One of the most important yet overlooked aspects of successful Ketamine therapy — especially in clinics where you’re given intramuscular or intravenous drip Ketamine and left alone in a reclining chair the entire time you’re on the medicine — is the need for a therapeutic alliance built on trust, empathy, and understanding with a licensed psychotherapist.
A therapist who:
- Has learned about you and knows who you really are well before you take Ketamine.
- Sits beside you the entire time you’re on the medicine and, if needed, will gently encourage you to express your thoughts and feelings, and
- After the Ketamine has worn off, will help you explore and make sense of what you experienced while you were on the medicine.
The Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapist’s role is like that of a gentle midwife who helps you make sense of confusing, sometimes frightening thoughts and feelings that may come up while you’re on Ketamine. A therapist who will encourage you to feel everything deeply in your body, at your own pace in your own good time, and after you’re off the medicine, will help you wonder how you might weave insights from what you experienced into your everyday life.
Your therapist should be certified to practice Ketamine and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy by the Integrative Psychiatry Institute.
