Ketamine is a widely-used, FDA-approved medicine with a long track record of clinical safety. Beyond its original use as an anesthetic and analgesic, ketamine is also prescribed off-label for the treatment of depression and anxiety and other mental health challenges.

Ketamine's rapid antidepressant and mood-enhancing properties are complemented by its ability to enhance neuroplasticity and foster new synaptic connections, leading to a more resilient and healthier brain over time.

Think brain fertilizer! It's thought to foster growth in the brain in areas where stress has eaten away and made it much harder to make new connections and new pathways that are necessary in creating change.

For example, when you're learning to drive it's often uncomfortable and scary, we feel nervous and are very attentive to what we are doing. As we get used to the experience we stop thinking about it so much and we go where we need to go and we adapt quickly if any challenges arise. Now imagine if while you're learning to drive you have someone criticizing you constantly, judging everything you do and it never stops... you might never feel confident getting behind the wheel, you might get distracted by the criticism and do things that make you wonder if you should even be driving and maybe one day you stop.

This is what we do a lot of the time when we are wanting to grow and learn how to change negative thought or behavior patterns. Our inner dialogue can be harsh and it feels like it's hard to enjoy or notice the successes we do have. With brain fertilizer we have an extra boost in clearing new pathways, connecting to new perspectives and building on these. Plus, each Ketamine dosing session is said to have a cumulative effect so scheduling 6-8 sessions significantly enhances the window of opportunity for new learning.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is an evidence-based form of psychedelic-assisted therapy. KAP pairs ketamine treatment with ongoing psychotherapy with a licensed mental health professional, giving eligible clients the opportunity to experience more powerful breakthroughs in therapy.

The therapeutic alliance is the unique relationship between you and your therapist. The trust and safety of this therapeutic container creates the conditions needed for you to be able to unfold deeper content in your KAP sessions, leading to more frequent breakthroughs and longer-term improvement in clinical outcomes.

Services are provided remotely through telehealth.

KAP treatment consists of 2 parts: medical treatment and psychotherapy.

I collaboratively work with Journey Clinical's in house medical team who supports my clients on all medical aspects.

Step 1: Establish Therapy

If you are a new client you'll schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation phone call to start (click here to schedule). If it feels like a good fit then you'll move forward with scheduling an initial meeting to talk more in detail about what's coming up for you, provide background information about the biopsychosocial influences in your life, and what you hope to gain from KAP. If it continues to feel like a positive therapeutic fit, you'll leave this session with a treatment plan and a referral to the medical team.

If you are already engaged in treatment, let me know at your earliest convenience that you'd like to learn more about KAP!

Step 2: Medical Treatment

Following my referral, you'll receive an email inviting you to create a Journey Clinical account and to schedule an initial evaluation with a prescriber from their KAP-trained medical team. They will determine your medical eligibility for a Ketamine prescription. If eligible they will organize mailing you your prescription. If you are determined to be medically ineligible, you'll receive a refund for this appointment and you'll have the option to continue general therapeutic services with me if you choose.

Step 3: Psychotherapy Sessions

We will complete 4 or more preparation sessions, the exact quantity of these sessions is determined by your unique treatment plan. Preparation sessions include thoroughly reviewing the informed consent, openly addressing any concerns, aligning on the KAP process and setting intentions for our work together. Preparation sessions are scheduled just like regular therapy sessions.

Once completed you'll enter into the dosing and integration phase of treatment.

A typical ketamine dosing session lasts between 1-3 hours. During a dosing session, you'll self-administer your ketamine lozenge using the swish and spit method. During the Ketamine experience you'll be in a comfortable, reclined position wearing an eye mask and listening to calming music. Although a KAP dosing session is largely an internal experience, as your therapist, I am present the entire time to hold space and provide support as needed. There are usually 6-8 dosing sessions depending on your treatment plan.

After every KAP dosing session, we'll meet for 1-2 integration therapy sessions to reflect and process your experience, identify and build on your insights, maximize the benefits, integrate your intentions and explore sustainable change.

Step 4: Ongoing outcome monitoring

If desired, following KAP we can discuss ongoing care plans & therapeutic options that feel like a good fit for you.

Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules quarterly follow ups throughout your treatment.

I have provided clinical therapy since 2009, licensed in WA in 2015 and CA in 2016. I have been a therapist across a variety of settings! You can review my CV here.

I have received my KAP certification after undergoing 25+ hours of training in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy taught by one of the national leading educators, Fluence Psychedelic Training. I have completed additional training on Journey Clinical’s protocols for KAP including in depth requirements for patient eligibility, roles and responsibilities, and the dosing journey for our KAP modalities. I have participated in shadow sessions, consultation, and, since beginning my offering, I have provided many successful KAP sessions to clients. I feel competent and confident in my ability to provide the therapeutic aspects of KAP.

I also understand that to grow it's very important to be continually open to learning, so I welcome, and I am excited, to engage in new training, consultation and learning opportunities as they arise.

The effects of ketamine, which most people find to be pleasant, last for approximately 45-60 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience. Once these effects subside, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happens during the experience, people often feel like the insights gained are clear.

I would recommend this treatment to anyone who is feeling particularly stuck, is experiencing treatment resistant symptoms, or who is interested in exploring a new treatment option. In particular, my specialties include trauma recovery, anxiety & stress reduction, and grief & loss. I also work closely with people experiencing depression, maneuvering life transitions or with those who want to focus more generally on emotional wellness and growth. I am not available to assist with those experiencing active substance use disorders, psychosis or acute risk issues at this time. 

Clients will complete a medical evaluation to determine eligibility for a Ketamine prescription. If you are ineligible you will receive a refund for this appointment and will be offered referrals for other medication management or therapy services as needed and/or desired.

Below you'll find Journey Clinical's commitment to patient safety and wellbeing.

"Since its inception, Journey Clinical has designed its business around a patient-centered collaborative care model with rigorous patient safety policies and procedures in place to safeguard patient health and support their journeys toward improved clinical outcomes.

‍Below is an overview of our policies, procedures and safety protocols:

• Journey Clinical only prescribes ketamine in the context of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), in which a patient is in a therapeutic alliance with a licensed psychotherapist in our network.

• Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on all KAP medical responsibilities, including determining patient eligibility, providing ketamine prescriptions, and ongoing outcome monitoring. Our medical team is on-call 24/7 and leverages an emergency monitoring system to support member psychotherapists and patients experiencing any adverse effects.

• Journey Clinical members (licensed, trained psychotherapists) take on the therapy portion of the experience, collaborating hand-in-hand with our medical team to deliver personalized treatment plans and the highest quality of care. All Journey Clinical KAP providers are licensed mental health professionals who have undergone additional training in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy as well as in Journey Clinical’s clinical protocols for KAP, which describe in depth the requirements for patient eligibility, roles and responsibilities, and dosing journey for our KAP modalities. They also have access to both on demand and weekly medical team meetings, KAP protocol review sessions, a variety of trainings on consent to touch, navigating difficult experiences and many more key topics to supplement any gaps in knowledge.

• Prior to acceptance for treatment, Journey Clinical patients go through a comprehensive 1 hour medical intake consultation that covers medical, & psychiatric history where the risk/benefit framework of ketamine is explained to the patient, a thorough review of any potential contraindications and, when necessary, will seek medical clearances from other providers (e.g., PCPs, cardiologists, ophthalmologists etc.) to ensure eligibility.

• All Journey Clinical patients sign an informed consent form that comprehensively informs them that ketamine is being prescribed off-label as well as the potential risks and side effects of the medication.

• Eligible patients receive oral ketamine shipped to their home. To start, patients receive two doses to determine the appropriate dosage and to prevent any potential misuse. To receive any additional prescriptions, patients must come back for follow-up consultations with our medical team.

• If and only if eligible, patients are coached and instructed to self-administer their medicine during their designated KAP sessions with their licensed mental health professional KAP provider.

• Clinical protocols are also in place for in-person KAP and remote KAP in which patients self-administer ketamine in the presence of their licensed mental health professional KAP provider, as well as self-led protocols in which patients who are in a therapeutic alliance with a Journey Clinical KAP provider self-administer their medicine in the presence of a chaperone under the guidance of a licensed mental health professional.

• Journey Clinical patients also undergo preparation, dosing and integration sessions with their designated licensed mental health professional throughout their treatment plan. In their dosing sessions, patients are coached and instructed to self-administer their vitals (blood pressure, heart rate) before taking their medicine to ensure that they are within a healthy range appropriate for KAP. This range is logged by their licensed mental health professional in Journey Clinical’s HIPAA-compliant portal and reviewed and monitored by Journey Clinical’s medical team for safety and compliance.

• All patients are required to self-administer their ketamine in the presence of a licensed mental health professional in person or remotely, and/or have a designated chaperone monitoring them throughout their KAP dosing session."

Initial medical costs
‍Initial medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $250
‍Cost of medication: $88 (enough for 2 sessions)
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‍Ongoing medical treatment
‍Follow-up medical consultation with Journey Clinical $150 (at least 1X per quarter)
‍Cost of medication: $148 (enough for up to 6 sessions)

Psychotherapy costs
Contact Dr. Flores to learn more about preparation, dosing, and integration session fees.