Ketamine infusion therapy and psychotherapy each have meaningful evidence behind them as standalone treatments — but research suggests that combining the two may produce more durable and meaningful outcomes than either approach alone (National Institutes of Health). At Minnesota Ketamine & Wellness Institute, we offer ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, known as KAP, as a coordinated but distinct service alongside our infusion program, and we want to explain clearly how the two components work together and what that looks like in practice.
What Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Actually Is
KAP — ketamine-assisted psychotherapy — is an approach that integrates the neurological effects of ketamine with structured therapeutic work. The term is sometimes used loosely in the broader conversation about psychedelic medicine, so it is worth being precise about what we offer and how we offer it.
At our clinic, KAP does not mean that therapy and infusion happen at the same time. We are specific about this because it matters clinically and practically: our preparation and integration psychotherapy sessions are offered separately from infusions, not simultaneously. The two services work in coordination — the infusion creates a neurological window, and the therapy helps patients work within it — but they are scheduled as distinct appointments.
Preparation sessions happen before infusions and are designed to help patients arrive at the infusion experience with a clear therapeutic intention and a grounded sense of what to expect. Integration sessions happen after infusions and are where patients process what arose during the ketamine experience, make meaning of it, and identify how it connects to the patterns, trauma, or symptoms they are working to address. This sequencing is intentional. The neuroplasticity — the brain’s capacity to form and reorganize neural connections — that ketamine promotes creates a period of heightened receptivity to therapeutic insight, and integration therapy is designed to work within that window (National Institutes of Health).
Why the Combination May Matter
Standard psychotherapy works, for many patients, through gradual cognitive and emotional processing over time. The therapeutic relationship, repeated examination of thought patterns, and incremental behavioral change are the mechanisms. That process is meaningful, but it can be slow, and for patients with deeply entrenched trauma responses or treatment-resistant depression, the rate of change sometimes does not match the severity of suffering.
Ketamine changes the neurological conditions under which that processing happens. By promoting neuroplasticity and modulating NMDA receptors — the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors that regulate synaptic plasticity — ketamine may allow patients to access emotional material and engage with therapeutic work in ways that feel less defended and more fluid than in a standard therapy session. The National Institutes of Health has documented this mechanism, and research on psychedelic-assisted therapy more broadly supports the idea that altered states can promote emotional processing and neuroplasticity in ways that accelerate therapeutic progress.
None of this means KAP is appropriate for every patient or that it guarantees any particular outcome. Results vary by individual, and the decision to incorporate psychotherapy alongside infusions is one that patients make in conversation with their provider and their therapist. What the evidence supports is that the combination is worth considering, particularly for patients whose conditions have a significant trauma component or whose prior treatment experience has been limited by difficulty engaging with standard talk therapy.
Who Provides Therapy at Our Clinic
Our therapy team includes providers with specific training and credentials in psychedelic-assisted care. Learn more about our full clinical team and their backgrounds. Our licensed clinical social worker holds a master’s degree in clinical social work with a mental health focus and certification in psychedelic-assisted therapy from the Integrative Psychiatry Institute; she offers sessions in both English and Spanish. Our clinical mental health counselor holds credentials as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and Somatic Psychedelic Facilitator, with over 25 years of experience in mind-body wellness, and draws from modalities including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), somatic interventions, and mindfulness practices.
These are not generalist therapists who have added ketamine to a standard practice. They are providers with specific training in how to support patients through the preparation, infusion, and integration phases of psychedelic-assisted care. That specificity matters for the quality of the therapeutic work that happens in the windows before and after each infusion.
Integration therapy sessions with our clinical mental health counselor are available in person on Tuesdays and Thursdays following ketamine infusions. Telehealth psychotherapy sessions are also available on Mondays, Fridays, and Wednesday afternoons.
What Preparation Sessions Cover
A preparation session typically takes place before the infusion series begins or before a significant infusion milestone. The goal is not to rehearse the infusion experience — it is to help the patient arrive with clarity about what they hope to work on, what emotional territory they are willing to enter, and how to orient themselves if the experience becomes intense. Patients with significant trauma histories may find preparation particularly valuable, as it establishes safety and trust with the therapist before any altered state is involved.
Our therapists approach preparation from a trauma-informed framework, which means the pace of the work is calibrated to what the patient’s nervous system can tolerate. Unconditional empathy and careful attention to the patient’s emotional experience are the foundation of how preparation sessions are conducted at our clinic.
What Integration Sessions Cover
Integration is where the longer-term work happens. A ketamine infusion can surface material — memories, emotions, insights, imagery — that is significant but not yet processed. Without integration, that material can feel fragmentary or overwhelming. With it, patients have a structured opportunity to make sense of what arose, connect it to their broader therapeutic goals, and translate the experience into changes in how they think, relate, and behave.
Our therapists do not impose a single interpretive framework on what patients experience during infusions. Instead, they use narrative therapy, CBT, somatic approaches, depth psychology, and other modalities flexibly, depending on what a given patient’s experience calls for. The goal of integration is not to explain the infusion experience away — it is to help the patient use it.
Addressing the Cost and Stigma Barriers
Two concerns come up consistently among patients who are interested in KAP but hesitant to pursue it. The first is cost. Psychotherapy at our clinic is covered by several major insurance plans, including Aetna/First Health Network (excluding the Aetna Allina plan), Optum, Medica, UHC (United Healthcare), UMR (United Medical Resources), Health Partners, and BlueCross BlueShield. Insurance coverage for therapy is a meaningfully different picture from ketamine infusions, which are out-of-pocket for most patients. If you have questions about whether your plan covers psychotherapy at our clinic, our team will help you verify coverage before you schedule.
The second concern is stigma — specifically, the discomfort some patients feel about the idea of combining what they think of as a “drug treatment” with therapy. We hear this most often from patients who have not previously engaged with therapy or who hold the assumption that seeking psychological support implies a deeper level of dysfunction. That assumption is not accurate. Psychotherapy in the context of KAP is a clinical tool for processing and integration, not a marker of severity. Many of our patients who pursue the combined approach are high-functioning people who simply want to get the most out of their infusion treatment. Discussing whether KAP is a fit for your situation is exactly what the initial consultation is designed to support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to do therapy to receive ketamine infusions at your clinic? No. Psychotherapy is offered as an optional, complementary service — not a requirement for ketamine infusion treatment. Some patients pursue infusions only; others find the combined approach more useful for their goals. The decision is made collaboratively with your provider based on your history, your conditions, and what you are hoping to address.
How many therapy sessions are typically involved in a KAP course? The number of preparation and integration sessions varies by individual and is not fixed. Some patients complete one preparation session before the infusion series and one or two integration sessions after. Others integrate therapy more continuously alongside maintenance infusions. Your therapist will work with you to determine a pace and structure that fits your situation.
Is KAP covered by insurance? The psychotherapy component of KAP is covered by several insurance plans accepted at our clinic, including Aetna/First Health Network, Optum, Medica, UHC, UMR, Health Partners, and BlueCross BlueShield. Coverage varies by plan and individual, so we recommend verifying your benefits before scheduling. The ketamine infusion component is a separate, out-of-pocket expense for most patients.
What conditions is KAP offered for at your clinic? Our therapists support patients across the range of conditions we treat, including depression, PTSD, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression. Patients whose conditions have a significant trauma component often find the integration therapy component particularly valuable, though individual results vary.
What is the difference between integration therapy and standard talk therapy? Standard talk therapy works through cognitive and emotional processing without the neurological context that ketamine provides. Integration therapy is specifically designed to work within the period following a ketamine infusion, when neuroplasticity is heightened and patients may be more receptive to therapeutic insight. The modalities used can overlap — CBT, somatic work, narrative approaches — but the intention and timing are distinct.
Key Takeaways
- Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy at our clinic combines infusion therapy with separate preparation and integration sessions — the two are not conducted simultaneously.
- Research suggests the combination of ketamine and psychotherapy may produce more durable outcomes than either approach alone; results vary by individual.
- Our therapy team includes providers with specific credentials in psychedelic-assisted care, trauma-informed practice, and multiple evidence-based modalities.
- Psychotherapy at our clinic is covered by several major insurance plans; the ketamine infusion component is a separate out-of-pocket expense.
- KAP is optional, not required — the decision to combine therapy with infusions is made collaboratively based on each patient’s history and goals.
Ketamine infusion therapy and psychotherapy each address something real. Together, when the timing and intention are right, they may address it more completely. At Minnesota Ketamine & Wellness Institute, our team includes both the clinical staff who administer infusions and the licensed therapists who provide preparation and integration support — all under one roof, coordinated around your treatment. Call us at 612-502-2800 or complete the consultation form on our website to explore whether the combined approach is right for you.
References
- National Institutes of Health. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9207256/
- National Institutes of Health. Ketamine promotes neuroplasticity. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8190578/
- National Institute of Mental Health. Psychotherapies. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/psychotherapies
Medical Disclaimer: The information in this blog is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy at Minnesota Ketamine & Wellness Institute involves both a medical procedure and licensed therapeutic services, each of which should only be pursued under the supervision of qualified providers familiar with your complete medical and psychiatric history. Individual results vary. Insurance coverage for psychotherapy services is subject to individual plan terms; contact your insurer to verify benefits. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of self-harm, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to your nearest emergency room.