Social media and pop culture frequently mention low-dose IV ketamine treatments. While these mentions may have piqued your interest, they might have also bred some reservations. Today, let’s peel back the curtain on our treatment protocol, offering you a crystal-clear picture and instilling confidence in what lies ahead.
Table of Contents
- The First Steps: A Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment
- Your Treatment Day: Embrace a Guided Experience
- Enhancing Treatment with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
1. The First Steps: A Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment
First time in the clinic? Your journey kicks off with a detailed one-hour session with one of our top-tier board-certified psychiatrists, either Dr. Pullara or Dr. Chamakalayil. This session lets us delve deep into understanding you. Together, we’ll explore topics like your current psychiatric symptoms, past psychiatric experiences, trials of prior medications or interventional treatments (TMS, ECT), family history, and more. By doing this, we ensure a tailored treatment that addresses your specific mental health needs.
2. Embrace a Guided Experience on Your Treatment Day
Pre-treatment or Check-in
Each treatment session paves the way for healing and introspection. Before every treatment, including the initial one, you’ll have a one-on-one with your psychiatrist. Ever heard the term “set and setting” associated with ketamine treatments? The clinic environment, crafted to exude peace and calm, represents the setting. Meanwhile, the “set” represents your mindset, encapsulating emotions, expectations, and intentions. This preliminary “check-in” with our psychiatrists aims to foster a positive and prepared mindset—a crucial element influencing the treatment’s trajectory.
Treatment
Following this, we’ll guide you to the treatment room. There, one of our excellent nurses will handle the IV setup and keep a close watch on your vitals, ensuring utmost safety. For an optimal experience, we provide eyeshades and encourage you to bring headphones to clear your mind of external distractions using our handpicked instrumental playlist. This experience is all about you—a serene moment of introspection and a break from the outside world. Ready to start? We’ll administer the low-dose IV ketamine treatment over a span of 40 minutes.
Post-treatment or Check-out
Post-treatment, we’ll remove the IV, check your vitals, and typically, within 30-45 minutes, you’ll feel ready to go home. However, before you step out, a sit-down with our psychiatrist allows you to share reflections and strategize for what’s next. Remember, for your safety, we advise having a trusted individual drive you home and to stay off the wheel for the next 24 hours.
3. Enhance the Journey with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Looking to amplify ketamine’s therapeutic benefits? We’ve joined forces with highly trained psychologists who specialize in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Integrating therapy can elevate the efficacy of our treatments, making their impact more pronounced and lasting. With our psychiatrists and your therapist maintaining an open line of communication, we promise a harmonized, all-encompassing care experience. Eager to learn more? Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog posts discussing the nuances of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and its comparison to other therapeutic methods you might have explored. In addition, we encourage you to check out our FAQ section to learn more!
Frequently Asked Questions
Every client will meet with one of our board-certified psychiatrists, Dr. Pullara or Dr. Chamakalayil prior to starting treatments. The initial psychiatric intake is comprehensive and usually last about 1 hour.
Prior to each follow-up treatment, you will again meet with our psychiatrists both before your session to “check in,” and after your treatment session to “check out” and discuss your ongoing treatment plan.
Our infusions are given slowly over the course of 40 minutes. From the time you arrive to clinic until the time you’re likely to feel ready to leave, we anticipate you’ll be in the clinic for a total of about 1.5 to 2 hours.
For your safety as well as the safety of others, we do not allow clients to drive themselves home after treatment. We require that you have a trusted friend or family member drive you home from the clinic after your treatments.
