1.
Starting a Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
(KAP) Practice
Veronika Gold, LMFT
Gregory Wells, PhD

2.
Why Ketamine?
Why Now?

3.
Treatment Indications
◇ Treatment Resistant
Depression
◇ Anxiety Disorders
◇ PTSD
◇ Addictions
◇ OCD
◇ Psycho-spiritual growth
Contraindications
◇ Personality Disorder
◇ Delusional Disorder
◇ Bipolar with caution
◇ Untreated HTN
◇ Cardiovascular Disease
◇ Kidney disease or
impairment

4.
Set and Setting

5.
Set and Setting

6.
Non-directive, supporting
emerging experience.
A Manual for MDMA-
assisted Psychotherapy
in the Treatment of
Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder
Michael C. Mithoefer, M.D.
Other contributors:
June Ruse, Psy.D Annie Mithoefer,
B.S.N., Lisa Jerome, Ph.D., Rick
Doblin, Ph.D., Elizabeth Gibson,
M.S., Marcela Ot’alora G.,L.P.C.

7.
Treatment Approaches
Low Dose
◇ Empathogenic Experience -
Trance-like state
◇ Psycholytic Therapy
◇ Allows for ongoing
communication
◇ Induces mild dissociation, mildly
anesthetic, yet present and
relaxed state
◇ Generally low-risk; low side
Moderate to High Dose
◇ Out of Body Experience (OBE)
◇ Near-Death Experience (NDE)
◇ Ego-Dissolving Transcendental
experience
◇ Moderate to profound dissociative
sedation, may be similar to high dose
classical psychedelics
◇ Potential for side effects; not suitable for

8.
Treatment Protocol for Lozenge Sessions
◇ Medical and Psychological Assessment and Intake Session
◇ 1-2 in office sessions with low-moderate dose lozenges
◇ Education and guidance to prepare for at-home low dose
sessions
◇ 6 at-home low dose sessions over 2-week period
◇ Therapist contact after every at-home session
◇ Patient required to have own therapist for weekly sessions
◇ Maintenance phase: less frequent sessions and/or IM sessions

9.
Patient’s First At-Home Ketamine Session
I am emerging which has been such a beautiful and powerful theme of
this journey… most profoundly experienced in ways that are deeper
than words could ever describe…both giving birth to myself and being
birthed by myself, I could experience myself mothering me, guiding me,
I was able to experience myself as my own therapist.

10.
• Vision and mission of your practice
• Education and Training
• Set and Setting – preparation, approach, integration
• Staff training
• Protocol
• Partnerships
• Outcome measures and data collection
• Preparation for Adverse Events
Entrepreneurship in Ketamine Therapy

11.
◇ theketaminetrainingcenter.com and The Center for Transformational
Psychotherapy
Phil Wolfson and Julane Andries in San Anselmo, CA
◇ Kriya Institute
Raquel Bennett in Bay Area
TRAINING IN KETAMINE ASSISTED
PSYCHOTHERAPY

12.
polarisinsight.com
veronika@polarisinsight.com
greg@polarisinsight.com
Polaris Insight Center
4257 18th St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
415.400.5722
THANK
YOU!