Ketamine Therapy & Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Portland, Maine
A Different Approach When Traditional Treatment Hasn’t Been Enough
What Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, or KAP, combines ketamine treatment with psychotherapy in a structured clinical setting. Care typically includes evaluation, preparation, the ketamine session itself, and integration afterward. Explore The Benefits of KAP.
Ketamine may temporarily affect perception, emotional awareness, and familiar patterns of thinking. For some people, this can create an opportunity to approach difficult emotions or experiences from a new perspective. At Awaken Mental Health, ketamine is not treated as a standalone intervention—it is part of a broader therapeutic process designed to support meaningful reflection and change.
How Ketamine Therapy Works
Ketamine affects the brain differently from traditional antidepressant medications and has been studied for its potential role in neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to form and reorganize neural connections.
During treatment, some people experience a temporary shift in how they relate to thoughts, emotions, memories, or their sense of self. Preparation helps patients understand what to expect and enter the experience with intention, while integration helps them reflect on what emerged and connect it to their ongoing therapeutic goals.
Who May Benefit From Ketamine Therapy?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be considered for some individuals experiencing depression, treatment-resistant depression, trauma-related symptoms, OCD, grief, burnout, or persistent emotional patterns that have been difficult to change.
KAP is not appropriate for everyone. A clinical evaluation is required to determine whether ketamine therapy may be a reasonable and safe option based on your medical history, mental health needs, and previous treatment experience.
What to Expect at Awaken Mental Health
Treatment begins with a consultation and clinical evaluation. If KAP is appropriate, preparation sessions help you understand the process, discuss goals, and address any concerns before the ketamine session.
Ketamine is administered in a controlled clinical setting with appropriate medical oversight. Experiences vary, but some people notice temporary changes in perception, emotion, body awareness, memory, or sense of time.
After the session, integration provides space to reflect on the experience and explore how any insights or emotions that emerged may relate to your life and ongoing therapeutic work. What sets us apart is the experience and depth of our dual-discipline providers and staff.
Individual and Group Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Awaken offers both individual and group ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in Portland, Maine.
Individual KAP provides a private, personalized experience with focused therapeutic support. Group KAP combines individual internal exploration with the connection and support of participating alongside others in a professionally facilitated setting.
Explore Upcoming Group KAP Retreats
KAP vs. Ketamine Infusion Therapy
People researching ketamine treatment may encounter different approaches. Ketamine infusion therapy generally refers to intravenous administration of ketamine and may focus primarily on the medication itself.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy combines ketamine with preparation, psychotherapy, and integration. At Awaken, the therapeutic process surrounding the ketamine experience is a central part of care. If you are comparing ketamine treatment options in Portland, Maine, our team can explain how KAP at Awaken works and whether it may be appropriate for you.
Safety & Medical Oversight
Ketamine has a long history of medical use, but it is not appropriate for everyone. Before treatment, your clinical team reviews factors such as medical and psychiatric history, medications, cardiovascular considerations, substance use history, current symptoms, and previous treatment experiences.
Ketamine treatment at Awaken takes place in a controlled clinical setting with appropriate medical oversight and individualized treatment planning.
Is Ketamine Therapy Right for You?
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy may be worth exploring if traditional approaches have not provided the improvement you hoped for or if you continue to feel stuck despite meaningful therapeutic work.
KAP is not a quick fix. It is a therapeutic process that involves preparation, clinical support, and integration. The best way to determine whether it may be appropriate for you is through an individual consultation and evaluation.
Ketamine Therapy in Portland, Maine
Awaken Mental Health provides ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in Portland, Maine as part of an integrated approach that also includes psychotherapy, psychiatry, and medication management.
We work with each person to understand their treatment history, current needs, and goals before determining which approach may be the best fit.
How Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy Works
Research suggests that ketamine assisted therapy works on both a biological and psychological level. It can help create greater flexibility in the brain while also supporting deeper emotional processing.
- May loosen rigid patterns of thinking and identity
- May reduce overactivity linked to rumination
- Supports neuroplasticity and new neural connections
- Creates a window for new perspectives and change
- May soften psychological defenses
- Can make difficult emotions easier to approach
- Encourages openness to insight and reflection
- Helps reinforce positive therapeutic changes
These effects are most meaningful when combined with preparation, therapeutic support, and integration—helping translate insight into lasting change.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy / KAP
Learn more about ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, including how KAP works, what to expect, safety considerations, group and individual options, and whether it may be a good fit.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, or KAP, combines ketamine treatment with therapeutic support before, during, and after the medicine experience. The goal is not just symptom relief, but also insight, emotional processing, nervous system support, and integration.
Ketamine treatment alone often focuses primarily on the medication’s biological effects. KAP includes preparation, therapeutic support, and integration so that insights or emotional material that arise during the experience can be processed and connected to meaningful change.
KAP may be considered for people experiencing depression, OCD, trauma-related symptoms, grief, emotional stuckness, burnout, or patterns that have not shifted through traditional approaches alone. A clinical evaluation is required to determine whether it is appropriate.
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic and is commonly used in medical settings. Its use for many mental health conditions is considered off-label. Off-label prescribing is common in medicine, but it requires careful screening, informed consent, and medical oversight.
KAP typically includes a medical and psychological screening, preparation sessions, one or more ketamine medicine sessions, and integration sessions afterward. Preparation helps you feel informed and grounded. Integration helps you reflect on the experience and apply insights to your life.
During a medicine session, you are supported in a safe and intentional environment. Many people experience changes in perception, emotion, body awareness, memory, or sense of self. The experience is temporary, and your care team monitors and supports you throughout the process.
Medicine sessions are longer than traditional therapy sessions. The exact timing depends on the treatment format, but you should expect to set aside several hours for the session itself, recovery time, and post-session support.
The number of sessions varies. Many KAP treatment plans involve a short series rather than a single session, often in the range of several medicine sessions with preparation and integration support. Your provider will recommend a plan based on your needs, response, and goals.
Yes. Awaken Mental Health offers ketamine treatment in both individual and group formats. Group KAP can provide a powerful sense of connection and shared support while still allowing each person to focus on their own internal process.
Group KAP takes place in a small, intentional setting with clinical guidance and medical oversight. Participants prepare together, move through the medicine experience in a supported environment, and engage in integration practices designed to help process and make meaning of the experience.
Ketamine has a long history of medical use, but it is not appropriate for everyone. Safety begins with screening. Your provider will review your medical history, psychiatric history, medications, blood pressure, substance use history, and other factors to determine whether KAP is a safe and appropriate option.
Yes. After a ketamine session, you should not drive or return to work immediately. You will need a trusted adult to take you home, and you should plan for a quiet, low-demand rest of the day.
Insurance coverage for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy varies and is often limited because ketamine for mental health is commonly considered off-label. Some parts of care may be eligible for reimbursement depending on your plan. Please contact us directly to discuss current payment and insurance options.
No. KAP is not appropriate for everyone, and it is not a quick fix. It may be a good fit for people who are open to deep therapeutic work, preparation, emotional processing, and integration. A consultation and clinical evaluation are the best way to determine fit.
KAP may be worth exploring if you feel stuck in traditional treatment, are seeking a deeper therapeutic process, or are interested in a treatment model that combines medical care with emotional and psychological support. The first step is a consultation.