Integrative Medicine & Ketamine Therapy for Transformation

Integrative medicine is a healthcare model that blends the best of science, evidence-based therapies and spirituality.

It aims to combine conventional medical approaches with complementary and alternative therapies, including spiritual and mind-body practices. It acknowledges that health and healing involve not only physical aspects but also emotional, mental, social, and even spiritual dimensions. It’s not surprising then that ketamine therapy is a welcomed addition to integrative medicine clinics, as it has the ability to guide individuals beyond the limitations of conventional treatments for anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic pain. In fact, ketamine therapy might just be the gateway through which people emerge as more resilient versions of themselves.

Of mind and medicine.

In her 2019 MAPS Bulletin article, The Paradigms Of Ketamine Treatment, one of the most respected therapists and researchers in the field of ketamine therapy, Dr. Raquel Bennett, reminds us that the mind is not merely the domain of neurons and synapses, but a realm of untapped and unexplored potential waiting to be unlocked….something that ketamine therapy has a knack for.

While ketamine is primarily known for its anesthetic properties, it’s actually quite a flexible tool. It is capable, with the right dosage, of promoting psychedelic experiences…but not in the sense that most people think. Ketamine works through a dissociative lens, one that softens sensory reception and opens a transpersonal space for the user. This is to say that it becomes easier for the ketamine recipient to experience an identity that extends beyond the personal and into the areas of humankind and the universe as a whole.

This can bring about a very calm state of mind.

As of today, the dosage of ketamine in therapeutic situations is not considered enough to induce a true psychedelic experience where ‘mystical visions’ are accessible.

But, let’s look closer at ‘psychedelic’

Psyche (Greek: referring to the mind or soul) and delos (Greek: referring to manifest or clear) suggest that psychedelic experiences are experiences of the mind (or soul) that demonstrate or reveal someone's qualities and feelings by way of entering ‘altered’ state of consciousness from what is accepted as normal or “reality”. There are many ways to connect with these alternate brainwave states and the practice of consciously accessing different states of awareness has been used traditionally in various cultures for ritualistic, spiritual, and healing purposes, and continues to be examined through scientific research for potential therapeutic benefits.

Some safe practices for accessing states of awareness beyond ‘reality’ are meditation, breathwork, witnessing certain forms of art, transcendental dance, and guided support with substances such as ketamine or psilocybin (a certain mushroom variety). Benefits from these practices may include:

● Reduced Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

● Enhanced Emotional Processing

● Neuroplasticity and Brain Connectivity

● Spiritual and Transcendent Experiences

● Elevated Mood and Well-being

● Enhanced Mindfulness and Self-Awareness

● Shift in Perspective

The use of ketamine for mental-health support, as elucidated by Dr. Bennett, challenges the conventional notion of healing as a one-size-fits-all process, and ‘therapy’ as a practice that stays behind psychedelic lines. 

“It is interesting to note that these [ketamine] protocols were specifically designed not to induce psychedelic experiences in any single treatment session [and] .this approach to ketamine treatment is fundamentally a Western medical or a surgical model, where the antidepressant or therapeutic effects of ketamine are attributed to its biochemical properties, and the benefits are explained in terms of molecules, receptors, neurotransmitters, and the like. While there is no doubt that ketamine does something helpful on a chemical level, this may not be the whole story. The problem with this paradigm of treatment is that it puts the patient in a passive position; the patient is not called upon to participate in their own treatment (except to show up for the appointment), and all of the “magic” is attributed to the chemical action of the medication.” 

It’s worth noting that Dr. Bennett suggests that if you’re working with ketamine therapy in a psychedelic, psychological, and relational paradigm, it would best be done as an adjunct to talk therapy with a trained psychotherapist. 

“The basic idea here is to offer the ketamine session(s) in the context of an ongoing psychotherapy relationship, in order to help the patient talk about material that is too painful or shameful to discuss otherwise…..Often, what we see clinically is the “consolidation” of psychological material. This is not the time to go searching for new memories. Instead, patients convey that their understanding or resolution of a difficult issue moves from being intellectualized into an embodied way of knowing.”

Still, there are beneficial and successful ways to work with ketamine outside of psychotherapy. The primary tenet of the integrative medicine model is to treat the whole person, focus on both the symptoms and underlying causes of illness, and create safe places to explore things, like ketamine, as therapeutic approaches for mental-health support and chronic pain relief.

What’s the right way to work with ketamine?

Could there be another way to work with ketamine therapy other than what’s currently prescribed? Could it be the invitation we need to actively participate in the alchemical interplay between mind and medicine, and embrace a journey of healing that resonates deeply with our own unique spiritual experiences, consciousness, and aspirations?

The answer is unique to each individual. We all come to the table with a diverse mix of DNA, trauma, beliefs, body-types, experiences, and lifestyles. What’s “right” for one person may not even be close to what another person needs to thrive and feel whole. But what seems to be supportive and most beneficial for all is to trust your inner-knowing and to work with healthcare professionals that will listen to you and offer educated suggestions and guidance for reaching and maintaining optimal health - body, mind, and soul.