Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

“biggest breakthrough in depression research in a half century”

Are you ready to transcend?

Are you looking for help with Depression, Anxiety, and OCD?

Ketamine is one of the most popular analgesics and anesthetic drugs used worldwide and is prominently listed as one of the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines. It is commonly used in ICUs, emergency rooms, surgical environments, and in diagnostic procedures. However, near the turn of the century, clinicians began to notice an interesting side effect. Patients given Ketamine were seemingly experiencing a significant decline in depressive symptoms following their procedures. Continued research has demonstrated its efficacy in the temporary reduction of depression and other psychiatric disorders. In 2012, researchers hailed it as the “biggest breakthrough in depression research in a half-century”.

Today, Ketamine is quickly becoming one of the most effective treatments for depression. Those suffering from moderate to severe depression or treatment-resistant depression have finally found some relief. In addition, Ketamine has also been used to treat anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Love Discovery Institute has long been a proponent of several alternative therapies, including some psychedelic treatments, and has taken the undeniable efficacy of ketamine and incorporated it with world-class therapy.

What is ketamine-assisted therapy?

When integrated with a therapeutic process, Ketamine is quick-acting medicine that can also help individuals explore new perspectives, memories, and unconscious material which may come to the surface during treatments. This allows a skilled therapist to help individuals further explore their associations and belief systems that armor their identity and their conditions. Ketamine doesn't change our identity but it can help us understand and relate to it without the walls we psychologically attempt to keep up.

Are ketamine treatments safe?

Ketamine is a thoroughly tested and safe prescription medication that has been used to treat depression and other mental health disorders. When combined with therapy, a number of well-reviewed studies have empirically demonstrated that ketamine can help individuals deal with everything from anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other ailments that can affect their mental health and our wellbeing.

By itself, ketamine has demonstrated antidepressant qualities that can help individuals feel substantially better within days of their treatment. Ketamine's relatively immediate effects can help individuals shorten the length of time for antidepressants to become effective. Reducing the amount of time of a depressive episode is critical with acute depression or when suicidal ideation may be present. For many individuals seeking support, ketamine has become a life-saving alternative medicine that many other drugs or therapies can't match.

How does the ketamine-assisted treatment process work at Love Discovery?

We work with ketamine in the context and for the purpose of mental health healing. The protocols at Love Discovery Institute include a multidisciplinary collaborative approach to addressing depression. With a therapeutic goal in mind, we first work with our clients for a minimum of three, 50-minute therapy sessions. This allows us to better understand you, your story, and how depression affects you. The etiology of depression can vary significantly and may stem from a number of biological, environmental, and social factors. Before we can determine if Ketamine is appropriate, your therapist needs to understand how some of these factors contribute to and sustain depression. This also provides context to healing as many of these factors will generate themes and psychological modes of operation.

Following the initial sessions, we will determine if ketamine can be prescribed. The prescribing physician will assess and evaluate your treatment to ensure that all contraindications are considered and that ketamine can indeed be a suitable treatment.

Once approved, individuals will receive dose-specific lozenges in the mail. The patient will be scheduled for three Ketamine-assisted virtual sessions and will have a trusted personal guide by their side. Additional support and processing are available in between sessions. A patient can assist with unlimited group sessions and unlimited messaging is available.

Following the completion of the treatment, a follow-up therapy session will explore adherence to ketamine and help explore how the experience may be related to depression or any of the therapeutic themes previously explored. Follow-up ketamine sessions will also be evaluated at that time. After the session, most individuals experience a lifting of their depression within days, however, in most cases, individuals normally experience several ketamine sessions and a varying number of psychotherapy sessions before longer-lasting symptoms can improve.

The Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Process

Ketamine can be a powerful treatment but we believe it requires the upmost care. We manage this delicate treatment through several phases.

1

We begin all treatment journeys with 3 sessions of therapy to help us understand you. It’s important to develop a therapeutic relationship so that we can help you determine if Ketamine-Assisted Therapy is meant for you and so that we can help you process what you experience during and after treatment.

2

A consultation with a prescribing physician to ensure you are physically prepared for Ketamine-Assisted Therapy. Once our therapists have helped determine that you are psychologically prepared, a Ketamine protocol can developed specifically for you. It’s an integral part of the therapeutic process.

3

Ketamine prescribed lozenges are mailed directly to your home from our authorized pharmacy. We use a fast and secure shipping service to ensure your medication arrives within days of your scheduled treatment.

4

3 Ketamine-assisted sessions are conducted virtually with one of our therapists and with your trusted guide, in-person, in your home.

3 additional treatments may be available as necessary.
Additional support and processing is available in-between sessions.

5

A follow-up consultation and review of your healing process is evaluated. Together with your guide and prescribing physician, you will determine the level of progress and decide whether continued treatment with or without Ketamine would be right for you.

What is different about Love Discovery Institute?

Unlike most clinics and therapists that focus on symptom relief, our therapists deliver specialized treatments which aim to ameliorate our concerns at the heart of the problem. Through this process, we gain insight, identify patterns, and improve our understanding of our psychological defenses which may affect our life and our relationships. This also promotes long-term change and keeps us from the cyclical problems that can otherwise consume our world. Through the process of our highly-focused therapies, our therapists will generally help individuals explore their past, show them how it lives in the present, and outline a plan to move forward in healthier, more authentic, and more loving ways.
What type of therapies do you offer?

Whether you are seeking individual or couples therapy, we believe that at our core, we are relational beings. We experience life around others and integrate healing and connection through this very lens. Although we offer a wide spectrum of modalities including humanistic, integrative, psychodynamic, analytic, existential, narrative, and various cognitive behavioral therapies, we've adopted these orientations around the relational space. In addition, within these frameworks, we incorporate a number of tools or interventions that help support healing, promote growth, and redefine our narratives. Finding a therapist does not have be hard. Our we proudly offer our services throughout Miami-Dade including Miami, Coral Gables, Brickell, Doral, Pinecrest, and Miami Beach. We also offer Telehealth mental health services throughout Florida.
Do you take insurance?

Yes. We are in-network with the following insurance providers: • United (Oscar, Optum) • Aetna (Oxford) If you have coverage with other insurance providers, you may still have significant coverage. If you carry a PPO insurance plan, you may qualify for up to 75% of your sessions to be reimbursed by your insurance company. If your therapist does not take coverage, it may be because they may focus specialized treatments. Insurance provides quality access to medication management or generalized treatments, but once a certain level of care is desired, insurance companies may not cover it. To help explain this, you may find that your nearby service-center can manage your car's oil change, but if you have an electrical problem, you'll need to take your vehicle to specialist or the vehicle's dealership. Similarly, you may go to the local salon chain, but you may not go there if you are attending a wedding. Depending on the situation, therapy may require a more experienced level of care. Saving a marriage or dealing with an infidelity requires an extremely delicate touch. It is critical that matters like these are best addressed with the help of an expert. Other reasons why some may choose to self-pay or use their out-of-network policy: • Insurance companies often want the clinical notes about your sessions. We strongly believe that thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and your personal disclosures should be kept solely between you and your therapist. If you don't want third-parties knowing business, you may want to self-pay or opt to use your out-of network coverage. • Insurance companies attempt to pay as little as possible for your care. Every session is essentially an expense against their revenue generated by your premium. Unfortunately, this forces providers to take on a broad variety of cases and discourages therapists from specialize in any one area. In order to make ends meet, therapist also have to take on extremely high caseloads which affects their ability to effectively treat, conceptualize cases, continue their education, or even manage their own self-care. This ultimately can have a huge impact on your care. • Insurance companies direct the terms of your care. They are notorious for shortening or limiting treatment. They may force a therapeutic alteration which can force you to switch therapist even after you've developed a strong therapeutic relationship with them. When you need them most, you may find that after a certain number of sessions, your insurance company may decide what is best for you. • Some treatments are limited or are simply not covered by insurance policies. For example, sex therapy is generally not covered. Although sex is deeply intertwined into our emotional and psychological functioning, insurance companies may only cover the medical aspect.
How can therapy help?

Therapy is for everyone! Having a neutral, but supportive figure in your life helps you identify your blindsides and attain more love and equanimity. An experienced therapist can help you process your emotions, review your past, outline your future, and develop strong and effective skills to address any challenges you may face. Just like a coach helps an athlete optimize their game, a therapist can help you optimize your life. • Improve relationships and interpersonal communication. • Learn about your family dynamics and see how they affect your current relationships. • Identify unhealthy patterns and behaviors in your life. • Learn new tools to solve everyday or longstanding problems. • Process and heal from difficult emotions and/or events. • Grow into a more grounded and authentic being. • Raise your emotional IQ and improve your influence and connection. • Learn how to manage life transitions. • Find more purpose and love in your life.
How long does therapy take?

Therapy is a process and can vary in time and scope. Like beginning a new workout or dietary regimen, results are highly unlikely after a couple of sessions. It will take time to see results. Your openness, level of commitment, and work in-between your sessions will help you accelerate your progress. If this is your first time, give yourself at least 3 months of weekly sessions to get your feet wet. Some individuals find relief, support, or stabilize a critical event that may have occurred within their relationship. Therapeutically, this only scratches the surface but allows for a strong foundation to begin to take place. Therapies lasting over 3 months really begin to go more in-depth. By this time, the therapeutic relationship fosters trust and the necessary content for individuals to step into a new realm. If you've been doing your work, you'll be building on concepts and putting things into place. Depending on your particular situation, changes may vary. Some situations such as infidelities, those on the brink of a separation, or those who have experienced a traumatic events tend to need at least this much time to begin seeing change. Many individuals enter and remain in therapy for many months or even years. They keep their therapist in their pocket and continue to embrace personal healing or growth. Individuals extending therapy for longer periods fine-tune their life experience and can become masters of their world. Mileage does vary, but significant changes should be expected.
Are my sessions confidential?

Your sessions are completely confidential and are maintained between you and your therapist. We know how sensitive our thoughts and behaviors can be and believe that all conversations and feelings are welcomed. Although there are some limits to confidentiality, such as potential harm to self or others, abuse of children or vulnerable populations, we encourage everyone to talk about what is going on in their life. Don't worry, we've heard it all.
How do I get started?

You can simply click on the appointments tab to see the price and availability of each provider. Select a slot and we'll email you our intake forms which can all be filled online. This process generally only take 5-10 minutes to complete. This will also give you access to our online portal where you can access your records and billing documents. All of your information are kept on a HIPPA-secured platform which uses multi-layered encryption designed to keep your information safe. Alternatively, you may also call us at 305-605-LOVE and speak to someone in the office. We can help make recommendations or help you come to an informed decision.

Interested? Contact Us!

If you are ready to get started with ketamine-assisted therapy and are serious about your healing journey, please complete the online survey to start the process.

Still unsure about how we can help? Call us at 305-605-LOVE to further discuss your healing options.

Get Started