INTRODUCTION
Ketamine was approved by the FDA for use as an anesthetic agent several decades ago. The administration of ketamine in lower, sub-anesthetic doses to treat pain, depression, or other psychiatric diagnoses is a newer, off-label use of ketamine.
Psychiatric use of ketamine has become relatively widespread in recent years, has been studied and promoted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health, and has had front-page publicity as the newest antidepressant. Ketamine has been administered by intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), sublingual, oral, and intranasal routes. Often, it has been used after other treatment approaches have been unsuccessful.
Ketamine is now an increasingly clinically applied “off-label” treatment for various chronic “treatment-resistant” mental conditions. ketamine is a DEA Schedule III medication that has long been used safely as an anesthetic and analgesic agent and now, often effectively for treatment of depression, alcoholism, substance dependencies, PTSD and other psychiatric diagnoses.
Ketamine is classified as a dissociative anesthetic, dissociation meaning a sense of disconnection from one’s ordinary reality and usual self. At the dosage level administered to you, you will most likely experience mild anesthetic, anxiolytic, anti-depressant and, potentially, psychedelic effects. Non-ordinary (“altered”), transpersonal (“transcendental”, “mystical”, “spiritual”, “religious”) peak experiences often occur.
It is our view that psychedelic, ‘dissociative’ experiences may well be instrumental in providing a catalyst for deep change which could include a positive change in outlook and character that we term a ‘transformative’ response. Essential to the method is an altered state of consciousness, typically lasting 30 minutes to 90 minutes, that tends to be related to dose and route of administration. With the possible relief from challenges provided by ketamine, and the subsequent exploration, the experience of other possible states of consciousness are singularly impactful.
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy Program
Perimeter Therapy Associates (PTA) now offers a Ketamine Assisted Therapy (KAT) program with qualified facilitating clinicians.
Clinician Qualifications:
The standard for the provision of KAT is certification as a Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Provider (CPATP) or completion of an intensive training program such as Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Science (MAPS), Integrative Psychiatry Institute (IPI), Naropa University, California Institute of Integral Studies, or similar program. There is a significant difference between KAT and “Trip Sitting.”
Target Population:
- Treatment Resistant Depression
- MDD
- GAD
- PTSD
Rule-Outs:
- Suicidal Ideation in previous 12 months
- Active Addiction/Substance Use
- History of Psychosis
- History of Bi-Polar
- Personality Disorders
Cost:
The KAT program offered by Perimeter Therapy Associates can be on a private pay or partial insurance reimbursed plan. If seeking a private pay structure, clients can independently seek insurance re-imbursement on their own.
For Private Pay Clients – PTA charges $165 for each individual session (1 hour) and $400 for each dosing session (2 hours). The PTA portion of cost is $2,190
The prescribing psychiatrist schedules and charges independently from PTA.
For Partial Insurance Reimbursement Clients – PTA will bill each individual preparation and integration session to the insurance company if the clinician accepts the insurance plan of the client. Currently, the PTA clinician providing KAT services accepts Aetna, Athem/BCBS, Cigna, Humana, and Tricare. The first hour of the dosing session will be billed to the insurance company, with the remaining time charged at $200 per hour.
Program Details:
Protocol – This program consists of 16 hours of treatment, including 6 individual 1-hour sessions (not including session with prescribing MD) and 3 individual 2-3 hour dosing sessions over the course of 6 weeks.
Course of Treatment
- Initial Assessment Session
- Referral to Dr. Naveen Thomas for medical assessment
- First Prep Session
- First Dosage Session
- First Integration Session
- Second Dosage Session
- Second Integration Session
- Third Dosage Session
- Third Integration Session
- Final Integration Session
For more information please contact David Jordan: [email protected]