[Solved] Course of private ketamine therapy

Yes, during a therapeutic ketamine session (with an analogue, for example), a clear structure is followed so that you go through the process step by step in an informed and goal-oriented manner. The process roughly consists of preparation, the session itself, and integration. I explain the structure below:

1. Preparation process
Before the session takes place, fill out the intake in. Your health, medication use, and personal goals are discussed during this meeting. Based on this, you will receive lifestyle and mental preparation advice, such as nutrition, exercise, supplements, or breathing exercises. One week before the session, you will have a preparatory conversation with your chosen therapist (by phone, online, or in person), during which you will discuss your intentions, expectations, and any potential blockages.

2. The start of the session
On the day itself, you do not start taking the medication immediately. First, there is a half-hour during which you reiterate your intentions with the facilitator, receive practical explanations, and get into a calm mindset. This helps you build confidence in what is to come. Afterward, you take the ketamine analogue orally. The first effects become noticeable after approximately 20–30 minutes.

3. The experience
The effects build up gradually. During the first 1 to 1.5 hours, a booster can be taken if the effect is mild. The peak of the session usually lasts 1 to 3 hours. During this period, you often experience deep introspection and dissociation: a feeling of detachment from your body and fixed patterns. This creates space to view traumas or existential questions from a different perspective. There is an alternation between quiet introspection and short conversations with the facilitator, depending on what arises.

4. Coming down & initial integration
After the peak, the effects slowly level off. This is the moment when more talking takes place, allowing initial insights to be put into words. The total duration of the session is usually between 4 and 6 hours, longer than medical ketamine infusions, which allows more time for processing.

5. Integration after the session
The following day or a week later, an integration session takes place (one hour included as standard). During this session, you discuss the insights with the therapist and how you can apply them in your daily life. There is also the option to attend additional integration sessions or group integration (for example, via psychodrama or IFS), should you wish.

You can find a comprehensive overview of this process on the page about the ketamine session.

On the forum, you often read that participants in psychedelic sessions frequently go through similar phases: first tension, then a peak of deep introspection, and subsequently a soft landing in which space is created for healing and processing. At ketamine it works via dissociation, while psilocybin often brings more connection and emotional depth.