Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) can maximize the mental wellness benefits you get from ketamine therapy. At Elevate Medical in Midtown Manhattan, Yung Park, MD, Kevin Lemaire, DO, Sima Paul, MD, Lesley Cano, PMHNP-BC, and the expert team provide ketamine-assisted psychotherapy virtually or during in-office treatments with Spravato®. Do you want to get the most benefits from your ketamine therapy? Call the New York City office or request an appointment online to learn more about ketamine-assisted psychotherapy from the virtual psychiatry practice.

What is ketamine?

Ketamine is a medication primarily used as a general anesthetic during surgery. It’s a dissociative anesthetic that works by blocking receptors in the brain, stopping pain signals and putting you in an unconscious state so you're unaware of what’s going on around you. 

More recently, researchers have been investigating the therapeutic benefits of ketamine. When given at lower doses over a period of time, ketamine rapidly improves depression symptoms, even the most severe like thoughts of suicide.

Though researchers are still investigating how ketamine improves mental wellness, they theorize that it may decrease activity in the areas of the brain that process emotional information and increase activity in the areas that control decision making, memory, and attention.

Elevate Medical offers treatment with Spravato®, a prescription nasal spray with esketamine, a more potent version of ketamine. Spravato is FDA-approved for people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) with depression symptoms.

Spravato is an in-office treatment.

What is ketamine-assisted psychotherapy?

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) combines talk therapy with ketamine treatment. Therapy is done before, during, or after administration of ketamine, helping you gain the most benefits from the innovative treatment.

Elevate Medical provides ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, personalizing your plans based on your individual needs and life circumstances. With psychotherapy, they help you develop strategies and coping mechanisms that improve how you think, feel, and behave. 

Though results vary, combining ketamine treatments like Spravato with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may help you get long-lasting relief from your depression symptoms.

How does ketamine-assisted psychotherapy work?

Before making any treatment recommendations, your provider at Elevate Medical completes a thorough initial evaluation. They review your symptoms, medical and mental health histories, and your current medications.

They also request a medical exam and lab work to rule out any physical conditions that could explain your symptoms. The goal of the evaluation is to identify the root cause of your depression symptoms so they can create a targeted and effective plan.

If you have TRD or depression symptoms with MDD and traditional interventions aren’t improving symptoms, the team at Elevate Medical may recommend Spravato with KAP.

They may provide KAP before, during, or after Spravato treatment. Most therapy sessions are virtual, making treatment accessible and convenient.

Are you considering ketamine for depression? Schedule your online evaluation at Elevate Medical by calling the office today or requesting an appointment through the website booking tool.