before the appointment, enough for 24 hours, and then pump and waste after treatment for 24 hours. Research has shown that at 12 hours post dosing of intramuscular ketamine (the route of administration for our Luminous KAP program, at .5mg/kg-1mg/kg) the available amount to the infant is shown as negligible and rapidly declining. For all practical purposes of the scheduled journey, the Luminous Healing Center medical providers who administer the ketamine feel comfortable being conservative with a policy of pump and dump for 24 hours post journey.
If you have any questions about the criteria above, you are welcome to schedule a free phone consultation (see below) for more information.
If you have any questions about the criteria above, you are welcome to schedule a free phone consultation (see below) for more information.
What types of modalities are used in this Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy program?
Our psychedelic psychotherapy program is interdisciplinary, drawing on modalities from trauma-informed therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic psychotherapy, psychoeducation, solution-based psychotherapy, nature-based psychotherapy, music therapy, and ceremony. The Luminous Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) program attends to the full spectrum of emotional and spiritual suffering, inviting healing to body, mind, and spirit.
where are appointments held?
Our program has a mix of in-person and telehealth appointments. Ketamine journeys will be conducted in-person at our Santa Cruz location.
what is the time commitment?
The time commitment for the KAP program varies depending on your individualized treatment plan and the overlapping availability in your and your therapist’s schedule. The introductory KAP package includes a minimum of five separate appointments, but treatment duration will be determined by each individual client’s progress and needs and may extend beyond this range.
how soon can i schedule an appointment to initiate treatment?
In most cases, we can get you scheduled for a clinical intake within the same week of your initial inquiry. Initiating treatment begins with scheduling a free phone consultation (see below).
i would like to apply for kat. where can i get started?
Initiating Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy at the Luminous Healing Center begins with scheduling a free phone consultation. This phone consultation is an opportunity to get any additional questions you may have answered, provide basic information so that we may send you clinic documents to review and digitally sign, and schedule your clinical screening.
To schedule your free KAP phone consultation, please call 831-454-8870 or email info@luminoushealingcenter.com.
To schedule your free KAP phone consultation, please call 831-454-8870 or email info@luminoushealingcenter.com.