If you’re preparing for your ketamine treatment, congratulations on taking a brave step toward healing. Here at Anew Therapy, we’re dedicated to making your journey as smooth, comfortable, and transformative as possible. This guide provides practical tips and thoughtful insights to ensure you’re prepared — physically, emotionally, and mentally — for the powerful experience of ketamine therapy.
Why Preparation Matters
Each ketamine session is unique and deeply personal. The effects of ketamine can open your mind to new insights, provide emotional relief, and create a space for profound healing. Preparing for ketamine therapy will help you approach each session with the mindset, comfort, and readiness you need to get the most out of your treatment. Let’s dive into how to prepare for your upcoming sessions.
Your Ketamine Therapy Preparation Checklist
- Fasting Guidelines
- Timing: Fast for at least four hours before your session. This step reduces the chance of nausea, a common side effect.
- Hydration: Staying hydrated up until your fasting period can make a big difference. Remember to drink water leading up to the fast for optimal hydration, which helps keep you comfortable.
- Bring a Support Companion
- For your safety, you’ll need a designated adult companion to take you to and from your appointment. Ketamine therapy can sometimes leave you feeling a bit ungrounded or drowsy, so it’s crucial to have someone with you. You will not be allowed to leave the office alone by TRAX, city bus, Uber
- You’re welcome to invite your companion into the treatment room if it makes you feel more comfortable. Their presence can be reassuring and help set a calm, supportive environment.
- Adhere to Your Treatment Plan Requirements
- Follow any specific instructions provided by our team during your consultation, such as medication timing and coordination with your existing healthcare provider. This ensures a smooth and safe treatment experience tailored to your needs.
- Mindset: Release Expectations and Set Intentions
- Setting an intention for your session can help you focus on what you’d like to explore or release. Intentions can be as simple as “I want to explore the source of my anxiety” or “I am open to healing.”
- It’s also helpful to release any preconceived expectations or fears. Letting go of what you think the experience “should” be like allows for a more open, therapeutic journey. Trust in the process and in your capacity to heal.
- Physical Preparation
- Comfortable Clothing: Wear loose, breathable clothing to keep you at ease during treatment.
- Gentle Movement: Light physical activity — such as stretching, a short walk, or some gentle yoga — before your session can help you feel grounded and relaxed.
- Mental Preparation
- Meditation and Breathwork: Practicing deep breathing or brief meditation can help calm your mind. These practices reduce pre-session jitters and support you in feeling centered as you begin.
- Avoid Stressful Activities: In the 24 hours before and after your treatment, avoid activities or interactions that may cause stress. This “buffer period” creates a calm, supportive environment for the experience.
- Limit Screen Time
- Consider limiting screen time before your session. Instead, spend some time journaling or reflecting on your intentions for the treatment. This can help clear your mind, foster relaxation, and center your thoughts on your healing journey.
What to Bring to Your Ketamine Treatment
While nothing specific is required, a few comfort items can enhance your experience:
- Headphones and Music: Many patients find listening to relaxing music helps them stay centered during the experience.
- A Journal: Some patients like to jot down thoughts or reflections before and after treatment. This can help you process your experience and set intentions. We will provide you with a treatment journal on the day of your first treatment.
- Comfort Items: Whether it’s a favorite sweater or a comforting object, bring whatever makes you feel at ease.
What to Expect During Your Treatment
During ketamine therapy, you may feel a unique sense of disconnection from your usual awareness of time and space. Visual and auditory sensations might become more vivid, and some patients describe a dream-like state. This altered state of consciousness often promotes feelings of calm, peace, and safety.
It’s natural to feel sensations that are unfamiliar or strange; however, these effects are temporary and typically subside as the ketamine wears off. Many patients find this experience profoundly therapeutic, offering new perspectives and insights.
Patient Preparation for Ketamine Therapy Aftercare
The benefits of ketamine therapy often extend beyond the session itself, providing a window of heightened neuroplasticity, where the brain is more adaptable and receptive to positive change. Follow these aftercare tips to make the most of this healing phase.
- Hydrate and Nourish Yourself
- Make sure you’re well-hydrated following your session. Drink plenty of water, and once you’re ready, enjoy a nourishing, balanced meal to help ground your energy.
- Rest and Sleep Well
- Give yourself time to wind down. While ketamine can have a calming effect, some patients find that falling asleep is difficult immediately afterward. Create a restful pre-sleep routine, and consider using a natural sleep aid like melatonin if necessary.
- Follow Safe Post-Treatment Practices
- Avoid consuming alcohol or recreational drugs for at least 24 hours after treatment.
- Refrain from driving, making major decisions, or engaging in risky activities for at least 12 hours following a session.
- Stay Connected to Supportive People and Practices
- See a Therapist: Ketamine treatment can bring up complex emotions. Connecting with a therapist is a highly recommended part of the healing journey.
- Lean on Supportive Friends or Family: Reach out to people who provide comfort and stability, and let them know about your recent experience.
- Practice Self-Care and Intentional Reflection
- Time in Nature: Spending time outdoors can be restorative and grounding.
- Gentle Movement: Engage in light activities like walking, stretching, or dancing.
- Creative Expression: Many patients find drawing, painting, or journaling to be therapeutic forms of expression following their ketamine experience.
- Meditation and Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices can help you integrate insights and deepen your sense of inner peace.
Anew Therapy will provide you with a take home kit with items to help keep you comfortable after your session. If you find anything in the kit to be particularly helpful, we encourage you to make note of it for future sessions.
Ketamine Therapy Integration: The Key to Long-Term Healing
Integration is essential to turn the experience of ketamine therapy into meaningful, lasting change. As you transition back to daily life, consider these simple integration practices:
- Reflect on Your Experience: Spend time journaling about your experience and any insights that emerged.
- Gratitude Practice: Reflect on things you feel grateful for, bringing positive energy into your healing journey.
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Use mindfulness to stay connected with the feelings and insights from your session, helping them become part of your everyday life.
- Seek New Experiences: Trying something familiar in a new way can help you embrace change and open up to new perspectives.
The neuroplasticity that ketamine therapy fosters creates a period of adaptability in your brain, making it easier to shift patterns, embrace positive changes, and heal. With intentional follow-up and integration, this therapeutic experience can lead to profound, lasting growth.
We’re Here to Support You Every Step of the Way
Your ketamine treatment at Anew Therapy is a journey toward healing, and our team is here to support you before, during, and after your sessions. You’ll receive a follow-up message within 72 hours of your initial treatment to check in on your progress. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Preparing for ketamine treatment is more than just following steps — it’s about creating an environment of support, self-compassion, and readiness for the healing journey ahead. We look forward to walking this path with you and are honored to be part of your healing process.
