Ketamine Assisted Therapy

MINDSTREAM INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE

Ketamine Assisted Therapy

At MindStream, we offer Ketamine Assisted Therapy, which is shown to be very effective for the treatment of many mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, trauma, eating disorders, and other chronic conditions that affect mood. Learn more about Ketamine Assisted Therapy and how it might help you.

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Ketamine Assisted Therapy FAQ

Ketamine Assisted Therapy is a unique blend of medication and therapy that allows a patient to experience very different sensations and thoughts. In addition to the effects that ketamine has on the growth of neurons in the brain where learning and memory occur, the combination of medicine and therapy also appears to facilitate deeper insights and healing than either medicine or therapy alone.

Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways. At MindStream, we generally use intramuscular injection, but can also provide IV ketamine, intranasal or oral ketamine according to the needs of the patient. Different routes of administration have their benefits and downsides. During our medical screening, we can explain these options and share in the decision-making around the most suitable route.

Ketamine is effective. In the clinical trials where patients receive 6 sessions over 2-3 weeks, 80% of patients had at least a 50% improvement in their symptoms, and 60% of patients no longer met the criteria for the condition they presented with. These effects have variable durability, which is why we work with patients to access booster sessions as needed to maintain the benefits in mood they have achieved through treatment.

If you're interested in learning if ketamine assisted therapy might be right for you, complete our Ketamine Therapy Questionnaire or schedule a free 15-minute phone or telehealth consult.

At MindStream, we feel that ketamine is best combined with therapy as a catalyst for change. The use of ketamine has been established as an effective treatment for many mental health conditions, including depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and more. Ketamine therapy has not shown a benefit for patients with psychosis. MindStream offers Ketamine Assisted Therapy with medical providers who are trained to provide therapeutic support for those sessions and follow-up integration.

For those seeking a more intensive experience, we recommend that the therapy be provided by our partners, Nashville Psychedelic Center (NPC) and Trauma Therapy of Nashville (TTN). Each program offers different experiences and we encourage potential patients to reach out with questions. Each program offers unique features, which is just one of the many reasons we love collaborative work!

If you're interested in learning if ketamine assisted therapy might be right for you, complete our Ketamine Therapy Questionnaire or schedule a free 15-minute phone or telehealth consult.

Ketamine is a safe medication that is used daily worldwide in human and animal health. To ensure that it is safe for an individual to use ketamine for mood treatment, we start by screening for medical and mental health conditions that may be contraindicated. Once a person has had a medical evaluation, we will set up an appointment for a ketamine therapy preparation session.

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If you're interested in learning if ketamine assisted therapy might be right for you, complete our Ketamine Therapy Questionnaire or schedule a free 15-minute phone or telehealth consult.

Ketamine is a treatment, not a cure. The frequency of boosters is unique to each patient, which is why we work together to develop a good strategy for those who respond to be able to get additional sessions in a timely manner. For patients seeking relief from mental health symptoms, ketamine is typically offered in a series of 2 sessions per week for 3-4 weeks. Those who respond well to ketamine usually do best with repeat “booster” sessions every 3-8 weeks. For this reason, we also offer at-home sessions and group sessions. For more information about MindStream's Ketamine Assisted Therapy process, please reference the graphic below.

If you're interested in learning if ketamine assisted therapy might be right for you, complete our Ketamine Therapy Questionnaire or schedule a free 15-minute phone or telehealth consult.

Did you know we offer online appointment scheduling?

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Ketamine Assisted Therapy

It is important to understand that the frequency of boosters depends on the needs of each patient, which is why we work with each patient to develop the right strategy for them. For patients seeking relief from mental health symptoms, ketamine is typically offered in a series of 2 sessions per week for 3-4 weeks. Those who respond well to ketamine usually do best with repeat “booster” sessions every 3-8 weeks. For this reason, we also offer at-home sessions and group sessions. For more information about MindStream's Ketamine Assisted Therapy process, please reference the graphic below.

Learn if ketamine assisted therapy might be right for you.

LEARN MORE ABOUT KETAMINE ASSISTED THERAPY

What is Preparation and Integration?

As mentioned above, we feel that ketamine is best used in conjunction with therapy. Therefore, our Ketamine Assisted Therapy process always involves a period of talk therapy before the medicine session (Preparation Sessions) and a period of talk therapy afterward to integrate the experience following each medicine session (Integration Sessions).

These sessions of talk therapy are vital to the process of building insight and awareness from the work of the medicine sessions. Patients often have profound awarenesses that appear during ketamine therapy, but without working to anchor it, the awareness will fade with time.

Goals of Preparation

  • Feeling fully informed about Ketamine Assisted Therapy
  • Feeling safe with the therapist, the location, and the mindset going into the medicine session
  • Having realistic expectations about the treatment
  • Establishing the nature of the treatment - understanding that it is non-linear and often surprising
  • Clarifying who the support system is
  • Reviewing the role of music and touch, and obtaining consent and preferences for these supports during a medicine session
  • Discussing tips and techniques on self-regulation
  • Preparing for the session (fasting, clothing, medication adjustments, clearing the calendar, providing for role support as needed,such as time off work or childcare)

Goals of Integration:

  • Meaning-making: reviewing the experience to unpack what happened and offer thoughts around the possible “why”
  • Metabolizing the experience: working with how the medicine session showed up in the body, perhaps allowing past experiences to move through the body
  • Exploring ways to apply new insights
  • Looking at the world around and seeing if changes in self-concept will also invite us to change behaviors, relationships and worldview (sometimes called the “therapeutic bends”)
  • Reflecting on self

Learn more about the healing power of psychedelics.

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Contact Us.

MindStream Integrative Medicine
503 A Ligon Drive
Nashville, TN 37204

p: 615.541.9933  |  f: 615.541.9934

Direct messaging is also available by clicking the chat icon on the right-hand side of your screen or through our secure patient portal.

MindStream Integrative Medicine
503 A Ligon Drive
Nashville, TN 37204

p: 615.541.9933
f: 615.541.9934

Direct messaging is also available by clicking the chat icon on the right-hand side of your screen or through our secure patient portal.

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