Knowing What’s Coming Makes All the Difference

One of the biggest barriers to starting ketamine-assisted psychotherapy isn’t cost or access — it’s the unknown. People hear ‘ketamine’ and imagine something clinical, cold, or even frightening. The reality is quite different. Our Ottawa sessions are designed to feel safe, supported, and intentional from the very first call.

Step 1: The Intake and Medical Screening

Before any medicine is involved, you’ll complete a thorough intake process. This includes a medical and psychiatric history review, an assessment of your current medications, and a conversation about your goals for treatment. This step ensures you’re a good candidate and helps us tailor the protocol to your needs. Expect this to take one to two hours.

Step 2: Preparation Sessions

You’ll meet with your therapist before your first medicine session. These preparation sessions help you understand the experience you’re about to have, set intentions, and build a trusting therapeutic relationship. Many clients say this is where they start to feel genuine hope for the first time in a long time.

Step 3: The Medicine Session

Sessions typically take two to three hours. You’ll be in a calm, private room — comfortable recliner, soft lighting, carefully curated music. The ketamine is administered under clinical supervision. You’ll wear an eye mask and headphones for most of the session to support an inward, contemplative experience.

The dissociative effects of ketamine — a sense of floating, altered perception of time, vivid imagery — are normal and expected. You won’t be ‘unconscious.’ You’ll be aware throughout, and your therapist will be present with you. Most people describe the experience as profound rather than frightening.

Step 4: The Emergence and Initial Integration

As the medicine wears off over 30–60 minutes, your therapist will guide you back into the room through gentle conversation. This is a precious window — insights and emotional material that arise during the session are still close to the surface. You’ll have time to journal, reflect, and begin making sense of what you experienced.

Step 5: Integration Therapy

This is where the real work happens. Integration sessions — conducted in the days following each medicine session — help you translate the insights from your experience into lasting change. Without integration, ketamine’s benefits tend to be short-lived. With it, many clients report enduring shifts in perspective and relief from depression, anxiety, or trauma symptoms.

How Many Sessions Will I Need?

A standard protocol involves four to six medicine sessions over two to three weeks, followed by ongoing integration. Some clients benefit from maintenance sessions every few months. Your clinician will discuss a personalized recommendation with you based on how you respond.

No two experiences are the same.: We tailor the session structure, dosing, and therapeutic approach to your individual needs. You’re not going through a one-size-fits-all protocol