Ketamine-Assisted EMDR
in Emeryville, California
The shift begins within.
You may feel like you’ve been carrying the weight of past experiences for far too long. Certain memories or sensations live just beneath the surface, easily triggered but hard to talk about. You might feel flooded, dissociated, or completely shut down when you try to process what happened. Even with years of therapy, some things remain unresolved—like your mind understands, but your body hasn’t caught up. You may feel like you’re stuck in survival mode, caught in the same emotional loops, unsure how to truly move forward. When traditional therapy feels like it’s hitting a wall, it can be disheartening and isolating.
Breakthrough without the Overwhelm
What is Ketamine-Assisted EMDR?
The combination of Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and EMDR offers a powerful and effective approach to treating trauma, anxiety, and depression. Ketamine helps clients enter a more open, flexible state of mind where deeper, often unconscious material becomes more accessible. In this space, EMDR can be used to reprocess traumatic memories with greater ease and less emotional overwhelm.
While ketamine reduces emotional resistance and enhances neural plasticity, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help integrate painful memories, making them feel less distressing and easier to heal from. Together, these approaches can lead to faster, more profound results—especially for those with complex trauma or treatment-resistant depression.
Both KAP and EMDR are grounded in research-based methods that support healing at both the emotional and nervous system levels. This integrative work helps shift long-standing trauma patterns and opens the door to lasting change.
Imagine being able to revisit difficult memories without shutting down or becoming overwhelmed.
Instead of avoiding the past, you feel safe enough to face it—with support, clarity, and a growing sense of inner strength. You begin to understand your story in a new way, not just with your mind, but with your whole body. The fear, shame, or numbness that once held you back starts to loosen. You feel more connected to yourself, more emotionally present in your relationships, and more able to respond rather than react. Over time, what once felt like a constant undercurrent of distress is replaced with a sense of calm, confidence, and relief. Healing begins to feel possible—not just as an idea, but as a lived experience.
Initial Consult
Our work begins with a brief video consultation to determine whether an intensive is the right fit for your needs. You’ll have a chance to ask questions, share what’s bringing you to therapy, and get a feel for how I work. If we decide to move forward, we’ll schedule your intake and reserve your intensive dates.
Comprehensive Intake Session
Before we dive into the intensive, we meet for a longer intake session. Here, we explore your history, goals, and what you hope to gain from this experience.
Medical Consultation with Prescriber
I partner with an organization called Journey Clinical, whose medical team takes on all medical activities of KAP, including patient eligibility, prescriptions and outcome monitoring. Once I’ve assessed your appropriateness for KAP from a psychotherapy lens, we will get you scheduled for a consult for medical clearance and treatment planning.
Preparation Workbook
You’ll receive a guided workbook to complete at home between our intake and your intensive. This is not busywork, it’s a therapeutic tool designed to help you clarify goals, track past experiences, identify themes, and reflect on your emotional landscape. It lays the groundwork for more focused, effective processing once your intensive begins.
Therapy Intensive Sessions
Your 12 Hour Ketamine-Assisted EMDR intensive takes place over three separate days within a two-week period.
Each day includes two hours of therapy in the Morning followed an hour break, and two hours of therapy in the afternoon. During EMDR processing, a low dose of prescribed Ketamine is self-administered.
FAQs about Ketamine-Assisted EMDR
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Yes, ketamine is an FDA approved drug, legal in all 50 states and used in hospital settings for surgery and pain management since 1970. It is a top 10 essential medicine according to the WHO. It is widely prescribed off-label for mental health.
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Ketamine is generally very safe but not suitable for everyone (e.g., those with uncontrolled high blood pressure or certain personality disorders). A medical doctor will conduct a thorough screening process to ensure safety, and if needed, work with your other doctors or medical professionals.
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Most clients experience primarily positive effects, but some may feel temporarily emotional or drained as they process deep emotions. It is common to feel tired after a KA-EMDR session. These effects are usually short-lived and part of the healing process.
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KAP and EMDR each have strong evidence as effective trauma- and mood-focused treatments. Early-stage studies and clinical guidelines suggest their combined use amplify benefits, offering faster relief and deeper, sustained healing, especially for complex trauma, treatment-resistant depression, and anxiety.
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I partner with an organization called Journey Clinical, whose medical team takes on all medical activities of KAP, including patient eligibility, prescriptions and outcome monitoring.