KETAMINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY (KAP)

To Schedule An Appointment Please Call: (310) 514-2300

Coastwise Counseling Center IS using Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy to break through barriers and transform your everyday life. At Coastwise Counseling Center, we provide an individually curated Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapeutic experience, including customized preparation and integration phases, at our comfortable offices.

Our psychotherapists work in partnership with a physician, who will provide medical monitoring and supervision during the therapy process. Additionally, We consult regularly with our clients’ regular primary medical doctor and mental health care provider and when appropriate, we also provide referrals for other beneficial therapy options.

Moreover, the Psychotherapists and Doctors at Coastwise Counseling Center are dedicated to the ethical and compassionate clinical use of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). We share an interest in a broad range of experience working with the psychotherapeutic potential of Ketamine and the non-ordinary state of consciousness that it creates to augment healing for our clients. We believe mixing alternative methods such as this and traditional methods of psychotherapy will bring about a benefit for our clients.

COASTWISE PARTNERS WITH THERAPISTS AND DOCTORS TO REFER DIFFICULT AND STUCK PATIENTS

You as a referring clinician or doctor may be wondering which client in your practice might you refer for this type of therapy. The answer to that question is the client in your practice that is therapeutically stuck. A client that has therapy resistant depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction issues or other existential problems that traditional therapy methods haven’t helped.

You will be asked to speak with Coastwise KAP Therapist throughout your client’s therapy to help amplify the therapeutic gains your client is getting

Clients will maintain their regular standing appointments with you during their KAP therapy,

We return your patients to you 100% of the time - Coastwise is here to empower you and improve your practice as a partner, not a competitor.

about KAP referals

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT KAP

HOW THE KETAMINE IS ADMINISTERED:

Ketamine will be used in two ways for your therapeutic benefit: either low-to-moderate dose ketamine lozenges OR low to higher dose intramuscular injections.

We emphasize matching the specific needs of each individual to the most effective interventions and dosages of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy.

WHAT KETAMINE WILL DO:

Ketamine provides a range of experiences, and benefits, based on varying dosage levels. The span of expected effects from low to higher dosages are:

A mild anesthetic effect and a dissociative dreamlike state
Antidepressant and anti-suicidal ideation effects
Anxiolytic effects
Psychedelic effects

The lower dosages induce a psycholytic trance state that is useful for lowering psychological defenses. This supports and facilitates deeper psychotherapeutic investigations.

The higher dosages induce the psychedelic experience that can be therapeutic and transformative in combination with psychotherapeutic support.

The psycholytic and psychedelic aspects of psychotherapy can provide:

A beneficial “time out” from ordinary mind and reality (and habitual patterns of thinking and perceptions)
Profound shifts to more positive perspectives on the self, relationships, and one’s place in the larger world
More positive outlooks on challenging life situations and relationships
A decrease in negative or obsessive thoughts and negative self-talk
Increase in self-esteem and self-compassion
An enhancement of creative problem-solving abilities • Greater motivation for lifestyle or behavior changes • Relief of existential anxieties and a potential for greater spiritual curiosity

HOW DO I BEGIN:

The first step is an initial individual intake session with a KAP trained Psychotherapist and Medical Doctor at the Center. The intake involves a full assessment from a Psychotherapist and a full medical evaluation and screening for any risk factors by a medical Doctor. If it is decided you are a good candidate for Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy the next steps will include your first session to build rapport with your therapist, to psychoeducate you on the Ketamine process you will be undertaking and setting proper intentions and therapy goals for the therapy work. After that point your following sessions will be with the Ketamine medicine and your therapist. These Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) sessions are typically 3 hours in duration. Depending on your unique need you may be counseled to have more or less Ketamine services, however we advise and require that all clients commit to at least 4-6 treatments to gain a therapeutic benefit.

In the event, that your Assessment and evaluation reveal that you are not a good candidate for Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, then alternative therapy options will be discussed with you and or a referral will be made.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DAY OF KAP SESSION:

On days where you are scheduled an individual session for Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy it is mandatory that you refrain from food 4 hours and liquids 1 hour prior to the session. You must also arrange for a friend to pick you up and drop you off for your session or plan to use Uber or Lyft to get you to and from home safely as Ketamine does temporarily impair motor skills to drive a vehicle.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

48 hours is required to cancel your appointment honorably, or the full fee will be enforced and collected. Our sessions are 3 hours in length, thus timely notification is essential to our practice. Thanks for your understanding.

MANDATORY COMPONENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN KETAMINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY (KAP):

A full Medical Evaluation, Psychological Assessment and Treatment Planning session with the treating Doctor and Psychotherapist are mandatory for all new patients.

All Patients must also have a minimum of 2 supervised ketamine sessions before gradually increasing the ketamine dosage to optimize the therapeutic experience. As an example, most patients start with 6 sessions in a 2-3 week period and then continue treatment with additional sessions over weeks to months depending on the unique need of the person.

Lastly, we also require that if you are a client working with a therapist from another clinic or practice that you continue working with that therapist on a regular basis and beyond KAP therapy and that your therapist is willing to collaborate with our therapists.

WHAT'S THE KETAMINE EXPERIENCE LIKE..?

Your experience will be unique to you. And if you and we decide to have additional sessions using ketamine, each of your sessions will be different. The number of sessions varies based on personal needs and responses. We cannot pre-program your experience. We do our best to give a prognostic view as we learn with you how KAP affects you. All KAP journeys are adventures that cannot be programmed. They evolve from your own being in relation to this substance. Journeys vary in intensity from the sublingual lozenge trances to the IM experiences. While it is best to form an intention for your journey, you may or may not be able to hold onto that. Indeed, no holding on is best and the journey will flow whether or not you hold on and resist, or follow the path that unfolds and you relax into it. Holding on is the main source of anxiety in this and other related journeys. A ketamine session can be light, dark, or both. There will be concepts, visions, encounters, and you may well deal with your own death, mortality, and immortality. Most journeys are enjoyable and all are filled with awe. Invariably you will discover a new sense of who you are and what is important to you. You will have a time-out from suffering and an opportunity to change your view.

WHAT DOES KETAMINE TREAT..?

Ketamine has shown to be useful and effective for treatment resistant depression, anxiety, Trauma, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), End of Life Issues, Addiction and Eating Disorders helps interfere with addictive processes in the mind and is a wonderful tool and pathway for spiritual growth.

WITHDRAWAL FROM KAP IS ALWAYS AN ACCEPTABLE CHOICE

Even after agreeing to undertake Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, you may decide to withdraw from therapy at any time. Given the intensity of our process together, we ask that you do so after in-depth consultation with us.