KAP is not appropriate for everyone. A full medical review is required before treatment.
DEFINITION
What is KAP Assisted Therapy?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy — often called KAP — combines low-dose ketamine with therapeutic support before, during, and after each session. It is a medically supervised treatment used for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and certain chronic pain and fatigue conditions that have not responded adequately to other approaches.
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic and is used "off-label" in psychiatric and pain medicine contexts. At low doses, it is thought to act on the brain's glutamate system, temporarily increasing neuroplasticity — the brain's capacity to form new connections and adjust established patterns. This can create a window in which therapeutic work is more accessible: a period of reduced rigidity, lighter emotional pressure, and greater openness to reflection and change.
INDICATIONS
What conditions does it help with?
ADVANTAGE
Why KAP Assisted Therapy at GWCIM?
GWCIM has offered KAP for over a decade, making it one of the more experienced integrative medicine practices offering this service in Washington, DC. Medical oversight is provided by board-certified physicians and a physician assistant with training in integrative and psychiatric medicine. All KAP facilitators hold advanced clinical credentials in fields including yoga therapy, Reiki, acupuncture, somatic therapy, and integrative psychotherapy. Initial eligibility for KAP is determined by a licensed GWCIM physician.
APPROACH
Our Process
KAP at GWCIM is not a standalone infusion service. It sits inside a full integrative medicine practice, which means the team around you includes physicians, mental health providers, acupuncturists, and somatic therapists — people who can support you before, during, and long after a KAP series.
This matters particularly for patients whose concerns are complex — depression alongside chronic pain, anxiety alongside fatigue, or trauma alongside a serious medical condition. GWCIM's program was designed with these patients in mind. The emphasis is on careful preparation, attentive facilitation, and thoughtful integration, rather than high volume or a production-line approach.
Sessions are small: one or two patients at a time, in a private room, with a dedicated facilitator present throughout.
A trained KAP facilitator stays with you for the full three-hour session. You are in a private, quiet room. A GWCIM physician is present in the clinic and checks in with you periodically. The facilitator's role is to provide a calm, steady presence — to hold the space, not to direct your experience.
Integration is built into the process. Each KAP session includes up to 30 minutes of follow-up with your facilitator within one week. This is the time to process what came up, anchor any insights, and decide, with your provider, whether additional sessions are indicated.
EXPERTISE
Recommended Providers
Mikhail Kogan, MD, ABIOM, RCST
Integrative and Functional Medicine Physician | ReCODE Program | Chief Medical Officer
Misty Embrey, MD
Integrative Psychiatrist
Ashley Drapeau, PA-C, L.Ac., MPAS, MAC
Medical Director | Functional Medicine | Long-Covid Program Director
Sally Novak, LCSW, DOM, L.Ac., MSW
Integrative Psychotherapist | Licensed Clinical Social Worker | Doctor of Oriental Medicine
Yael Flusberg, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, RMT, MS
Mindfulness and Somatic Coach | Yoga Therapist | Reiki Master
Angela Gabriel, MSOM, LAc, SEP
Chinese Medicine Doctor, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
LEARN MORE
What to expect as a patient
- Medical Review: Before your first session, a GWCIM physician reviews your health history to confirm KAP is safe and appropriate for you. You will receive a consent form and pre-session instructions at that time.
- Planning Your Day: Sessions are approximately three hours and are generally scheduled in the morning. You will need to take the full day off work and arrange for someone to accompany you home afterward. You may not drive after a KAP session.
- During the Session: Most patients find the experience calming. The medicine produces a temporary altered state that typically includes reduced emotional pressure, softer thinking, and sometimes visual or sensory shifts. You are in a private room throughout, with your facilitator present the entire time.
- After the Session: You will likely feel tired and should rest for the remainder of the day. Most people return to normal activities the following day. Your facilitator will schedule a brief follow-up within the week to support integration.
- Follow-up and Additional Sessions: Whether further sessions are recommended depends on your response to the initial treatment. Your provider will discuss options with you based on how you do.
Q&A
Q&A
Yes. KAP is not appropriate for people with active psychosis, uncontrolled cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, active substance misuse disorders in certain categories, or specific psychiatric histories. The medical review exists to identify these situations before any treatment begins. If KAP is not the right fit, your GWCIM provider can discuss alternatives.
This depends on your specific medications and health history, which is exactly what the initial medical review is designed to evaluate. Some medications require adjustment before KAP; others are compatible without modification. Do not make any medication changes without speaking with your GWCIM provider first.
There is no standard answer. Your response to the initial session guides what comes next. Some patients find significant relief after one or two sessions; others benefit from a series. Your GWCIM provider will discuss options with you based on your individual response.
EDUCATION