“Something important remained from my ketamine experience: For the first time I realized how powerfully depression is ingrained within my brain. I physically felt it — the black dog — acting inside my old neural wirings.
It was something concrete, physical, like ruts where traumas line up to bring me bad thoughts. That’s why it’s so easy to stay there, trapped by pain, and why it takes so much effort to escape. I understood that chronic depression might not respond to language and thoughts, that only a rewiring of the brain’s neural pathways might dislodge it.”

— Vanessa Barbara, New York Times

Individual Virtual Ketamine Assisted Therapy in California

Ketamine Assisted Therapy for Anxiety & Depression: Find Relief

Anxiety or depression can be signs that life feels overwhelming, that your body is tired of being told how to feel, or that you’re living at a pace that no longer fits you. These emotions often act as teachers, showing you what isn’t working. They carry messages that can lead you toward clarity, insight, and growth, even when your mind doesn’t yet know how to listen.

Ketamine therapy can help you create space from looping thoughts, connect with overwhelming feelings in a more grounded way, and find clarity when your mind and body feel either too much or too little. Through ketamine integration therapy for anxiety and depression, you can begin to reconnect with parts of life that move and flow, rather than feeling stuck.

Somatic Focused Therapy & Nervous System Support: Feel Safe

Through guided meditations or art making, we can engage in somatic therapy that invites you to listen to the language of sensation. Our work will help you notice subtle signals, feel natural rhythms, and learn to be present with what arises instead of pushing fear away.

At first, connecting with these signals may feel unfamiliar, much like learning a new language. With time and attention, the connection becomes intuitive, clear, and vibrant.

We carry the stories of survival, including fight, flight, freeze, and fawn, alongside our capacity for curiosity, pleasure, and connection. Somatic work helps soften protective patterns and creates space for aliveness to return. Together, we’ll tap into the quiet wisdom that has always been within you

Telehealth Integration: Make Meaning

Integration occurs when the sacred insights from your ketamine therapy sessions take root in your life. This process fosters clarity, intuition, and a connection to something greater, which become your guiding forces. During ketamine integration therapy, we may focus on building self-trust, establishing boundaries, expanding your capacity to face life's challenges, and deepening the relationships that matter most.

While ketamine journeys reveal insights, it is in the integration phase that everyday transformation grows. It is the gentle, intentional process of taking your discoveries and allowing them to shape your daily life, transforming revelations into meaningful change.

How I Support You in Ketamine Therapy

During ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, my focus is on creating a space that feels safe, grounded, and meaningful. You'll find our work to be:

Client-Centered: Your goals guide the process. From our first conversation, I listen closely to what you hope to achieve in your KAP sessions and work to collaboratively shape the experience with you. Some days, you may prefer more guidance and structure or on other days, you may prefer space to explore inward. Both approaches are welcome.

Therapist-Supported: I provide preparation, support during the session, and assistance afterward to reflect on and integrate what arises. Ketamine can evoke strong emotions, memories, or new perspectives. Having someone to help you process these experiences makes it easier to incorporate insights into daily life.

Integration: This is where the real work occurs. We focus on noticing what arises, reflecting on it, and finding ways to apply it outside the session. This approach helps you to learn from your KAP session and make changes that may be meaningful and lasting.

Collaborative: With your permission, I will coordinate with your psychiatrist, or refer you to the prescriber I work with, to ensure your care feels connected.

Respectful: Throughout the session, your safety and growth are my priorities. The space is supportive, nonjudgmental, and focused on your transformation.

“Ketamine has restored me to the joys, and pains, of full living. I feel, for the first time in my life, like there is air to breathe.”

— Ashley Clayton via Brain and Behavior Research Foundation

What You May Experience During Ketamine Therapy

Through our work together, you may begin to notice subtle yet meaningful shifts:

A greater sense of self-awareness that invites curiosity, creativity, and care.
Access to a fuller range of feeling: joy, grief, anger, and wonder, welcoming multiple emotions simultaneously.
The loosening of old shame, guilt, and self-defeating beliefs that once held you back.
Greater emotional and mental flexibility, allowing for new perspectives and a gentler self-understanding.
A deeper sense of resilience and inner steadiness.
An increased capacity to hold uncertainty without feeling overcome by fear.
More compassion for yourself and increased empathy for those you love.
A growing ability to connect with yourself, others, and the world around you.
Clearer communication that encourages more authentic relationships.
Over time, you may experience greater ease as you develop self-care practices that feel nourishing rather than forced.

Common Questions and Answers about Ketamine Assisted Therapy

These details cover what to expect before, during, and after your experience.

I offer a type of therapy known as Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), also called Ketamine Therapy, which incorporates Ketamine into therapy sessions. Ketamine is an FDA-approved medication; however, when used to treat mental health conditions, it is considered an off-label treatment. This means it is used for conditions not yet formally approved by the FDA. Ketamine is believed to encourage biochemical, anatomical, and functional shifts in the brain that may help increase adaptability, open new pathways for change, and ease rigid thought patterns.
Planning for sessions takes into account your needs, goals, and the intensity of your symptoms, as well as the insights and changes that emerge between sessions. Together, we’ll discuss how many KAP sessions feel appropriate as part of a collaborative plan. While 3–6 sessions are often recommended before evaluating effectiveness, you can always pause or stop treatment at any time, and your decision will be respected. Throughout our work together, I draw on my training and experience with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy and collaborate with your prescribing physician, who will complete a detailed assessment to encourage physiological and psychological safety.
Through secure telehealth ketamine therapy video sessions, you can engage in treatment at home.
After a thorough intake and preparation process, you may receive a prescription for a compounded ketamine lozenge or troche. During your session, we’ll meet virtually, and I’ll stay present with you onscreen as you take the medicine, offering grounding and guidance as your experience unfolds.
Each session is guided by your needs, allowing space for reflection. Following your journey, we’ll continue with integration therapy to support lasting change.
Ketamine was initially created as an anesthetic in the 1960s. It is now used to support mental health because it can balance specific neurotransmitters, generate stronger neural connections, and change how the brain regulates mood. Researchers believe Ketamine works on the neurotransmitter glutamate rather than serotonin, in contrast to many commonly prescribed antidepressants. Furthermore, Ketamine encourages synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex, increasing the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), supporting its antidepressant properties.
Many people are curious about the healing path of working with plant medicines, so I commonly receive questions about Ketamine's origins. Ketamine is found in nature and is produced by the Nematophagous Fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia. (Read More Here). The small amount of Ketamine produced is not enough to manufacture into medicine, so it is lab-created.
Those I work with have spoken about accessing sources of wisdom and knowledge that felt previously inaccessible. My clients often describe their experiences with this medicine as feeling "gentle, safe, and softening," while also finding therapy with Ketamine to be a rich and potent process.
However, there is no guaranteed response to Ketamine, and some may find they have mundane, challenging, or even disturbing experiences. Ideally, the support and care you are offered during these experiences will help support your ability to engage with difficult experiences in a way that helps them become valuable or understandable.
Ketamine Assisted Therapy with me involves self-administration of pre-prescribed Ketamine in the form of a quickly dissolving sublingual tablet. After being dissolved beneath the tongue, you "swish" the tablet around your mouth for fifteen minutes. Orally administered Ketamine has a rapid onset (15–20 minutes), a 45-minute peak, and a gradual return to ordinary consciousness. Our three-hour sessions start with a check-in and discussion of your goals for the meeting, after which you self-administer the Ketamine as prescribed by your doctor, and we discuss what arises during your treatment. Some people speak more or less than others, but you are welcome to engage in verbal exploration whenever you feel compelled.
You will also need an onsite support person available throughout the session (but not in the room with you). Afterward, you may want to re-ground with your supportive person in your environment. Please visit here for more information about the role of your supportive loved one. Please visit here for more information about the role of your supportive loved one.
After the session, you will be encouraged to explore metaphors, feelings, sensations, ideas, and symbols that arose during or after the session. I'll also encourage you to engage with what emerged during the experience during your day-to-day life.
Yes, Ketamine is a controlled substance, and when it is prescribed by a doctor, it is a legal off-label treatment for Depression and Anxiety. Many other psychedelics are becoming decriminalized; however, work with Ketamine is already legal when used as prescribed.
I frequently refer my clients to a medical practitioner for evaluation and prescription; however, some already work with a physician trained in prescribing Ketamine. Your conversation with the medical doctor will help inform the decision about your initial Ketamine dosage for Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Depending on the medical doctor’s assessment and based on your specific needs and risk factors, your prescribing doctor may recommend that your initial dose(s) are taken under MD observation to ensure your safety as a suitable dose is determined. Once you become familiar with working with this medicine and its effects on your body and mind, you might explore increasing your dose to encourage a deeper experience or decrease it due to sensitivity or changing needs in the therapeutic process.
My clients are mailed their prescription from a local compounding pharmacy where it is created as sublingual doses to be self-administered.
Your prescribing MD will speak with you in depth about the safe storage of prescribed medication, but please note that Ketamine is a controlled substance, so it must be stored with thoughtful consideration. If you are prescribed Ketamine for home use, make sure you have a plan to prevent others from accessing your medication prior to obtaining your prescription from the pharmacy. There are specialized medication safes available for purchase or, in some cases, a robust locking compartment may be used if it can restrict unauthorized access effectively. Be aware that your prescription must remain inaccessible to others to prevent unauthorized access or theft. If you feel unable to safely store your medication, in-person treatment may be a helpful alternative to consider instead of at-home KAP work.
While I can’t tell you what Ketamine will feel like for you, the generally lower doses of Ketamine used in Ketamine Therapy allows you to engage in a light trance-like state. You may feel an enhanced sense of connection to the collective, a softening to receiving the experience, a decrease in mental defenses, a sense of openness, and a lessening of anxiety/increased feelings of well-being. It’s important to remember that there is some variability in how Ketamine feels for different people, so the sensations described may differ from your experience(s).
Lower dose administration generally aids in developing deeper communication. Engaging with a low dose of Ketamine during therapy can inspire time away from your typical patterns of thought, relief from mental “loops,” a decrease in feelings of negativity, encourage meditative states, and facilitate a sense of openness to a more expansive understanding of yourself.
Can you tell me about Ketamine and dissociation?
Ketamine’s classification as a dissociative drug can feel a bit confusing. While at moderate to high doses, it may cause mental alteration that involves disconnecting from one’s perception of the environment, feelings, thoughts, memories, or sense of identity when used at higher doses. At such amounts, one may have an ‘out-of-body experience.’ However, lower doses may involve a sense of calm and relaxation that supports disconnection from day-to-day anxieties without disconnection from the therapy process. The alteration level depends on how the body responds to metabolizing the drug as well as the dosage and route of administration (i.e., orally, injected, or through IV).
In my practice, we work with low to moderate doses administered sublingually. This route of administration and dosing encourages a slower onset of the medicine's effects and allows continued connection to the present, communication, and exploration but in an expanded mental state.
Understanding Dissociation and Ketamine:
- Moderate to High Doses: Mental alteration and potential 'out-of-body experience.'
- Low Doses: Calmness, relaxation, and reduced anxiety with capacity to engage in therapy.
- Administration Methods: Orally, injected, sublingual or through IV, affecting the onset and intensity of dissociation. Olivia Clear’s precribing MD uses Sublingual.
- Sublingual Administration: Encourages slower onset and maintained connection to present, allowing effective therapeutic exploration.
Low to moderate doses of Ketamine administered sublingually provide a balanced approach, promoting therapeutic benefits without overwhelming dissociative effects. This method supports a gradual and gentle entry into the expanded mental state, enhancing the therapeutic process and maintaining engagement with the present moment.
In at-home ketamine therapy, the prescribing doctor may offer ketamine as a troche or lozenge. Both are sublingual (under-the-tongue) delivery methods that let the medicine absorb through the mucous membranes in your mouth.
Both forms provide similar absorption and effectiveness, but your doctor may recommend one over the other based on your needs and preferences.
For at-home ketamine treatment through secure telehealth, these sublingual options are non-invasive and allow for personalized dosing.
Therapy before, during, and after ketamine sessions provides a supportive space for your work with ketamine to unfold safely and meaningfully.
Ketamine can enhance the brain’s flexibility, making it easier to engage with emotions as sources of insight, connect bodily sensations with feelings, and relate to your experiences in ways that feel manageable and supportive. This increased neural connectivity may also allow access to memories or patterns that are usually difficult to approach, giving you a chance to understand them with less anxiety.
The combination of ketamine and therapy often feels particularly supportive because symptoms of depression or anxiety can lift quickly. With some relief from these symptoms, therapy can focus on exploring new perspectives and developing approaches that foster lasting change.
Recovery with ketamine-assisted therapy is often gradual, and you may notice a period of disorientation or adjustment, sometimes called the “therapeutic bends.” During this time, old coping patterns may resurface, and it can feel uncertain how to integrate a growing sense of wellness. Depression, anxiety, and trauma can occupy so much mental and emotional space that adjusting to new ways of being can feel unfamiliar.
Integration is where the deeper transformation happens. Ketamine integration therapy helps translate the experiences, insights, images, memories, or bodily sensations that arise during sessions into meaningful changes in daily life. Because ketamine supports neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form new connections—this period is ideal for reinforcing new ways of thinking, feeling, and relating.
While ketamine may provide rapid relief, integration is what allows those benefits to last and deepen. It’s where insights become embodied wisdom.

“With the help of ketamine and the guidance of my therapist, I have been able to access my subconscious mind and heal old wounds that have accumulated from a combination of inherited intergenerational trauma, childhood trauma, and, of course, 15 years of responding to someone else’s worst day. I am an ongoing work in progress, and while I am unsure how long I will need to continue receiving KAP treatments to achieve permanent results, I am grateful for the deep work it has enabled me to do that I could not otherwise achieve with talk therapy alone.”

— Alexandra Jabr, jems.com

Let Therapy Support you

“It was as if I was living in a dark house and suddenly the lights came on...Suddenly everything seemed illuminated.”

— Raquel Bennett, Knowable Magazine

Is ketamine therapy covered by insurance?

Before beginning therapy, I recommend checking with your insurance provider to see if they subsidize or cover Ketamine Therapy. Some insurance companies cover up to 50-100% of the cost of your mental health treatment via reimbursement.

I am an out-of-network provider, so you pay me directly for services. After your session, I can send you a superbill, an itemized invoice of services rendered that includes all of the information needed by your insurance company. You will submit the superbill to your insurance provider for reimbursement per the terms of your policy.

You can find out more about out-of-network mental health coverage by contacting your insurance provider and asking if they offer “out-of-network” benefits for mental health coverage. You can also look online for an “explanation of benefits” specific to your plan via your insurance provider’s website.

Many of my clients with out-of-network benefits have requested a superbill to submit to their insurance companies and some have received reimbursement. They may also cover preparation or integration sessions, even if they do not cover Ketamine Therapy Sessions, so it’s worth asking your insurance provider about coverage.

Is there a potential for ketamine abuse or dependence?

As a therapist, I am not a prescriber nor am I trained in pharmacology, so this information is provided for harm reduction purposes. Your prescribing doctor or pharmacy can provide well-informed sources of information on this topic.

This information is from an Informed Consent document written by a medical doctor: “Ketamine is classified as a Hallucinogen and categorized as an Arylcyclohexylamine. It is a schedule III controlled substance. There is potential abuse with Hallucinogens, but physical dependence involves tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, which researchers have not identified in Ketamine users. However, those who use Ketamine regularly have reported “cravings,” and the positive impacts on mood, cognition, and perception may inspire a desire for more frequent use.”

Please note that your medication is carefully and thoughtfully prescribed. Your Ketamine use in each session is logged and reported to the prescribing doctor.

During your assessment, please inform your medical doctor of any history of addiction and discuss the potential risks and benefits of working with Ketamine. You may also consider exploring a range of treatment options including but not limited to: antidepressants or SSRIS, psychotherapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), or Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS.)

Who is not a good candidate for ketamine therapy?

Ketamine therapy, while promising for certain conditions, may not be suitable for everyone. Individuals frequently excluded from consideration include those with a history of psychosis, active substance abuse, uncontrolled hypertension, recent heart attack or stroke, specific medical conditions like severe liver or kidney dysfunction, or pregnancy/ breastfeeding, specific medication interactions, allergies, or sensitivity to ketamine, and those with unrealistic expectations or a lack of commitment to the therapy process.

A thorough assessment by a qualified healthcare doctor is imperative to determine the suitability of ketamine therapy based on individual medical history, current health status, and potential risk factors. During your medical evaluation, you will be asked to share a detailed history of any previous or ongoing health issues, mental health diagnoses, use of other substances and a list of your current medications to assess if KAP may be a suitable treatment for you at this time.

Is Ketamine a Horse Tranquilizer?

You may have heard ketamine referred to as a horse tranquilizer, and while that’s technically true, it leaves out a lot of important context. Ketamine is used on animals, including horses, as a safe anesthetic in veterinary medicine — which why you might hear that ketamine is a horse tranquilizer. But that’s only one small part of its story.

In humans, ketamine has been FDA-approved for decades and is now used off label in mental health settings at much lower doses to help treat depression, anxiety, and trauma. While we find ketamine useful for animals, we also find for some people it has the ability to support shifts in mood, perception, and even neuroplasticity in the brain.

Can I continue My Medications?

As Ketamine therapy gains popularity, many people are curious about medication compatibility. The prescribing doctor is a knowledgeable resource to speak with about the safety of your medications in combination with Ketamine. Antidepressants or SSRIs may be safe to combine with Ketamine. However, it is currently believed that some medications, for example benzodiazepines, lamotrigine, and memantine, may affect Ketamine's efficacy. Taking these medications may not mean you cannot explore Ketamine Therapy but it’s important that you share your full medication and supplement list with your prescribing doctor, who can provide support surrounding adjusting or changing your medications to facilitate a more safe or effective Ketamine therapy process.

How We’ll Work:

1. Initial Conversation and Intake Appointment New clients will begin with a brief conversation to discuss your goals for seeking Ketamine Assisted Therapy and schedule an intake appointment.

2. Medical Referral and Prescription You will be referred to a medical doctor trained in working with Ketamine for mental health. After determining that you are a suitable candidate for treatment, the doctor may prescribe Ketamine.

3. Preparation for Ketamine Sessions Prepare for sessions with Ketamine. Explore your plans for treatment, discuss anxieties or concerns, and set expectations surrounding treatment. Plan the frequency of sessions and talk about your Ketamine Playlist. I will share some of my favorite Ketamine music for journeying.

4. Scheduling and Engaging in Ketamine Therapy Schedule Ketamine Therapy and engage in the treatment. Please note: depending on the medical doctor’s assessment and based on your specific needs and risk factors, your prescribing doctor may recommend that your initial dose(s) be taken under MD observation to ensure your safety as a suitable dose is determined.

5. Integration Sessions We’ll meet for Ketamine integration. We may use journaling, art-making, and somatic explorations to support you in making meaning of your Ketamine Therapy session. Through the use of counseling and art therapy, we will integrate these experiences into meaningful change in your daily life.

What is psychedelic integration therapy?

You’ve taken psychedelics or experienced a “non-ordinary state” through breathwork, meditation, or artwork, and you’re not quite sure how to make meaning of the insights you had. Perhaps you’ve read Michael Pollan’s book or spent some time reading Goop or Reddit and you’re excited about the potential of psychedelic integration. But you’re wondering, “what’s next?”

That’s a question we can answer together. Most people need extra support in relating to unfamiliar experiences. Non-ordinary states can be a challenge to understand, and you’re not alone in having this challenge! Psychedelic states can be healing, but they can also bring up trauma or feel scary or intense. Our work together happens in a safe, non-judgmental space where you can receive the voice of your inner self and intuition, clarify or set intentions, step into deeper self-care, and identify changes you’d like to make in your life. Our co-creative work can help you see your next steps as you deepen your understanding of non-ordinary experiences and bring your insights into the day-to-day.

Please be aware that I work through a harm reduction lens and hold your safety and well-being as my utmost priority. In my role, I do not provide any legal or medical advice, but I support you in finding a deeper understanding of your experiences. I do not encourage/suggest/recommend the use (or purchase/sale) of illegal substances. I do recommend you educate yourself via multiple reputable resources about psychedelic use and can point you toward harm reduction resources.

INTEGRATION THERAPY

I PROVIDE INTEGRATION THERAPY TO THOSE WHO:

Prioritize Growth: You want to prioritize your growth and feel ready to dive deep into your “stuff.” You feel this is part of creating a sense of inner freedom.

Set Intentions: You’re curious about how to set intentions, learn about optimal set and setting, or gain more insights.
Support and Witnessing: You want support with this work and are ready to be witnessed. You think some healing work needs to happen with a supportive presence holding space for you.
Co-Creative Process: You see this as a co-creative process, and you’re open to being invited to read, journal, make art, or explore your world outside of the session.
Regular Sessions: You want to meet weekly and have enough space in your schedule to prioritize regular sessions.
Embrace Shifts: The biggest transformation doesn’t happen outside of you. It begins within. We’re not here to chase endless upgrades or quick fixes. We’re here to let old patterns fall away and allow something true, grounded, and alive to take form.

Important Information:

Before contacting me, please know that I:
- Do not administer, provide, or distribute any illegal psychedelic/psychoactive substances to anyone.
- Do not provide “sitter” services for those using illegal psychedelic substances.
- Ask for your respect surrounding the legal boundaries related to this work.