Surströmming98, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

​Ketamine is an anesthetic medication, FDA-approved since 1970 for anesthesia during surgeries and acute pain. It is often used in the ER for pain relief during procedures.  Researchers observed that lower doses of ketamine produce rapid antidepressant and anti-suicide effects, even in cases of treatment-resistant depression and in bipolar disorder. At these lower (sub-anesthetic) doses, ketamine induces a psychedelic experience and enhances neuroplasticity, both of which are associated with improvement in a range of psychiatric conditions and symptoms.  Ketamine is now widely prescribed off-label by specially trained clinicians for a variety of mental health diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, PTSD and substance use disorders.

What is Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy?

KAP is the term used when a series of ketamine treatments is combined with regular psychotherapy sessions performed by a therapist who is trained in psychedelic or ketamine integration.  This can lead to a more profound healing experience rather that just symptom management. Dr. Lin provides therapy during each 2 hour ketamine session and she collaborates with each patient's therapist as well. She is committed to helping each person obtain the greatest benefit from their ketamine treatments.

This collaboration between the patient, ketamine from Dr. Lin and the KAP therapist allows people to work on underlying issues that they hadn't been able to access or process in the past.

Ketamine enhances the benefits of therapy in these ways: 

• Relaxing of defense mechanisms
• Quieting the inner critic
• Reduction of entrenched maladaptive patterns of thinking
• Ability to have new insights
• Increased self-esteem and self-compassion
• Enhanced creativity and problem solving
• Greater motivation to make healthier life choices
• Allowing for the possibility of a profound spiritual or mystical experience

​What conditions can Juniper Psychiatry treat?

Ketamine Therapy is well-suited for the treatment of many conditions including treatment-resistant depression and anxiety disorders. Ketamine can also be very helpful for people who suffer from trauma disorders, such as PTSD. However, it is especially important to work with a therapist skilled in both trauma disorders and psychedelic integration when receiving ketamine treatments for PTSD.   ​
 
Please reach out via phone, email or through the form in this website to discuss your unique circumstances and needs.

What does ketamine feel like?

At low doses many people report a feeling of relaxation, mild dissociation, increased empathy. (Occasionally, in someone new to the expereince anxiety can occur. This is usually preventable with proper psychological preparation and starting with very low doses)

At medium doses it may produce a feeling of floating, a moderately dissociated state, internal visions (with the "mind's eye"), feeling an expanded sense of self, less attachment to defense mechanisms.

At higher doses people may describe feeling outside their body, a sense of floating or flying, and may see colors or objects in their mind's eye. They may have deeply meaningful insights or even mystical or spiritual experiences.

Is ketamine safe?

Ketamine is a favored agent for use by emergency medicine physicians and anesthesiologists because of its effectiveness and safety profile. It is deemed safer than opiate medications because it does not suppress respiratory drive and it has low toxicity and low addictive potential.

Most patients remain very comfortable during and after their treatment, although in a few people (10%) nausea can occur. Dr. Lin provides anti-nausea medication if needed. A few people develop a headache which can usually be alleviated by increasing intake of fluids and magnesium, as well as Tylenol or ibuprofen. Ketamine can also cause a transient increase in blood pressure, so Dr. Lin will address any issues with high blood pressure in your initial evaluation. We require that you get a ride home and do not drive the rest of the day after your ketamine treatment in case of any lingering effects.

When ketamine is obtained illegally and abused at high doses, repeatedly, over prolonged periods it can cause serious toxic effects on the bladder, and some people find it to be psychologically addictive. These risks are negligible when its use is limited to a supervised setting such as at Juniper Psychiatry.

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A brief history of ​psychedelic therapy

For centuries psychedelic plants and fungi have been used for healing by indigenous peoples, often in sacred ceremonies guided by shamans.  In the Americas their use was driven underground because the invading Spanish conquistadors punished people who used them.  Mexican shaman Maria Sabina helped introduce psilocybin to mainstream America when she invited an American visitor to a psilocybin ceremony, which he later wrote about in a 1957 issue of Life magazine. Early researchers, such as Stanislav Groff and others, found that certain psychedelic agents, when given under medical supervision in conjunction with skillful psychotherapy, enabled patients to make major positive breakthroughs with their psychological struggles. Many of these early studies involved end-of-life distress and depression, or severe alcoholism.  Back then, some psychiatrists used very small doses of LSD during psychotherapy. One famous example is the 1950’s actor Cary Grant who spoke highly of the psychological breakthroughs he attained by undergoing this type of psychedelic psychotherapy.

​Unfortunately, in the 1960’s these agents were sometimes used recklessly, and some believed that psychedelic agents were fueling anti-Viet Nam war sentiment.  Thus, in 1973 the Nixon administration placed a moratorium on psychedelic research.  The field of psychedelic research was shut down until the 1990’s when a few researchers gained permission to use them in carefully controlled medical settings.  Among the first were a UNM physician professors Rick Strausman and Michael Bogenshutz and Charles Grob at UCLA.

The psychedelic renaissance: There is a revolution happening in psychiatry today.  While many people do benefit from antidepressants and other standard medications, unfortunately many people continue to suffer from the effects of past traumas, depression, or anxiety, often even after multiple medication trials.  Luckily, there is a large and rapidly growing body of high-quality psychedelic research coming out of reputable academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins, UCLA, NYU, and the Imperial College of London.  The research consistently shows that when well-trained mental health professionals administer medications like ketamine, MDMA and psilocybin to properly screened  and prepared individuals in a safe and comfortable setting, these medications can provide profound relief to many people who had not been helped by the usual medications.  When combined with psychotherapy, psychedelic agents can heal trauma, enable positive changes in one’s perspective and relieve repetitive dysfunctional thought and behavior patterns.