Ketamine-Assisted Therapy

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative and powerful approach to treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma. Ketamine works differently from traditional antidepressants, often producing relief within hours or days rather than weeks. During a KAP session, ketamine creates a gentle, trance-like state that can quiet habitual defenses, reduce emotional overwhelm, and soften the “walls” that often arise around painful or avoided experiences. Many clients describe feeling more open, curious, and compassionate toward themselves, allowing difficult emotions, memories, or insights to emerge without becoming overwhelming. For many, this has led to meaningful therapeutic breakthroughs at a significantly faster pace than talk therapy alone.

A key reason KAP is so effective is its impact on neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new neural connections and break free from rigid, entrenched patterns. Ketamine rapidly increases neuroplasticity by enhancing glutamate activity, increasing Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), and reducing overactivity in the brain’s default mode network, which is associated with rumination and negative self-talk. This creates a unique “window of opportunity” in which the brain is more flexible, receptive, and capable of change. When psychotherapy is integrated during this state, new emotional experiences and perspectives can take hold more easily, helping clients process trauma, access previously repressed material, and develop healthier ways of relating to themselves and others.

Stephanie is certified in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy through Journey Clinical. As part of this process, clients meet with a Journey Clinical psychiatrist for a comprehensive evaluation and prescription for ketamine lozenges. KAP sessions then take place under Stephanie’s supervision at her office in Montclair, NJ or NYC. The therapeutic work is thoughtfully integrated with evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, psychodynamic therapy, and other trauma-informed modalities, allowing insights gained during the ketamine experience to be meaningfully processed and sustained over time. The goal of KAP is not just symptom relief, but deeper healing, emotional flexibility, and lasting change.