A quick big-picture map of what KAP is, how it works, and what your full course of treatment looks like.
Ketamine is a legal medicine that's been used safely in medical settings for decades. At the doses used in KAP, it temporarily shifts how your brain processes information — often making it easier to access emotions, memories, and perspectives that are usually hard to reach.
It also helps your brain become more flexible and open to change for a short window after each session. That's the reason the therapy work we do afterward matters so much.
The effects last about 45–60 minutes. People often describe them as floating, expansive, or deeply calm — though everyone's experience is different.
- Medical Intake — Journey Clinical's doctor reviewed your history and cleared you for treatment.
- Preparation Sessions — you and your therapist align on goals and intention (1–3 sessions).
- Dosing Sessions — the actual ketamine experience, with your therapist present (typically 6–8 over the course of treatment).
- Integration Sessions — therapy sessions after each dosing session to process what came up and connect it to real life.
- Medical Follow-Ups — Journey Clinical's team checks in at least once per quarter to monitor your progress.
Your therapist is present the entire time. They won't direct your experience or talk much during the peak effects — that's your time to be inward.
What they're doing: holding space, monitoring your safety, tracking your vitals, and being available if you need anything. Their presence is the container. The experience is yours.
The preparation you do in the days before your session matters just as much as the session itself. None of this needs to be complicated. Think of it as clearing the runway.
- Protect your schedule — keep the day of your session and the day after as open and low-pressure as possible.
- Reduce alcohol and recreational substances. Ideally avoid them entirely in the 48–72 hours before.
- Eat normally and stay hydrated. You want to feel grounded in your body.
- Do things that help you feel settled: walks, time outside, gentle movement, good sleep.
- Gather what you'll need: your ketamine lozenges, eye mask, headphones, and a blanket or pillow.
- Have your blood pressure cuff accessible (or your therapist will take care of that).
- Pick a music playlist you find calming — or ask your therapist to send one. Download it so it doesn't need Wi-Fi.
- Have a journal or notepad nearby — just in case you want to write something down afterward.
- Arrange your ride home. You cannot drive after this session. Plan this ahead of time.
This doesn't need to be formal. Just ask yourself: "What am I bringing into this, and what do I hope to learn or feel?"
You don't need a perfect answer. Even something like "I just want to feel some relief" or "I want to understand why I keep getting stuck" is a real intention. You'll talk through it with your therapist before the session.
Think of the intention as a compass, not a destination. It orients you — it doesn't control what happens.
- Tell your therapist if you've taken any new medications or supplements recently — some interact with ketamine.
- Tell them if you've been sick, haven't slept well, or are going through something unusually stressful. You can adjust.
- Do not eat a heavy meal within 3 hours of the session. A light snack is fine.
- Avoid excess caffeine on the day of — being jittery doesn't help you settle in.
Keep the morning simple. This isn't a day for errands, big decisions, or intense conversations. Just arrive.
- Eat something light — toast, fruit, or something easy on your stomach. Not a full meal.
- Drink water. Stay hydrated.
- Dress comfortably. You'll be lying down, so wear something loose and warm enough to relax in.
- Avoid scheduling anything stressful in the hours before — no difficult calls, no rushing.
- Your ketamine lozenges
- Eye mask and headphones
- Blood pressure cuff (if you have one)
- A journal, if you want one
- Your phone off or on Do Not Disturb
You'll begin with a brief check-in. Your therapist will ask how you're feeling and you'll revisit your intention for the session.
Then they'll take your blood pressure and heart rate to make sure they're within safe parameters.
You'll place the lozenge under your tongue or between your cheek and gum. Keep it there for about 10–20 minutes, then spit it out. You won't swallow it.
Then you'll put on your eye mask, settle into a comfortable position, and let the music carry you. Your therapist will be right there.
The peak effects pass on their own within 45–60 minutes. When you're ready, your therapist will gently bring you back.
You'll spend some time just being present. You don't need to analyze or explain anything right away. Vitals will be taken again, and you'll have space to sit with what came up before you close.
Expect to be there for about 2–3 hours total.
- You cannot drive today — at all. Make sure your ride is arranged before the session starts.
- No operating machinery, bikes, or making major decisions for the rest of the day.
- Plan to go home and rest. Your brain is still integrating. That's a good thing.
What you do in the 24–72 hours after your session is where much of the healing happens. Ketamine opens a window — integration is how you step through it.
- Go home. Rest. Watch something gentle. Eat something nourishing.
- Avoid alcohol, intense exercise, or anything emotionally overwhelming.
- Some people feel emotional or tender for a few hours. That's okay. Let yourself feel it.
- If something vivid came up during the session, jot it down — even a few words — while it's fresh.
In the next day or two, if you feel moved to, try writing a few sentences about:
- What images, feelings, or thoughts came up
- Anything that surprised you
- What felt meaningful, even if you don't know why
- Any shifts in how you see yourself or your situation
This isn't homework. It's just a way of capturing the window while it's still open. Bring whatever you wrote to your integration session.
Your therapist will schedule an integration session within a day or two of your dosing session. It's a regular therapy session, focused entirely on what came up and what it means for you.
You don't need to have figured anything out before you meet. Just bring yourself.
If you experience anything physically concerning — chest pain, extreme disorientation beyond a few hours, or something that worries you — contact Journey Clinical's medical team. Their number is in your patient materials. You can also reach out to your therapist directly.
Feeling tender, emotional, or "raw" for a day or two is normal. Feeling physically unwell beyond that is worth a call.
Track preparation, session, and integration tasks across the full KAP arc. Tap any item to mark it complete.