Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) combines the rapid-acting pharmacological effects of ketamine with evidence-based psychotherapeutic support to address complex mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, and substance use disorders.

This systematic review synthesizes current research to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and therapeutic value of integrating ketamine with psychotherapy.

PTSD can be incredibly tough to treat — especially when traditional therapies haven’t brought lasting relief. But emerging research suggests that combining ketamine with psychotherapy may offer something different: a powerful window for deeper processing, faster symptom relief, and more lasting change.

In our latest blog, we break down how this combination works, what the science says, and why it could be a game-changer for trauma care.

A pivotal 2018 randomized controlled trial (RCT) published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, titled “Rapid Reduction in Suicidal Thoughts After Ketamine Infusion in Treatment-Resistant Depression,” explored this very question. The study investigated whether a single ketamine infusion could rapidly reduce suicidal thinking in patients who had not responded to stan..

The study followed participants for up to six weeks, and while the anti-suicidal effects were most pronounced in the first few days post-infusion, some participants maintained improvements beyond the first week.