Ketamine is a legal, safe and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, which can begin to take effect within 1-2 hrs. after treatment and last for up to 2 weeks.

It works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors as well as by stimulating AMPA receptors, which are thought to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement.

Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, via nasal spray and using sublingual lozenges. In my work with Journey Clinical we only use the sublingual lozenge form.

The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience.

Once these effects subsided, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are none-the-less clear.

Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience.

Initial Consultation

You will schedule an initial Zoom evaluation with a Journey Clinical clinician to review your medical and psychiatric history, receive education on the treatment, and determine your eligibility for KAP. If eligible, the medical team will create a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan, send you a small amount of oral ketamine for the first two sessions, and teach you how to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges before the sessions.

Preparation Sessions

After receiving your ketamine lozenges, we'll schedule KAP preparation, dosing, and integration sessions. Preparation sessions, like regular therapy sessions, will occur before dosing to align on the process and set intentions for the KAP sessions.

KAP Dosing Session

A typical ketamine dosing session lasts 1-2 hours and can occur either in-person at my office or remotely via telehealth. During the session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge while in a comfortable, reclining position with an eye mask and calming music. Though the experience is largely internal, I will be present throughout to provide support as needed.

Integration Sessions:

After our KAP dosing session, we will meet for multiple integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts & insights that arose during your dosing session, and to prepare for the next dosing session.

Follow-up consultations with Journey Clinical After our first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules regular follow ups with you to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow ups depends on your unique treatment plan, at a minimum of once per quarter.

Especially when compared to other modalities for treatment-resistant depression, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is an affordable, accessible modality. Although the medical intake and follow ups are not covered by insurance, they are eligible for out-of-network reimbursement.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

My typical hourly rate is $140/hr. The initial evaluation and integration sessions with me are covered by insurance, depending on if I am in-network with your provider an depending on your coverage. Otherwise they can be submitted for out-of-network reimbursement. Dosing sessions are 3 hours long and only the first hour is covered by insurance, and the remainder must be paid out of pocket at the time of service.

Journey Clinical Medical Costs

First-time patients

Initial medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $250

Cost of medication: $88 (enough for 2 sessions)

Ongoing treatment

Follow-up medical consultation with Journey Clinical $150 (at least 1X per quarter)

Cost of medication: $148 (enough for up to 6 sessions)

Estimated Total Cost of Treatment:

In the Journey Clinical model, 8 dosing sessions of KAP spread out over approximately 5-6 months represents a full course of treatment.

There are variations in how many total appointments would be attended, but below the below costs are an estimate based on the following template:

Medical: initial psychiatric evaluation ($250), two/three follow up psychiatric visits ($300-450), and 8 doses of Ketamine ($236).

Psychotherapy: initial psychotherapy evaluation ($200 or copay), preparation session ($140 or copay), 8 dosing sessions ($3360 or $2240 + 8X copay ), 8 integration sessions ($1120 or 8X copay), and a final termination session ($140 or copay).

Estimated Private Pay Rate: Approximately $1180 / month ($5896 total)

Estimated In-Network Rate (based upon $40 copay): Approximately $785 / month ($3936 total)