KETAMINE ASSISTED PSYCHOTHERAPY IN NJ, NY & CO
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma
When depression or anxiety persists despite traditional treatment, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy can offer a different path forward. We help clients prepare for, navigate, and integrate their ketamine experiences within a safe, supportive therapeutic relationship.
Your KAP Options
At Holding Space Therapy, we offer individual KAP sessions as well as KAP Group Retreats.
Keep reading for more information about KAP in general or click the links provided here to get straight to the details.
What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is an approach that combines psychotherapy with a carefully supported altered state of consciousness to support healing and change.
Ketamine has been used safely in medical settings for decades. More recently, it has been used in mental health treatment, particularly for individuals who feel stuck—whether in depression, anxiety, trauma, or patterns that have not shifted through traditional approaches alone .
In a therapeutic setting, ketamine can create a temporary shift in awareness. This may allow for:
A softening of rigid thought patterns
A sense of distance from overwhelming emotions
Increased access to internal experiences, including feelings, memories, and body sensations
New perspectives on long-standing beliefs or narratives
While many people experience increased openness, perspective, and relief from feeling stuck, this approach is not a fit for everyone. Certain medical or psychological conditions, as well as readiness for this kind of work, are important to consider.
When is KAP Appropriate?
At Holding Space Therapy, KAP is approached as one of several therapeutic modalities, thoughtfully integrated within ongoing therapy rather than used as a primary or standalone intervention. This allows the work to remain grounded, reduces the risk of overwhelm, and supports change that is sustainable over time.
KAP is often considered when:
Traditional therapy has not led to the desired shift
There is a sense of feeling “stuck” or disconnected
Patterns of depression, anxiety, or trauma feel deeply ingrained
There is readiness to engage in a deeper, experiential form of therapy
This approach is not about escaping difficult experiences, but about creating a different relationship to them—one that allows for curiosity, compassion, and new possibilities.
How does KAP treatment work?
At a biological level, ketamine works differently from many traditional medications. It is associated with increased neural flexibility and the repair of pathways in the brain, which may support new ways of thinking, feeling, and responding . At the same time, the subjective experience can open space for insight, emotional processing, and connection.
However, ketamine on its own is not the treatment.
The therapeutic value of KAP comes from the combination of the experience and the psychotherapy that surrounds it. Without integration, insights may be temporary. With support, they can become part of meaningful, lasting change.
KAP at Holding Space Therapy
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy unfolds over time within an ongoing therapeutic relationship. In this work—as with other non-ordinary states—set and setting play an important role in shaping the experience.
Set refers to your internal world—your mindset, emotional state, history, and intentions. Setting refers to the external environment—the physical space, the therapeutic relationship, and the sense of safety surrounding you. These elements are not separate from the process—they are part of it.
We begin with preparation sessions, where we take time to understand your internal landscape and build a foundation for the work. This includes clarifying intentions, strengthening your ability to stay connected to yourself, and creating a therapeutic space that feels steady and supportive.
The dosing sessions take place within that established set and setting. The environment is calm and contained, allowing you to turn inward while remaining supported. My role during this time is to stay present and attuned, helping you maintain a sense of orientation and connection as your experience unfolds.
Afterward, integration sessions provide space to reflect on and make sense of what emerged. Rather than rushing to interpret the experience, we approach it with curiosity—allowing insights to take shape and become part of your ongoing therapeutic work.
DISCLAIMER
I do not provide psychedelic medications, promote the illegal use of psychedelics, offer sitting or guiding services (with the exception of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy where legally applicable), refer clients to underground or international providers, or provide advice related to substance type or dosing. I provide psychotherapy only.
A Trauma-Informed Approach to KAP
with Alein Haddad-Perez
My work with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is grounded in the treatment of complex trauma and dissociation, and in a way of working that prioritizes pacing, connection, and integration.
Ketamine creates a unique therapeutic state—one that can bring a sense of space around thoughts, emotions, and long-standing patterns. For many, this allows for a different kind of access: experiences that once felt overwhelming or fixed can be approached with more openness, curiosity, and perspective.
At the same time, these shifts can feel unfamiliar, especially for those who have learned to navigate the world through careful regulation or distance from their internal experience.
In my practice, the use of this modality is approached through a thoughtful and individualized process, taking into account your needs, your capacity, and your readiness to engage with non-ordinary states of consciousness. The intention is not to rush into depth, but to create the conditions where depth can be experienced in a way that feels supported and integratable.
What makes this work distinct is how the experience is held.
Rather than focusing on intensity or breakthrough, we work in a way that supports continuity of awareness and connection throughout the process. This includes staying oriented to yourself, maintaining a sense of internal safety, and having the space to gently relate to what arises.
For you, this means you are not left alone inside the experience. There is a steady, attuned presence supporting how you move through it—so that what emerges can be explored, understood, and meaningfully integrated.
Over time, this approach can support a shift not only in what you experience, but in how you relate to your inner world—with more space, flexibility, and a greater sense of coherence.
Curious about our therapeutic approach?
KAP Services Offered
I offer two forms of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, each designed to support this work in a structured and intentional way.
Throughout the process, the emphasis is not on the experience alone, but on how it is held, supported, and integrated over time. This allows the work to deepen in a way that feels grounded, sustainable, and aligned with your overall healing.
Individual KAP (In-Person)
Individual sessions are held in person at my Montclair office and are offered only to established, ongoing clients. This allows the work to be grounded in an existing therapeutic relationship, with continuity across preparation, dosing, and integration. I do not offer adjunctive or standalone KAP sessions.
Group KAP (Catskills, NY)
Group KAP is offered in a retreat-style format in the Catskills, New York. This is a small, carefully held group that meets once a month over the course of four months. The process includes preparation sessions, in-person dosing experiences, and integration support between meetings. Both current clients and new participants are welcome to apply. The group setting offers an additional layer of support through shared experience, while still maintaining attention to individual process and safety.
In-Person and Online Therapy in Montclair
103 Park Street
Montclair, NJ 07042
Call or Text (201) 500-7112
There is ample onsite parking available for clients as well as elevator access in the building.
HIPAA compliant Teletherapy options to clients in New Jersey, New York & Colorado