Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
at Pacific Primer Group (PPG)
At Pacific Premier Group, we bring together science and humanity to illuminate a journey toward healing. Ketamine sessions facilitate a disruption of established neurological patterns, which promotes increased cognitive flexibility and emotional awareness. This has proven effective for clients who have not achieved breakthroughs with traditional talk therapy alone.
Our Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) program integrates cutting-edge neuroscience with compassionate care. KAP provides a unique opportunity to reprocess experiences that can lead to a renewed sense of self and emotional wellbeing.
We specialize in helping clients shift long-standing patterns by combining the brain’s natural capacity for plasticity with expert therapeutic guidance. Through the safe administration of ketamine in a calming setting, our licensed clinicians can help clients open new pathways for emotional healing and cognitive renewal.
Our Approach
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy at Pacific Premier Group is rooted in an integrative approach that combines medical oversight with psychotherapeutic support. Ketamine is administered in a safe, controlled clinical environment, allowing clients to enter a non-ordinary state of consciousness that can support deep psychological insight. Our approach emphasizes preparation, intention-setting, and post-session integration to help clients process their experiences and translate insights into lasting emotional and behavioral change.
Individual KAP Sessions
Individual KAP sessions are tailored to each client’s unique needs and treatment goals. Sessions are conducted with the support of both a licensed medical provider and a trained psychotherapist. Ketamine is administered during the session, and clients are supported throughout the experience to ensure safety, comfort, and therapeutic benefit. Follow-up integration sessions help clients reflect on their experience, process emotions, and apply insights gained during treatment into daily life.
Schedule your medical appointment by filling out the following online screening form:
KAP Groups
We offer KAP groups in the form of a day-long retreat. Upon completion of our screening process, KAP groups at PPG begin with online preparation sessions over Zoom. These preparation sessions focus on harnessing the power of being with peers as we work to bridge connections and harness the power of group therapy exercises. After preparation, the group meets for the KAP retreat day. Group integration sessions are then provided over Zoom in the following days and weeks after the KAP retreat day.
Is Ketamine Addictive?
Ketamine “cravings” have been reported by individuals with the history of heavy use. In addition, ketamine can have effects on mood (feelings), cognition (thinking) and perception (imagery) that may make some people want to use it repeatedly. Therefore, ketamine should never be used except under the direct supervision of a licensed medical professional. However, in the context of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, ketamine has been shown to be safe.
Is KAP a good fit for me?
At PPG, we provide a collaborative process to explore whether KAP is a good fit for each client. Although the results can have some variation from person to person, some initial points to consider are:
- KAP can provide sustained relief for depression, anxiety, and trauma-related symptoms
- KAP has been shown to enhance emotional processing and deepen self-understanding
- KAP has been shown to lead to a renewed sense of connection, clarity, and personal empowerment
- KAP can also be a good option for clients who haven’t responded fully to traditional treatments
Research
The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health (2025) highlighted that ketamine’s dissociative and neuroplastic properties “facilitate psychological insight when paired with psychotherapeutic support,” noting that the combination approach can produce “sustained mood improvement beyond the transient antidepressant period.”
A Harvard Medical School study (Papolos et al., 2018) found that ketamine-assisted therapy effectively treated depression in patients who had not responded to traditional antidepressants and was associated with a rapid reduction in suicidal thoughts and improved overall functioning. The team emphasized the treatment’s life-saving potential for individuals with treatment-resistant depression.
Dr. Gul Duman’s current research reveals that certain therapeutic medicines, such as ketamine, temporarily reopen the brain’s critical periods of learning—windows of heightened adaptability once thought confined to early life. At Pacific Premier Group, KAP uses this principle to support deep emotional reorganization and long-term healing. When paired with skilled psychotherapy, these sessions help reshape entrenched mental patterns, integrate past trauma, and restore optimal brain function and emotional balance.
Recent studies in 2025 underscore KAP’s growing legitimacy within mental health care. A July 2025 study published by McLean Hospital found ketamine therapy significantly reduced symptoms of treatment-resistant depression in patients unresponsive to standard treatments. Another University of Florida study reported that more than 80% of participants with PTSD experienced better sleep, reduced anxiety, and fewer trauma triggers following ketamine treatment. Clinical reviews see KAP as a promising option for individuals seeking sustained emotional recovery.
Schedule your medical appointment by filling out the following online screening form:
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