Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) vs. Spravato

Ketamine is a hot topic and a promising mental health treatment tool, with numerous companies offering ketamine treatments using various modalities. Here at Peak Interactive Wellness, we offer in-office Spravato and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.

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 be newly started on an antidepressant while starting Spravato.
    • 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. 

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (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. One KAP session involves 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.