Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy: Ethical Considerations

Published May 15, 2024 by Zencare Team

There are some emotions simply too painful to express, and while the support of a trusted therapist can be utterly transformative, trauma can still linger in what’s unspoken. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), also known as Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAT) and other psychedelic-assisted therapies are thought to give clients a bridge to healing when more traditional therapy approaches reach their limits (1).

In this article, we’re discussing the ethical considerations of offering KAP at your practice and how to offer this potentially life changing modality to your clients in a safe, effective way.

What is Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy?

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) makes use of ketamine’s effects to ease mental health symptoms while providing clients with a novel way to experience their thoughts and feelings (1) (2). Ketamine alters a person’s perception and provides them with a sense of calmness, as it impacts the chemicals in the brain. Many people describe the feeling after taking ketamine as feeling disconnected from their inner voices and or finding relief from physical or emotional pain.

Together with integration sessions, KAP can be a useful way to utilize the brain’s neuroplasticity to provide individuals with literally a different way of thinking about their lives. Ketamine can help clients break free from harmful patterns too, making it a unique yet constructive therapy approach.

Finding the right training for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Because Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy includes the provision of a drug and has physical effects, there are certain risks associated that must be addressed by appropriate training from a legitimate training organization. High quality training in KAP can help therapists learn their role in KAP and explore how they can best support their clients as they seek emotional healing.

With the rising popularity of KAP, many companies and organizations across the country —and the world — are offering KAP training for therapists. However, many of these training opportunities come with red flags.

Avoid:

Courses that are only a few days long. These courses are not comprehensive enough and may do more harm than good. Learning how KAP works and how best to facilitate KAP takes time.
Courses that solely offer training in how to infuse ketamine. Without the therapeutic rigor of integration sessions, these courses may miss the mark for therapists whose goal is to help their clients grow from their experiences, rather than simply experience a psychedelic.
Trainings that don’t offer mentorship from mental health or medical practitioners. Especially if that mentorship lacks extensive experience in this therapy approach.

When looking for KAP training programs, it may be beneficial to check out which ones offer you the chance to experience the therapy yourself, that way you know what it feels like.

Get the next email on managing your private practice!

Email Address *

First Name *

Last Name *

City *

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Outside of US

Degree / Profession *

Important things to note about Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy:

KAP has not yet been backed by a governing or accreditation body. This means that there is little professional regulation — but that’s not to say that there aren’t legal requirements for offering this type of service in private practice.
You’ll need access to ketamine, backed by a mental health credential, NPI number, and DEA license for handling restricted drugs. Depending on where you live and practice, you might also need first aid training or — even better — a medical professional located at your practice.
Consulting a lawyer is the safest way to set up your practice to adhere to what’s required by your state when it comes to practicing KAP, as the goal is to offer KAP ethically and safely.

Choosing the right approach for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy comes in many formats, and which format is best for clients depends on their specific mental health concerns and their goals with KAP. Each type of KAP comes with advantages and drawbacks, so it’s essential to talk through what’s on the table with clients before they begin treatment. Preceding those conversations, therapists must be familiar with the various routes of administration, dosing amounts, and integration paradigms, which they can learn about through KAP training.

As a brief overview of the different types of KAP, KAP can look like the following:

Ketamine is administered daily through a small dose and is not combined with talk therapy. This method relies on the chemical processes of ketamine for its effects.
Ketamine is administered in a larger dose and not combined with talk therapy. This method is best for individuals who want to experience an altered state of mind, such as those who get great meaning out of spiritual or mystical experiences.
Ketamine is administered and paired with integration sessions, which are facilitated by a mental health professional who helps clients better understand their experiences and how they can heal from those experiences (2).

KAP therapists should fully inform their clients about how KAP works and any potential side effects. Clients can also benefit from talking with a therapist about their individual timeline when it comes to KAP, such as how many sessions they intend to participate in and how much time they want to spend in their integration sessions.

As with any therapy approach, it’s important — and ethical — to get clients’ informed consent. KAP requires clients to deliberately agree to ketamine treatment while understanding the risks and benefits. Many therapists offer KAP as a “last resort” option after clients have exhausted other therapy options, though they understand that KAP can have hugely beneficial effects for their clients.

Consistent Oversight for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Because of the nature of KAP, most therapists keep detailed documentation about their sessions with clients, including the ketamine dosage, length of sessions, frequency of sessions, and effects. Consistency is key when it comes to KAP, so offering clients consistent dosage is best done when therapists maintain clear, comprehensive notes.

Ketamine, in the end, is a restricted drug. While its popularity in the mental health field continues to build — and while many studies have found KAP to have meaningful positive effects on mental health — mental health professionals must keep diligent records and keep the drug in a locked safe. Therapists might also consider consulting with a client’s medical team to ensure physical safety during treatment.

Lastly, many therapists find it useful to consult with other KAP professionals or peers from their KAP training to safeguard against misuse — even accidental misuse — of ketamine in mental health treatment. Having a community to support you as the therapist can make a world of difference, especially when it comes to more novel approaches to healing.

Summary

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy has earned the respect of many mental health professionals across the country, with many of them beginning or finishing their KAP training and bringing this approach into their practice. KAP has the potential for many great client outcomes, as long as it’s provided ethically and according to best practice.

Sources

Grow Your Practice With Zencare!

We're looking for clinically excellent and compassionate therapists and psychiatrists to refer clients to. We'd love to learn about your practice!