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Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAP)

Ketamine Therapy Denver Colorado | Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Denver Colorado

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Are you stuck in a wave of noise and disconnection?

 

You may feel stranded in a sea of stress, distraction, and old wounds.

 

You might struggle to understand yourself and others, constantly plugged into your devices, and going from one thing to the next without noticing what’s happening within and around you. All while holding on to fixed thinking patterns, numbing, or pushing difficult emotions away. 

 

And you wonder, why am I not feeling any better? What’s keeping me from making it over this hump? 

 

Nurturing connection, living with intention, and creating lasting change starts with inner awareness.

Expand your consciousness and tune into your inner wisdom.

 

True Nature Counseling offers ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) to adults and couples in Denver, Colorado.

 

KAP is a fantastic route to tap into the deepest parts of your being, unearth dysfunctional ways of navigating the world, and start healing yourself and your relationships from the inside out.

 

Let’s work together to enhance your awareness, reconnect with your true nature, and embody your desired transformation to live a mindful and intentional life.

 

Contact me to begin your ketamine-assisted journey today.

What is ketamine?

 

Ketamine is an FDA-approved anesthetic that has been clinically used for sedation and pain management since 1970. It can be administered via nasal spray, intravenous infusions, intramuscular injections, and oral medicine via tablets or liquid formula.

 

This rapid-acting medication inhibits NMDA receptors (related to learning and memory) and activates AMPA receptors (related to mood regulation and cell communication). 

 

Research suggests these interactions may promote neural connections and improve communication between brain cells, leading to analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antidepressant effects.

What is ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP)?

 

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, or KAP, is a novel approach that combines the benefits of ketamine with counseling.

 

There are three main avenues in mental health treatment: 

  1. Medication: taking medicine to address symptoms

  2. Top-down treatment: talking, gaining awareness, and processing what’s going on

  3. Bottom-up treatment: allowing the body to have experiences that deeply and viscerally contradict past emotional learning

 

As a KAP therapist, I believe the transformational power of KAP is better showcased in #3. KAP offers an embodied, transcendental journey that deepens contemplation, broadens your perspective, and expands your healing capacity.

 

Ketamine’s psychedelic properties may induce an altered or dissociative state of consciousness that can help you explore your emotions through a different lens, gain valuable insights, and foster critical reframing.

What can ketamine therapy help with?

 

In 2019, the FDA approved ketamine as a nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression. 

 

Since then, this medication continues to be researched and utilized to treat other mental health challenges, including:

  • Anxiety

  • Chronic stress

  • Depression

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

  • Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

How do I know if ketamine treatment is right for me?

If you are enduring any of the above challenges and would like to try a holistic and experiential approach, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is an excellent choice. KAP is also effective for couples with a trauma background and those who struggle with constant conflict and disconnection.

 

Yet, this innovative modality offers many benefits beyond addressing conditions and relationship stress. It sets the stage for conscious awareness and introspection, promotes personal growth, and amplifies the effects of counseling with rapid results.

 

If you are unsure about using ketamine in treatment, you can start individual or couple’s therapy with other modalities tailored to your needs. Then, we can explore KAP if/when that feels aligned.

Benefits of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy

 

  • Allows you to tune into deeper parts of your consciousness to boost your awareness and ability to heal

  • Improves emotional learning and regulation

  • Reduces defensiveness and cultivates vulnerability, contributing to more open and trusting relationships

  • Facilitates access to traumatic memories by enhancing synaptic connections

  • Aids in the processing and extinction of painful memories, potentially reducing their post-traumatic impact

  • Calms the nervous system and eases distressing symptoms

Can ketamine therapy help couples?

 

You may feel stuck and rigid as a couple or struggle to imagine things could be different. Unprocessed trauma or fears may also shrink your perceived options, narrowing your window of tolerance and making you more reactive and risk-averse.

 

Ketamine slows down your fight-flight-freeze response and the pursuing-withdrawing cycle. This helps you soften your defenses, increase your tolerance, and create more space for vulnerability and openness. You may start disrupting automatic coping mechanisms, taking the observer role, and making conscious choices that support you and your relationship.

What to expect from a ketamine-assisted therapy journey?

 

1) Preparation and alignment

 

First, we’ll clarify your needs, purpose, and goals. We’ll discuss what brought you here, walk through the KAP process, and address any questions or concerns.

 

The idea is to develop a customized treatment plan aligned with your intentions and establish a foundation of trust and safety.

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2) Journey day

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I invite you to wear comfortable clothing and bring any personal items you want to use as anchors throughout the journey. We’ll create a container or safe space where you feel held and supported, offering blankets, pillows, headphones, and a curated playlist to enhance your experience.

 

Once the ketamine enters your system, you might feel relaxed, dizzy, and dissociated from your body—yet aware. You may see colors, memories, and lucid dreams as you unfold inner layers and access places that used to seem scary or hard to reach.

 

Psychedelic journeys may last approximately 2.5-3 hours. I’ll guide you as you travel through this altered state of consciousness, inviting you to approach it with gentle curiosity and holding the container for the entire experience.

 

3) Aftercare

 

Following your ketamine journey, I encourage you to rest and contemplate your experience with compassion. 

 

Ensure you have someone available to take you home and support you during the first couple of hours after the session, and avoid driving for 24 hours. Nourish your body with water and light snacks, and honor this time without overworking or straining yourself.

 

4) Integration

 

We’ll take some time to process and reframe what came up during and after your psychedelic journey. 

 

This is perhaps the most critical phase, where we’ll make meaning of your experience and integrate insights into your daily life. You can take integration further by journaling, making art, or engaging in mindful movement.

How does ketamine-assisted psychotherapy work at True Nature Counseling?

 

We’ll start with a free 15-minute consultation to discuss your needs and goals. I’ll explain my unique approach and answer your questions. As a prerequisite to KAP, I ask for at least six months of prior therapy experience.  

 

If we decide KAP is a good fit, I’ll refer you to a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner for a medical evaluation and risk assessment. Once you are cleared for treatment, you’ll be able to get a ketamine prescription from the provider. 

 

Ketamine journeys happen in a private and comfortable space at our Denver office. I utilize an oral medicine prescription and offer the option of having a registered nurse present to administer an intramuscular injection, check your blood pressure, and monitor your vitals for one hour. This is an excellent choice if you feel nervous and want a slow introduction or a higher dose.

 

The number and frequency of ketamine journeys and integration sessions will vary depending on your specific situation, comfort level, and goals.

 

For couples, I provide a few different options:

  • Couple’s session with one partner on low, fast-acting ketamine dose, which supports verbal processing (90 minutes).

  • Individual psychedelic session, with partner holding space for the other’s experience (2.5-3 hours).

  • Individual psychedelic session, with the option for couple’s processing at the end of the experience or to meet back for couple’s processing on a different day (2.5-3 hours).

 

Integration sessions can happen online via a secure telehealth platform, although I prefer to provide in-person support. I also collaborate with other therapists to offer the ketamine session and then have them lead the integration work.

Marie Cobb MS, MA, LPC | Ketamine therapist Denver Colorado

 

I’m Marie, a licensed professional counselor and founder of True Nature Counseling. I provide ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to adults and couples in Denver, Colorado, among other counseling services.

 

I found KAP in 2020 after enduring 2+ years of soaring stress from the pandemic lockdown and parenting two young children. My first psychedelic experience was a profound journey to a clearer mind and positive change in thought patterns and behaviors that left me feeling more energized and aligned with my purpose. Now, it’s my honor to support you as you embark on that quest to your inner self.

 

Protecting your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual safety is essential to my approach. That’s why I focus on holding a secure container throughout the entire process, providing a structured and intentional psychedelic framework, and offering the option of having a registered nurse specialized in psychedelics present.

 

When working with individuals, I blend KAP with mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy (MCBT), emotion-focused therapy (EFT), and other modalities tailored to your case. 

 

When working with couples, I use a low dose of ketamine along with emotion-focused therapy. This combination deepens the therapeutic experience, expands your edges, and allows you to share emotions with understanding and empathy.

Ready to embody a deep transformation?

 

Something within you is asking for a greater self-exploration and lasting change.

 

Let’s talk about how ketamine-assisted psychotherapy can support that inner calling.

 

Contact me to book a free consultation.

KAP resources

 

Podcasts

 

Videos

 

Research

 

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Disclaimer

As a therapist, I’m unable to prescribe ketamine or any other medication. I will refer you to a licensed provider to do a medical and psychiatric assessment and clear you for KAP before treatment begins.

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