by Aya Gonzalez
Nov 09, 2021Ketamine is an anesthetic and analgesic used widely around the world that also has antidepressant and psychedelic effects. International research has increasingly demonstrated that the combination of ketamine with or without structured psychotherapy can have benefits for a range of mental health conditions, though research has most commonly focused on depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addictive disorder treatments (Kohtala et al., 2021 and Dore et al., 2019).
In the ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) approach, the known biological benefits of ketamine combine with it’s psychedelic effects, which act as a catalyst for the psychotherapy sessions by promoting openness to the expansiveness of the mind and enhancing the patient’s ability to meaningfully engage in psychotherapy during the medicine administration (Dore et al. 2019). Psychotherapy is an important part of the patient’s journey, and it should be recommended in combination with psychedelic administration.
