What to expect at your first session
Short reads for a first visit. These are the usual shapes, not any one clinic’s protocol. If you are nervous, that is a reasonable place to start.
- KAP→
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy pairs the medicine with a therapist. The visit runs longer than a regular therapy hour, and the talk before and after is part of the work.
- IV ketamine→
IV ketamine is given through a small drip in a clinic room while staff watch your vitals. The infusion itself is typically about 40 minutes. The whole visit runs longer, because you arrive early and rest afterward.
- IM ketamine→
IM ketamine is a shot into a muscle, given in a clinic. It is not an IV drip. Staff stay with you and monitor you, then you rest before you go home.
- Spravato→
Spravato is an esketamine nasal spray approved by the FDA for adults with treatment-resistant depression, and for depressive symptoms in adults with major depression who have suicidal thoughts or behavior. You take it yourself at a certified clinic, then stay for at least two hours of monitoring.
- At-home ketamine→
After a telehealth visit, medication is shipped to you and you take it at home, often with a trusted person nearby. There is no clinician in the room, which is the main difference from a clinic visit.
- Psilocybin→
In states with regulated programs, you work with a licensed facilitator at a licensed center. The day is long, structured, and supervised. Outside those programs, psilocybin remains a controlled substance.