Breaking Boundaries: Ketamine Therapy at Improving Lives Counseling
Posted by Improving Lives Counseling Services, Inc. | Therapy
In a continued mission to provide optimal mental health care and sustainable mental well-being, the counselors, therapists, and clinicians of Improving Lives Counseling Services are excited to announce the addition of Ketamine Integrative Psychotherapy. Ketamine, a dissociative, sub-anesthetic therapeutic medication, studied and administered in controlled, clinical settings, has been used in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress, behavioral and substance abuse disorders.
WHAT IS KETAMINE?
Ketamine is an anesthetic that has been used for decades in medical settings. A medically supervised medication, it was approved in 1970 by the FDA for use in operating rooms and on the battlefields in Vietnam for maintenance of anesthesia and pain. When Emergency Responders begin giving it to “agitated patients rescued from a suicide attempt, doctors began to realize the drug had powerful effects against depression and suicidal thoughts.” In 2019, Harvard Medical School reported, “…16 million adults had an episode of major depression in the course of a year and suicides increased by more than 30%… Because of its rapid action, ketamine could have a role to play in helping to prevent suicide.”
WHO QUALIFIES FOR KETAMINE THERAPY?
Patients experiencing treatment-resistant depression, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, PTSD, chronic persistent stress, debilitating anxiety, chronic pain, severe suicidality, treatment-resistant behavioral disorders, and substance abuse qualify. Before suggesting Ketamine Therapy, licensed qualified healthcare professionals will confirm all diagnoses, review past physical and psychological records, review unsuccessful therapies and medications, review family history, and research any generational trauma. Substance use, allergies, diet, lifestyle, profession, age, and the appropriateness and any benefits of Ketamine Therapy are considered.
HOW IS KETAMINE ADMINISTERED?
Administered in a controlled and supervised setting, depending upon the specific patient, diagnosis, and circumstance, the fast acting antidepressant can be administered intravenously, intramuscularly, intranasally, or orally – inducing a mild dissociative state. In a comfortable, safe environment using Integrative Psychotherapy, Improving Lives Counseling Services’ trained medical professionals assist the patient in processing and making sense of what they are (or have been) experiencing. Ketamine is a rapid-acting antidepressant which may result in improved mood within hours; vital signs, heart rate, and blood pressure are closely monitored.
INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY
Ketamine has no limit on effectiveness. It enhances neuroplasticity which makes the brain open to new ways of thinking. Integrative Psychotherapy is an approach to psychotherapy that extends the effects of a Ketamine treatment, combining elements from various therapeutic modalities and treatments. Improving Lives Counseling Services’ team of mental healthcare providers, using this more comprehensive model, incorporates multiple orientations, and a holistic perspective – taking into account the patient’s life, thoughts, behaviors, emotions, physiological, cognitive, and religious beliefs.
Integrative Psychotherapy adds flexibility using different therapeutic tools; often blending cognitive behavioral therapy with mindfulness, music therapy, sensory integration, and humanistic therapies. In Integrative Psychotherapy there might be a strong relationship (alliance) between the patient and the therapist – often involving the patient in the therapeutic process. Overall, the goal of Integrative Psychotherapy is to extend the benefits of the Ketamine treatment by looking at the entire human experience, promoting mental health and mental wellbeing.
CONTACT ILCS TO LEARN MORE
Ketamine Therapy – Integrative Psychotherapy is not for everyone. We are excited to have it available and to be able to offer it to our patients. In most cases, Ketamine Therapy itself is not suggested for patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding, have certain cardiac diseases, have a family history of psychosis, or (in most circumstances) are under the age of 18, however, exceptions have been made.
Currently, Oklahoma ranks 5th in the nation for reported mental illnesses. Improving Lives Counseling Services’ mission is to bring these numbers down by offering a wide range of mental health care services statewide. Call 918-960-7852
