What Actually Happens During Ketamine-Assisted Therapy at Higher Ground

A closer look at what KAP involves, how IV ketamine fits in, and why the clinical setting matters more than most people realize.

Key Takeaways

• Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) pairs low-dose ketamine with structured therapy sessions to treat depression, anxiety, trauma, and entrenched emotional patterns.

• Ketamine promotes a neuroplastic window of 24 to 72 hours after each session, during which the brain is more receptive to new emotional and cognitive patterns.

• Higher Ground offers multiple ketamine pathways: KAP with intramuscular or sublingual dosing, IV ketamine infusions, and wellness infusions that support nervous-system recovery alongside treatment.

• KAP is currently the only legal form of psychedelic-assisted therapy in Connecticut.

You have probably seen ketamine mentioned in a podcast, a vibey social media ad, or a wellness newsletter. Maybe someone you know tried it at a clinic that felt more like a spa than a medical office. The word "psychedelic" was attached to it, and that was either intriguing or alarming, depending on where you land.

Here is what rarely gets explained: Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is not about the ‘drug’ experience. It is medicine that opens a biological window and the therapy is what moves through it.

At Higher Ground Psychotherapy & Ketamine Studio in Woodbury and Westport, CT, founder Samantha Tramuta, LCSW, has built a clinical model around that distinction. KAP sessions are structured, low-volume, and grounded in attachment science and trauma-informed care. The practice also offers IV ketamine infusions and wellness infusions that support the body alongside the mind. The result is a treatment environment that looks nothing like a ketamine clinic and nothing like traditional talk therapy.

How does ketamine-assisted psychotherapy actually work?

It starts with biology, not mysticism

Ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist. In plain terms, it temporarily quiets the Default Mode Network, the part of the brain responsible for repetitive self-referential thinking. That includes rumination, self-criticism, and the rigid internal narratives that keep people locked into old patterns.

When that mental noise goes quiet, even briefly, something changes. Clients describe it as spaciousness. Clinically, it reflects a measurable increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and downstream signaling that promotes the growth of new neural connections. Research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2025) confirmed that ketamine promotes neural plasticity and cognitive flexibility, creating conditions for psychotherapeutic work to take deeper effect.

This is the neuroplastic window. It typically begins within 24 hours of a session, peaks around 72 hours, and can remain active for up to three weeks. During that time, the brain is primed for change. New thought patterns, emotional responses, and relational behaviors are more likely to take root.

What does a KAP session actually look like?

Slow, quiet, safe…and clinically guided from beginning to end

A session at Higher Ground lasts approximately three hours. It begins with intention-setting and a check-in with your therapist. Then the medicine is administered, either via intramuscular injection for a more immersive experience or sublingual lozenges for a gentler, slower onset. Both a therapist and a medical provider are present throughout.

Soft music, eye shades, and a zero-gravity recliner create a calm, contained space. Most clients describe the experience as inward and meditative; some move through emotions. The experience may be immersive and sensory, more of a spiritual or dream-like state. Others notice memories surfacing with unusual clarity. The important thing is that no one is left alone with what comes up.

Immediately afterward, integration begins. This is the most overlooked and most important part of the process. Your therapist helps you make sense of what emerged, connect it to your clinical goals, and anchor new patterns while the neuroplastic window is still active.

What about IV ketamine? How does the infusion studio fit in?

A separate pathway that complements the therapeutic work

Higher Ground's Infusion Studio offers IV ketamine therapy as a distinct clinical option. IV ketamine delivers the medicine directly into the bloodstream, producing a rapid and precisely controlled response. For some clients, IV ketamine is the primary treatment modality, particularly when the goal is acute symptom relief for treatment-resistant depression, severe anxiety, or chronic pain conditions.

For others, IV ketamine sessions run alongside a KAP protocol. A client might complete a psychotherapy-guided ketamine session earlier in the week, then receive an IV infusion a few days later to extend the neuroplastic benefits and support nervous-system stabilization during the integration period.

The Infusion Studio also offers wellness infusions, including magnesium, NAD+, and glutathione, as well as vitamin and hydration injections. These are not add-ons for the sake of offering them. Magnesium supports GABA activity and nervous-system regulation. NAD+ plays a role in cellular repair and cognitive clarity. Glutathione supports detoxification and recovery. Many clients pair these with their ketamine treatment to support the body during a period of deep psychological work.

Samantha Tramuta designed the Infusion Studio as an extension of the clinical model. The body and the mind are not separate systems, and treatment that addresses both tends to produce more complete and more durable results.

Who is ketamine-assisted therapy designed for?

People who have done the work and hit a wall

KAP was originally studied in the context of treatment-resistant depression, defined as cases where two or more antidepressant trials have failed. A 2025 systematic review in Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry found that combining ketamine with psychotherapy may produce more durable results than ketamine infusions alone, particularly for depression and PTSD.

But treatment resistance is not just a clinical label. Many of the people who come to Higher Ground have been in therapy before, sometimes for years. They are high-functioning. They manage their lives well on the surface. They also carry chronic anxiety, emotional flatness, or relational disconnection that weekly sessions have not fully reached.

At Higher Ground, KAP is offered to individuals dealing with entrenched trauma, chronic stress, addiction recovery, couples in emotional disconnection, and people who feel stuck despite doing everything "right." The protocol is time-limited by design, with clear therapeutic goals built into the structure from day one.

Why does the clinical setting matter so much?

Because the medicine is only half the equation

Connecticut has seen a wave of ketamine clinics open over the past few years. Most offer IV infusions in a medical setting, sometimes without any therapy component at all. You sit in a chair, receive the drip, and go home.

That model treats ketamine as a pharmaceutical intervention. It can reduce symptoms, but it does not address the psychological patterns underneath them.

Higher Ground's model is therapy-driven psychedelic work. Preparation sessions happen before any medicine is administered. Your therapist knows your history, your attachment patterns, and what you are working toward. The session itself is clinically supervised. Integration follows immediately, and again in subsequent sessions. The medicine creates the opening. The therapeutic relationship is what gives it direction.

Samantha Tramuta designed this model specifically for people who need depth, not volume. The practice operates with a small, specialized team across its Woodbury and Westport offices, and every KAP client receives individualized attention at a pace that allows real processing to happen.

Is ketamine therapy legal in Connecticut?

Yes, and it is currently the only legal psychedelic-assisted therapy in the state

KAP is the first and only legally available form of psychedelic-assisted therapy in Connecticut. Unlike psilocybin or MDMA-assisted therapy, which remain in clinical trials or are available only under restricted federal programs, ketamine can be prescribed off-label by a licensed provider and administered in a clinical setting right now.

This is worth understanding for anyone searching for psychedelic therapy or exploring alternatives to traditional antidepressants. Those other treatments are not yet available outside of research trials. KAP, combined with IV ketamine when clinically appropriate, is the accessible, legal, evidence-supported option. And when it is done inside a structured therapeutic framework with integration support, the clinical outcomes speak clearly.

Frequently asked questions about ketamine therapy in CT

How many KAP sessions will I need?

This is a time-limited treatment, not an ongoing prescription. Your clinician will design a protocol based on your clinical history and goals.

What is the difference between KAP and IV ketamine?

KAP pairs ketamine (intramuscular or sublingual) with active psychotherapy before, during, and after the session. IV ketamine is administered intravenously with medical supervision and is often used for symptom relief or as a complement to an ongoing KAP protocol. Higher Ground offers both, and many clients use them together.

Will I lose control during a session?

No. KAP uses low, sub-anesthetic doses that produce a softened, reflective state. Clients remain aware and can communicate throughout. A therapist and medical provider are present for the entire session.

What are the wellness infusions for?

Magnesium, NAD+, glutathione, and hydration infusions support nervous-system regulation, cellular recovery, and cognitive clarity. Many clients pair them with ketamine treatment to support the body during intensive psychological work.

Is ketamine therapy covered by insurance?

Higher Ground is a private-pay practice. Ketamine therapy is not typically covered by insurance. Many clients view the investment as comparable to other time-limited treatment intensives, with measurable results in a condensed timeframe.

Where is Higher Ground located?

Higher Ground has offices in Woodbury, CT (51 Sherman Hill Road, Unit A202) and Westport, CT (25 Imperial Avenue). Both locations serve clients throughout Fairfield County, Litchfield County, and the greater Connecticut area.

Sources

Sakopoulos, S. & Todman, M. (2025). The Effects of Psychotherapy on Single and Repeated Ketamine Infusion(s) Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(14), 6673.

Gomes, A.M. & Novais, F. (2025). Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Systematic Review. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 12, 14.

Alves da Silva, F. et al. (2026). Ketamine Combined With Psychotherapy as a Treatment for Resistant Depression in a Public European Hospital. Brain and Behavior, e71164.

Ember Health (2025). Taking Advantage of the Ketamine Neuroplasticity Window. Ember Health Clinical Resources.