Breaking the Stigma: Understanding KAP (Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy)
August 5, 2025
In recent years, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, or KAP, has emerged as an effective tool for addressing conditions like treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and chronic anxiety.
Even with the plethora of research supporting its effectiveness, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy continues to face stigma and misunderstanding.
Many of these misconceptions stem from outdated narratives, and a lack of awareness about how this treatment truly works.
Let's dismantle the common stigmas surrounding KAP and explore the many ways KAP works to provide more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms.
Even with the plethora of research supporting its effectiveness, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy continues to face stigma and misunderstanding.
Let's dismantle the common stigmas surrounding KAP and explore the many ways KAP works to provide more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms.

Acknowledging the Stigma
- Ketamine has a longstanding history as a recreational drug causing some to view ketamine treatments as unsafe or exclusively for illegal use
- Some people conflate ketamine with other drugs and worry about hallucinations, loss of control, or long-term psychological effects.
- The news and social media have a longstanding history of sensationalizing ketamine, which continues to uphold the misconception that it is solely used in illegal or unsafe settings
Rewriting the Narrative on KAP
- Labeling ketamine as just a recreational drug can cause misunderstandings and fear among the public and even among healthcare professionals. However, ketamine is legal and incredibly effective when used safely in clinically supervised psychotherapy settings
- There can be discomfort around non-traditional mental health treatments, especially those involving altered states of consciousness. This does not diminish the effectiveness and safeness of KAP, instead it represents a holistic healing modality that works to treat the vast needs of eligible individuals
- Seeking mental health treatment already carries a stigma. Intertwining that with an unfamiliar method like KAP can lead to double stigma; from both the broader public and individuals’ own internalized beliefs.
The Power Healing Through KAP
- Ketamine is known for its fast-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing properties
- These effects often begin within 1–2 hours after administration and last up to two weeks
- KAP works by blocking NMDA receptors in the brain and stimulating AMPA receptors
- This holistic modality is believed to support the formation of new synaptic connections and strengthen neural pathways involved in mood regulation and stress response
- Additionally, ketamine has been shown to promote neuroplasticity, contributing to longer-term symptom relief
- Ketamine is versatile and can be administered through various methods. Amongst these methods include intravenous (IV) infusion, intramuscular (IM) injection, nasal spray, and sublingual lozenges
At Presence of Mind Therapy, we partner with Journey Clinical to provide eligible clients with personalized experiences rooted in safety and healing.
If you would like to explore the possibility of working with our office on KAP, please e-mail us at newclient@presenceofmindtherapy.com to discuss eligibility and next steps.
Presence of Mind Therapy Blog

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Between the news cycle, decreasing hours of sunlight everyday, and the chaos associated with the upcoming holiday season, it would make a lot of sense right now if you’re feeling stressed. Or really stressed. For what it’s worth, you’re in good company—according to the American Psychological Association, 89% of people say they feel increased concerns this time of year around things like social pressure to make the holidays ~perfect~, spending too much money, food/alcohol issues, and family drama. Does any of that ring a bell? (If it does, congrats! You are definitely a human being.) While tempting, you don’t have to turn to self-destructive coping choices like isolating yourself or relying on substances right now. You have other options. These are some of my favorites, all borrowed from DBT: 1) Practice accepting emotions as pieces of information. When you’re feeling a strong feeling, name it. Own it. Allow it in. Validate it. Assume that you’re experiencing it because your body is trying to protect you. Thank yourself for having received the info, and accept that even if you don’t know why that emotion is getting kicked up for you, it probably makes sense from a perspective that you’re not considering right now that you can unpack later in therapy. 2) Cope ahead. Picture ahead of time how certain stressful situations will likely play out during the holidays, and make a literal plan on what you’re going to do in different scenarios to keep your stress regulated. Work with your therapist to explore skills from setting boundaries to deep breathing for moments that feel particularly tricky. 3) Remember that you always have four options to choose from when trying to solve a problem: Change the situation (even if that means leaving it or opting out entirely) Learn to love or at least feel better about the problem so that it isn’t a problem anymore Tolerate and accept both the problem and how much you hate the problem Stay miserable and do nothing For example: Let’s say you secretly hate eggnog, and your family has a yearly eggnog appreciation event. Here are some of your choices: A. Don’t go to the event. Plan something fantastic to do by yourself that day. (Remember: Alone time is not the same thing as isolation!) B. Go all in with a green suit and make being the Eggnog Grinch your fun new role at the party C. Let yourself hate eggnog and the party, and go anyway—but while you’re there, commit to internally experiencing the party as though you were an anthropologist studying a particularly peculiar group of people D. Continue to secretly hate eggnog, go to the party, and try again in 2025 If you go with option D, it’s definitely going to be worth exploring in therapy 🙂 If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat. If you’re experiencing an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Written by, Rachel Christensen, LMSW
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Boundaries are not metaphorical invisible fences and walls that we put around ourselves to keep people out. A boundary is in fact a useful mechanism that helps make it easier for others to get close to us. Boundaries allow us to create healthy relationships by building a sense of trust with another. By setting healthy Read more »
The post Healthy Boundaries: What Are They And Why Do We Need Them? appeared first on Presence Of Mind Therapy.
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