Learn About Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

This course will give you an overview of KAP for individuals and small groups. You will learn who it benefits, who is eligible, and what one experiences in a session. The primary studies demonstrating successful outcomes have been with major depressive disorder, bipolar depression, and substance use disorders. It has also been used to treat post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and complex regional pain syndrome. Get reputable resources: a few practitioners, books and articles. 1 hour course/ 1 CE available. Format: All online.

Pricing

FAQ

  • Is this LEGAL?

    If a licensed Medical Doctor prescribes it and is on site: YES. Ketamine was first used as a very safe anesthetic for surgery in hospitals. Using it for psychotherapy at smaller doses is "off-label" but legal.

  • Is it easy to follow the course online?

    Yes. Once you register you will be prompted to go to our learning management platform where the course is stored. After inputting a user name and password you will have immediate access to all the materials. It's user friendly.

  • Do you offer resources so I can find someone in my area who offers this service?

    We give contact information for 2 qualified individual practitioners in VT as well as opportunities for qualified practitioners in Colorado, USA. We are not a referral service. We are not in a position to refer other practitioners.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome

    • (2 min vid) Introduction to Course and Facilitator

    • (1 min read) Acknowledgements, Request, Disclaimer
  • 2

    Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in a Nutshell

    • (9 min Vid) KAP in a Nutshell with Benjamin Asher, MD

    • (1 min read) Contact Information for KAP Sessions: Emma Bragdon, PhD

    • (1 min read) Endorsements re Dr Asher and Dr Bragdon

  • 3

    Individual Sessions of KAP

    • (30 min. vid) Dr. Asher re: Details About Individual KAP Sessions
  • 4

    Group Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

    • (3 min read) Article on Benefits of Group KAP

    • (20 min vid) Sandra Fortson, LCSW, on Group KAP & Provider Training

    • (1 min read) Contact Info: Sandra Fortson, The Wholeness Center & PRATI
  • 5

    Next Steps

    • (1 min read/ 20 min podcast) 2023: Current Warnings and Important Considerations

    • (1 min read) Resources to Expand Your Knowledge & Deepen Integration

    • Final Thoughts

One Continuing Education Credit Available

Everyone will receive a course completion certificate on completion. One Continuing Education Credit or CME is available for this course for mental health professionals, nurses and MDs. The fee is $50. Please fill out an application form to specify some details so we can award your CE correctly.
Submit Form for CE/CME

Instructor(s)

Benjamin Asher, MD & Emma Bragdon, PhD

Senior Instructor

Emma Bragdon is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health University, IMHU.org. She earned her PhD in Transpersonal Psychology in 1987 and was licensed in California as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist in 1988. As a pioneer who has helped define the field of spiritual emergency, Emma has published 7 books and co-produced 2 documentary films. Within IMHU Emma has trained over 110 Spiritual Emergence Coaches• who are available to support individuals disoriented or in distress as they open spiritually. She also leads a small group of healthcare providers to Brazil once a year to learn about the Spiritist paradigm of mental healthcare from Spiritist practitioners. Emma maintains a private practice, consulting internationally via zoom. See imhu.org/store for more info. on books/films. See EmmaBragdon.com for personal consultations.

Guest Presenter

Sandra Fortson, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Northern Colorado. Ms. Fortson has a wide range of clinical experience to include performing mental health evaluations and assessments and participating in team-based collaborative care in a variety of settings. She currently works at the Wholeness Center in Fort Collins, CO, where she provides ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) services for individuals, couples, and groups. In addition to her work as a therapist, Ms. Fortson's job duties include the continued development of the KAP program at the Wholeness Center as well as the teaching/oversight of practicum students. Ms. Fortson is also a co-founding member of the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute (PRATI), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to conducting clinically relevant research as well as offering professional training programs which prepare psychiatrist and psychotherapists in the administration of investigational psychotherapy-assisting agents that are either in the current pharmacopeia or are within FDA approval guidelines. As of May, 2021 Ms. Fortson has completed two KAP trainings through PRATI, as well as an additional KAP training as part of her preparation to work as a therapist at the Fort Collins site for research study exploring the efficacy of KAP for patients with life-threatening illnesses in collaboration with the Ketamine Research Foundation. She is also in the process of facilitating a grant program which has recently received funding for providing a series of KAP group services to healthcare workers and first responders who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19.

Guest Presenter

Dr. Asher was working as a team with Emma Bragdon, PhD to give Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in central Vermont. He passed away in May, 2024. May he RIP. Dr. Asher was a board-certified Otolaryngologist (Head and Neck Surgeon) renowned for his innovative, non-surgical approaches. In addition to being a highly-regarded conventional physician and exceptional diagnostician, he was at the forefront of applying alternative methods to ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) disorders since the beginning of his medical career over thirty years ago . Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Asher worked as a full-time meditation teacher. His four decades of meditation practice and spiritual inquiry informed his perspectives on health and wholeness. His quest to identify the root cause of symptoms led him into the field of chronic systemic illness, particularly in the area of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. Supporting patients with complex ailments was the impetus for investigating how health challenges can serve as a portal way to positive personal transformation. Dr. Asher’s conventional training includes Harvard Medical School. He served on the faculty of Harvard, Washington University, and Dartmouth medical schools. His study of complementary healing modalities included: cranial osteopathy, hypnosis, myofascial therapy, the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, and various energy medicine modalities. He served on the board of the American Holistic Medical Association. Dr. Asher was selected as One of America’s Top Physicians by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. Dr. Asher published numerous professional articles and book chapters. He was quoted as an expert in national consumer periodicals, featured on radio programs, and was frequently invited to lecture to healthcare practitioners and the public, nationally and internationally.

Senior Instructor

Emma Bragdon is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health University, IMHU.org. She earned her PhD in Transpersonal Psychology in 1987 and was licensed in California as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist in 1988. As a pioneer who has helped define the field of spiritual emergency, Emma has published 7 books and co-produced 2 documentary films. Within IMHU Emma has trained over 110 Spiritual Emergence Coaches• who are available to support individuals disoriented or in distress as they open spiritually. She also leads a small group of healthcare providers to Brazil once a year to learn about the Spiritist paradigm of mental healthcare from Spiritist practitioners. Emma maintains a private practice, consulting internationally via zoom. See imhu.org/store for more info. on books/films. See EmmaBragdon.com for personal consultations.

Guest Presenter

Sandra Fortson, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Northern Colorado. Ms. Fortson has a wide range of clinical experience to include performing mental health evaluations and assessments and participating in team-based collaborative care in a variety of settings. She currently works at the Wholeness Center in Fort Collins, CO, where she provides ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) services for individuals, couples, and groups. In addition to her work as a therapist, Ms. Fortson's job duties include the continued development of the KAP program at the Wholeness Center as well as the teaching/oversight of practicum students. Ms. Fortson is also a co-founding member of the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute (PRATI), which is a non-profit organization dedicated to conducting clinically relevant research as well as offering professional training programs which prepare psychiatrist and psychotherapists in the administration of investigational psychotherapy-assisting agents that are either in the current pharmacopeia or are within FDA approval guidelines. As of May, 2021 Ms. Fortson has completed two KAP trainings through PRATI, as well as an additional KAP training as part of her preparation to work as a therapist at the Fort Collins site for research study exploring the efficacy of KAP for patients with life-threatening illnesses in collaboration with the Ketamine Research Foundation. She is also in the process of facilitating a grant program which has recently received funding for providing a series of KAP group services to healthcare workers and first responders who have been negatively impacted by Covid-19.

Guest Presenter

Dr. Asher was working as a team with Emma Bragdon, PhD to give Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in central Vermont. He passed away in May, 2024. May he RIP. Dr. Asher was a board-certified Otolaryngologist (Head and Neck Surgeon) renowned for his innovative, non-surgical approaches. In addition to being a highly-regarded conventional physician and exceptional diagnostician, he was at the forefront of applying alternative methods to ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) disorders since the beginning of his medical career over thirty years ago . Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Asher worked as a full-time meditation teacher. His four decades of meditation practice and spiritual inquiry informed his perspectives on health and wholeness. His quest to identify the root cause of symptoms led him into the field of chronic systemic illness, particularly in the area of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses. Supporting patients with complex ailments was the impetus for investigating how health challenges can serve as a portal way to positive personal transformation. Dr. Asher’s conventional training includes Harvard Medical School. He served on the faculty of Harvard, Washington University, and Dartmouth medical schools. His study of complementary healing modalities included: cranial osteopathy, hypnosis, myofascial therapy, the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, and various energy medicine modalities. He served on the board of the American Holistic Medical Association. Dr. Asher was selected as One of America’s Top Physicians by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. Dr. Asher published numerous professional articles and book chapters. He was quoted as an expert in national consumer periodicals, featured on radio programs, and was frequently invited to lecture to healthcare practitioners and the public, nationally and internationally.

Senior Instructor

Emma Bragdon is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrative Mental Health University, IMHU.org. She earned her PhD in Transpersonal Psychology in 1987 and was licensed in California as a Marriage, Family, Child Therapist in 1988. As a pioneer who has helped define the field of spiritual emergency, Emma has published 7 books and co-produced 2 documentary films. Within IMHU Emma has trained over 110 Spiritual Emergence Coaches• who are available to support individuals disoriented or in distress as they open spiritually. She also leads a small group of healthcare providers to Brazil once a year to learn about the Spiritist paradigm of mental healthcare from Spiritist practitioners. Emma maintains a private practice, consulting internationally via zoom. See imhu.org/store for more info. on books/films. See EmmaBragdon.com for personal consultations.

Course Reviews

5 star rating

Makes me wish I'd have given it to more patients when I had the chance!

Blake Den Herder

Read Less
4 star rating

Great Primer!

chris Hancock

Great introduction to Ketamine and doing KAP.

Great introduction to Ketamine and doing KAP.

Read Less
4 star rating

ketamine-assisted psychotherapy

Theresa Moore

Interesting!

Interesting!

Read Less
5 star rating

Excited to try Ketamine Assisted Therapy

Anne Dean

I have a much better understanding of what Ketamine-assisted therapy is and the different avenues one can intend to explore. I really enjoyed the interview with Dr. Asher, what a beautiful Being.

I have a much better understanding of what Ketamine-assisted therapy is and the different avenues one can intend to explore. I really enjoyed the interview with Dr. Asher, what a beautiful Being.

Read Less
5 star rating

Informative

jan ferris

This has been helpful information for the psychotherapist who has not had exposure or training in Ketamine treatments and what kinds of set ups may be more supportive, productive and helpful to others receiving treatment.

This has been helpful information for the psychotherapist who has not had exposure or training in Ketamine treatments and what kinds of set ups may be more supportive, productive and helpful to others receiving treatment.

Read Less
5 star rating

Makes me wish I'd have given it to more patients when I had the chance!

Blake Den Herder

Read Less
4 star rating

Great Primer!

chris Hancock

Great introduction to Ketamine and doing KAP.

Great introduction to Ketamine and doing KAP.

Read Less
4 star rating

ketamine-assisted psychotherapy

Theresa Moore

Interesting!

Interesting!

Read Less
5 star rating

Excited to try Ketamine Assisted Therapy

Anne Dean

I have a much better understanding of what Ketamine-assisted therapy is and the different avenues one can intend to explore. I really enjoyed the interview with Dr. Asher, what a beautiful Being.

I have a much better understanding of what Ketamine-assisted therapy is and the different avenues one can intend to explore. I really enjoyed the interview with Dr. Asher, what a beautiful Being.

Read Less
5 star rating

Informative

jan ferris

This has been helpful information for the psychotherapist who has not had exposure or training in Ketamine treatments and what kinds of set ups may be more supportive, productive and helpful to others receiving treatment.

This has been helpful information for the psychotherapist who has not had exposure or training in Ketamine treatments and what kinds of set ups may be more supportive, productive and helpful to others receiving treatment.

Read Less
5 star rating

Makes me wish I'd have given it to more patients when I had the chance!

Blake Den Herder

Read Less

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