Introduction to Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Is KAP right for my patient?

In spite of the fact that we have so many treatment options, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, mental health disorders continue to be on the rise. It’s important to recognize these are extremely complex problems with multifactorial issues.

Among emerging trends in research and clinical application is the use of psychedelic and associated interventions used in combination with psychotherapy in controlled environments. Once such intervention, ketamine, has grown in acceptance and has received FDA approval for certain disorders. This course has been designed to assist therapists in growing their understanding of what this intervention entails and whether this might be an appropriate adjunctive treatment. Dr. Verbora, a family physician, offers an introduction to the science of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) for licensed mental health professionals who are either interested in practicing in this area, or making an informed decision regarding referring a patient to a KAP clinic or practitioner. In the first section, presented in video format with audio and text transcripts, he describes the history of KAP, reviews the literature and describes the applications and contra-indications. The second section is presented solely in text format and includes a research article reviewing the clinical efficacy of KAP.