Preparing for Your Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Session
At The Ketamine Clinic, we want to ensure that you have the best possible experience during your Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) sessions. Proper preparation can help you maximize the therapeutic benefits of your treatment. Here’s what you need to think about, bring, and expect before your KAP session.
Journey Day Essentials
On the Day
No caffeine or food 4 hrs before treatment (morning coffee OK though). No alcohol for at least 72hrs. Only CLEARED meds before the session. No beverages 1hr before session.
What to Bring
Wear comfortable clothes and socks. Comfort blanket if you wish. A healthy snack for after the session. An object that might help like a photo of you as a child etc.
Paperwork
If you are asked to bring any paperwork then please do. Any journaling materials like a notepad or artwork. Many people find writing down their thoughts and feelings immediately after the session a useful exercise. Art is also a fantastic medium for expression that which is beyond words.
Substances to Avoid
Please avoid using alcohol, benzodiazepines, cannabis, opioids, NSAID pain relievers, stimulants, sedative hypnotics, and/or muscle relaxants for 72hrs prior to your session. These medications interfere with the ketamine.
If you wish to have the full anti-depressant effect of the session then you will need to avoid these medications for 72hrs FOLLOWING your session as well. Please ask us if any queries.
Journey Preparation and Mindset
Preparation is a wonderful invitation and opportunity for introspection and reflection. There is a strong connection between thoughtful preparation and beneficial outcomes. The following example lays out our approach, where clients develop four areas of reflection and introspection: Aspirations, Affirmations, Contemplations, and Explorations. Each of these categories is discussed below.
Remember, Journey Prep should not be complicated. The key is to spend some time and write something down in advance. A little goes a long way in terms of preparation!
Aspirations
Affirmations
Contemplations
Explorations
Aspirations
Aspirations reflect the emotions and states of being you wish to experience more frequently. They represent the emotional tones you’d like to access and connect with more effortlessly.
For instance, many of our clients aspire to “feel safer,” “be more connected,” or “remain present.” A helpful way to clarify your own aspirations is to begin with statements like, “I’d like to feel more…” or “I’d like to be able to shift more easily into feeling…”
Take a moment to write down the emotions you aspire to cultivate. If you need inspiration, the list below includes common aspirations that clients often seek to embody during their sessions.
Affirmations
Recent studies highlight that combining ketamine therapy with affirmations is a powerful way to rewire the brain, fostering new neural pathways and connections.
Take a moment to think of a few words or short phrases that resonate with the emotions or thoughts you wish to internalize and express more fully in your life. Examples include: “I am safe,” “I am loved,” or “I am healing.”
A helpful method for creating affirmations is to transform your aspirations into positive statements. For instance, “Love” becomes “I am loved,” “Acceptance” becomes “I accept myself,” and “Connection” evolves into “I am united, connected, and harmonious.”
Write down your affirmations and feel free to discuss them with your facilitator during your preparation or at the start of your ketamine-assisted therapy session.
Contemplations
Choose passages or phrases from spiritual or wisdom texts that deeply resonate with you. Share these with your guide, and together, explore how they can be incorporated into your journey. During the session, we often engage in “notice exercises,” where we introduce your contemplations, gently guiding you into different currents of thought and experience.
As you reflect in this altered state of consciousness, we’ll periodically ask, “What came up for you?” The insights clients uncover in these moments are often profound and transformative.
Explorations
Building on contemplations, many clients seek to explore specific ideas or concepts during their journeys. As you prepare, consider areas you might want to delve into. There are no right or wrong answers here—this is your personal exploration:
Challenges & Struggles: Are there any challenges or struggles where you’re seeking wisdom, clarity, or a sense of peace?
Relationship Healing: Is there a relationship in your life you’d like to heal, accept, or find peace with?
Talk Therapy Reinforcements: What are you currently working on in talk therapy? Are there any insights you’d like to reinforce or reflect upon during your journey? What thoughts or emotions would you like to experience more deeply?
Spiritual or Philosophical: Are there any spiritual or philosophical concepts you’d like to explore or contemplate further?
Other Explorations: Are there any other themes, symbols, or ideas that you’d like to examine while in a non-ordinary state of consciousness?
Preparation Example
Use the example as a guide for preparing your journey. Feel free to write as much as you need—thorough preparation can greatly enhance your therapeutic experience. The more you reflect and plan ahead, the more likely you are to achieve the personal growth and healing you seek from your sessions.
Where are you in your Life?
How do you feel about it?
Write down for all the 6 categories
Personal
Consider where you are in your personal life. Are you content with who you are as an individual? Reflect on your personal growth, habits, and how aligned you feel with your true self. What areas do you feel strong in, and where do you seek improvement or change?
Relationships
Reflect on the relationships in your life, both with loved ones and acquaintances. Are you satisfied with these connections? Think about any relationships you’d like to nurture, heal, or distance yourself from. How do your relationships support or challenge your personal growth?
Social
Think about your social life. How connected do you feel to your community or social circles? Are you happy with the amount of social interaction you have, or do you feel isolated or overwhelmed? Consider how social dynamics impact your sense of belonging and fulfillment.
Professional
Reflect on your career or professional path. Are you content with where you are in your job or vocation? Think about your goals, ambitions, and whether you feel fulfilled in your professional role. Are you seeking growth, change, or balance in this area?
Emotional
Take a moment to assess your emotional well-being. How do you generally feel on a day-to-day basis? Are there emotions that dominate your life, such as stress, sadness, or anxiety? Or do you feel emotionally balanced? Reflect on your emotional resilience and areas that may need attention.
Financial
Consider your financial situation. Are you where you’d like to be financially? Reflect on how financial stability, or lack thereof, affects other areas of your life. Are there changes you want to make, whether it’s budgeting, saving, or rethinking your relationship with money?
Reflection Points
Use these reflections as a guide for thinking about your own journey. Take your time to write down your thoughts for each category, as this preparation can deepen your understanding of where you are and what you hope to achieve. The more you engage with these aspects of your life, the better positioned you’ll be to gain insight and experience meaningful progress in your therapy sessions. Thoughtful reflection sets the foundation for personal growth and healing.
Letting Go, Being In The Moment
In addition to the Journey Prep described above, we highly recommend engaging in quiet contemplation or meditation a few minutes a day in the week or two before your journey.
This will get you ready for the moment of taking the medicine – where your job is to set expectations aside and just let go, be in the moment, and listen to the music.
Sighing Breath – We do a round of sighing breath before every journey. It’s a simple, research based practice that helps people quickly relax, settle in, and connect with presence. Try doing a round or two for yourself. At the end of each round, hold on the exhale and be present with feelings of calmness and tranquility.
The Importance of Integration in KAP
While ketamine therapy can unlock powerful psychological and neurological changes, integration is key to ensuring these benefits last over the long term. The medicine enhances the therapeutic process, allowing for deep insights and new neural connections, but it’s the integration work that helps solidify these changes in your daily life. To keep the progress fresh and support lasting growth, you’ll be encouraged to spend 5-10 minutes each day on activities such as journaling, meditation, or mindful reflection. These small but consistent practices help reinforce new neural pathways, making the brain more receptive to positive change.
Additionally, your therapy and integration sessions will provide a safe space to reflect on your journey, discuss insights, and further embed the benefits of the session. This ongoing work is essential for processing your experience, ensuring that it becomes a meaningful part of your healing. Self-care, reflection, and intentional integration will help you maintain the progress you’ve made and continue your path toward long-term well-being.
Preparing for Transformation: Final Thoughts
As you prepare for your journey, remember that the effort you put in now will lay the groundwork for the insights and breakthroughs you’re seeking. This process is an opportunity to reflect deeply on your life and bring clarity to the areas that need healing or growth. The more time and thought you invest, the more powerful and transformative your experience is likely to be.
By exploring your aspirations, affirmations, contemplations, and areas of exploration with intention, you create a pathway toward meaningful change. Trust in the process, and know that your willingness to engage fully will help you unlock the rewards of this therapy. You have the power to guide your journey—take the time to prepare, and you’ll be setting yourself up for success.