Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAP) in Fresno, California.
Unlock the healing power of your mind
What if you could experience relief?
Have you tried medication after medication for your depression, anxiety and or your traumas and you are still having symptoms without relief?
You noticed that the constant overthinking about the past leaves you feeling drained, sad and more hopeless.
Or you notice that you are tired of the endless racing thoughts about the future, the tension in your body and the irritability that comes with it and you just can’t get a brake.
You notice that despite how much you work on your trauma, you notice that there are parts of you that continue to block your process.
Maybe everything is “fine” but you are having trouble finding meaning in your life, a sense of who you are, ways of connecting to other to reduce to isolation and accessing your spiritual growth that can lead to a deep personal transformation and optimization of your lifestyle.
What do I need to know before starting KAP ?
As your KAP therapist:
I don’t prescribe the medication, nor do I provide ketamine infusions. This is provided by a medical provider.
My job is to help you ensure that you have a positive experience and achieve your goals for therapy and your overall healing. For this reason, I will perform an evaluation to see if you are a good fit for Ketamine.
Together, we will work on what to expect from therapy, and how to integrate your experiences so you can get the most benefit out of your ketamine experiences.
Once we both agree that you are ready for Ketamine, I will link you with a provider that will conduct a medical evaluation to ensure that you are a good candidate for ketamine and that you will not have any adverse health reactions.
What if you could xperience a new way of being ?
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a schedule III medication. It is a dissociative anesthetic approved by the FDA for anesthesia and for sedation during medical procedures. It was first approved in the 1970s.
Ketamine is now an “off label” treatment for various chronic treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Off-label means that it has not been approved by the FDA for the treatment of depression, anxiety, chronic pain, OCD, PTSD, drug or alcohol abuse, or other mental health or pain disorders or symptoms. However, many medications are used off-label safely and effectively.
Many studies show ketamine to often effectively treat depression, alcoholism, substance dependencies, PTSD in other psychiatric diagnoses including anxiety, chronic pain, OCD, PTSD as well as for existential, psychological and spiritual crisis and growth.
What is a Ketamine session like?
Prior to your session we will have set goals and intentions for your Ketamine session. On the day of your ketamine session, you will take your medication in the office and you will make yourself comfortable and cozy. It is likely that your perception will be off, so it is highly recommended that you bring your own eye masks, as your eyes are likely to be sensitive to light. We will play music for your journey. The music is an integral part of the session as it helps the processing of information. While on ketamine you will experience what is called “non-ordinary consciousness”, the dissociated consciousness that can, gives us time away from our normal way of thinking, including ruminating, obsessing, or depressing thought patterns and emotions. , I will stay with you in the room and be available to take notes, make observations, and to provide you with a sense of security and safety. There is, however, no pressure or expectation for you to “work” with me during the ketamine sessions.
People are usually in the medicine for about 30-50 minutes, depending on sensitivity to the medicine.
After the medication starts to ware off, I will be working with you to explore your insights, questions, and experience in integration of the medication.
Learn more about ketamine here
Benefits
Frequently asked questions about KAP
FAQs
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Instances of addiction to ketamine resulting from medical treatment with ketamine can occur, but such cases are exceedingly rare. However, non-medical use of ketamine, and ketamine addiction, does occur.
Ketamine does not meet criteria for “chemical dependence” since it does not cause tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. However, “cravings” have been reported by individuals with a history of heavy use of psychedelic drugs.
In addition, ketamine can have effects of mood, cognition and perception that may make some people want to use it repeatedly.
Therefore, ketamine should never be used except under the supervision of a licensed physician and/or therapist.
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Adverse reaction can include poor coordination until the drug’s effect has worn off, generally two and up to four hours after ketamine has been administered.
Other possibilities for adverse effects include blurred and uncomfortable vision (you are advised to keep your eyes closed and wear an eye mask until the main effects have worn off), slurred speech, mental confusion, excitability, diminished ability to see things that are actually present, diminished ability to hear or to feel objects accurately including one’s own body.
Ketamine can cause nausea and vomiting. Because of the risk, please refrain from eating and drinking for 4 hours before the session. Hydrate well for up to 2 hours before your session, then stop drinking so you do not have to interrupt your ketamine session with bathroom breaks.
Ketamine generally causes a modest but not dangerous increase in blood pressure for those who have well managed blood pressure. If you have concerns about your blood pressure and potential spikes, please talk to your physician.
Ketamine may worsen tinnitus or migraine headaches. In prolonged use, at much higher doses than what is used in KAP, it can cause bladder irritation and/or damage.
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No. The medication will be prescribed by a medical provider.
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Call/text me at 559-313-1398 or e-mail me at claudiaschroederlcsw@gmail.com to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.