Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) vs. Spravato

Spravato (esketamine):

Spravato was the first type of ketamine (specifically esketamine) to be approved by the FDA for mental health. Spravato was FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression in 2019. There are specific requirements to qualify for Spravato treatment. These are non-negotiable and set forth by the FDA, DEA, and insurance companies.

• You must be diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression, meaning depression that has not responded to traditional treatment modalities (medication, therapy, etc).
• You must have tried and failed for a minimum of 8 weeks each of at least two antidepressants from different antidepressant classes (SSRIs, SNRIs, SARIs, atypical antidepressants, etc).
• You must have augmented treatment with either a mood stabilizer, thyroid hormone, atypical antipsychotic, TMS, cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.
• You cannot have a history of or current addiction/substance use.
• You cannot have certain medical conditions, including uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), a history of brain bleeds, or certain neurological conditions. 

Spravato treatments are for two hours in-office twice per week for one month, followed by two hours in-office once per week for one month and then as needed. Spravato sessions are billed to your insurance for administration/supervision. You will be responsible for your copay. It might be more cost-effective to self-pay for these sessions ($200/session). The medication itself is billed for separately by the pharmacy using your pharmacy benefit insurance and a coupon, typically getting the price down to around $10 per session. The dissociative effects (also known as hallucinogenic or psychedelic effects) are much milder and may not even happen with Spravato compared to other routes of ketamine delivery, but that doesn’t mean it’s not working. Spravato helps to form new neural connections.

Ketamine-Assisted Psyhotherapy (KAP):

KAP is an off-label use of ketamine, meaning it has not been approved by the FDA to be used in this manner, though this treatment modality is supported by research. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that can produce hallucinations/psychedelic effects. KAP sessions involve a psychiatric/medical evaluation, prep session(s), the in-office ketamine session, and an integration session. All but the ketamine session can be billed to your insurance. Ketamine sessions are $600-900 per session, depending on the route of administration (intramuscular or oral). We recommend clients start with an oral session, which will produce a psychodynamic effect. This typically feels like a disconnection from your body/thoughts and feelings. This allows you to drop in deeper during a therapy session and let your guard down, which results in accelerated healing. Ketamine administered via IM injection typically produces a psychedelic effect. This can lead you to feel more connected with yourself, others, nature, and spirituality. Some people need one KAP session, and some need 6-10 sessions. This will be determined between you and your provider. 

To inquire more about Spravato or KAP, please submit our “Request Appointment” form on our website at www.peakinteractivewellness.com. If you are a current client, please email admin@peakinteractivewellness.com for the next steps.