How Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) Helps People

30 Jan

In recent years, Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, often shortened to KAP, has emerged as a promising and innovative new mental health treatment. The industry is currently in a phase of high growth, and many thousands of patients across the US and Europe are now accessing the novel therapy.

+Often touted as “accelerated” psychotherapy, KAP is showing promise for individuals who feel stuck in old patterns or low mood despite having tried conventional therapies, medication, or both.

You may be wondering… how does it help these people? Let’s hear what they have to say:

A Different Relationship to Thoughts and Feelings

After a ketamine-assisted session, many people describe a subjective dream-like state, a sense of “floating” above themselves, or getting space from their everyday waking awareness. Some say it felt like stepping back and seeing their inner world from the outside, getting distance and relief for the first time in years.

Most importantly, this non-ordinary state of consciousness granted them a new, different perspective from which to observe themselves and their circumstances. People often describe how thoughts and emotions that normally felt scary, painful or overwhelming became easier to sit with. This allows some, perhaps for the first time, to view their emotions differently, to listen and learn from the message, rather than immediately trying to escape.

The experiences are not always dramatic, or consistent. Sometimes they are subtle, but subtle can still matter.

What Actually Happens During Sessions

People might expect ketamine-assisted therapy to feel intense or disorienting. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it does not.

Experiences vary from person to person, or even from session to session. Some people feel deeply reflective. Others feel emotionally open. Some notice abstract imagery or memories. Some report mystical, divine encounters, and others feel very little at first.

What tends to matter most is not necessarily the experience itself, but rather the support around it. Ketamine provides a “window of neuroplasticity” in the acute phase after dosing. Preparation beforehand, and time with a therapist during and after the ketamine sessions can help people to engage with material in a way that they would not have been able to otherwise.

Research that looks at patients’ accounts consistently points to the importance of therapy and integration. It is central to the treatment, and without it, new perspectives and insights can fade without bringing any lasting relief or change.

Why This Can Help When Other Approaches Have Not

Many of the people who seek out KAP have already done a lot of work. Years of talk therapy, trying to understand themselves and wanting change without being able to reach it.

Ketamine seems to help some people step outside familiar mental loops, relax their beliefs and access an entirely different perspective. For a period of time, the mind becomes more flexible and is primed for psychological change. An opportunity is presented to reflect with less rumination and softened self-criticism.

Studies on ketamine and depression show that it can reduce symptoms quickly for some people, including those with treatment-resistant depression. In several trials, meaningful improvements appeared within hours or days rather than weeks. This is unusual in mental health treatment.

That said, the relief does not always last on its own. Without therapy and integration, changes can fade. With support, some people find that new perspectives take root and influence how they live day to day.

What People Say Stays With Them Afterward

When researchers ask people what they take away from ketamine-assisted therapy, the answers are rarely about euphoria.

They talk about understanding themselves differently. About feeling more compassion for their younger selves. About realising they are not their thoughts.

Some say they feel more open in relationships. Others feel less afraid of difficult emotions. A few say it helped them imagine a future again.

These shifts are not guaranteed. Not everyone has them. But they come up often enough to be worth paying attention to.

What Ketamine-Assisted Therapy is Not

It is not a cure. It is not a shortcut. It does not remove pain from life.

Some people do not respond to it. Some find the experience confusing or uncomfortable. Others feel temporary relief that does not translate into lasting change.

This is why screening matters. Why preparation and integration matters. Why honest conversations matter.

KAP works best when it is approached carefully and with realistic expectations.

What the Evidence Tells Us So Far

Large reviews of ketamine studies show consistent antidepressant effects for many people, especially those who have not responded to other treatments. There is also emerging evidence for benefits in anxiety, trauma-related conditions, and substance use.

At the same time, researchers are clear about the limits of what we know. Protocols vary. Long-term data is still developing. Context and therapeutic support play a major role in outcomes.

In other words, the science broadly matches what people report, but it also urges caution and care.

A Carefully Considered Approach

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy seems to help some people by creating a window of opportunity. A window where patterns loosen. Where reflection deepens. Where change feels possible rather than forced.

What happens with that window depends on what comes next. The therapy. The integration. The person’s life outside the clinic.

At Mirabilis Health, we are in the process of developing a ketamine-assisted psychotherapy programme with this in mind. Carefully. Slowly. With respect for both the evidence and the people behind it.

We will share more when it is ready.