What to Expect at a Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Immersion in Westport, CT
- Samantha Tramuta, LCSW, LAC
- May 11
- 5 min read
Sam Tramuta, LCSW, LAC, walks through the Reset Series Ketamine Therapy Immersion Experience: how the day unfolds, what the medicine feels like, and what to know before you apply.
Key Takeaways
The Reset Series at Higher Ground are half-day, IM ketamine-assisted immersions held on select Sundays at the new Westport, CT location.
The May 17 event, Ground & Recalibrate, is the first in the 2026 series.
Each session is limited to six participants.
The experience includes preparation, intention-setting, a precision-dosed IM ketamine journey, guided psychotherapy with music, and a therapist-led integration session.
Ketamine is not psilocybin or LSD. Its dissociative properties create a dreamlike, inward state, not a hallucinogenic trip.
Participants cannot drive for the rest of the day and should plan for rest and self-care afterward
Most people who consider a group ketamine experience have the same three questions:
Will I lose control?
Will other people hear my deepest thoughts?
And what exactly am I signing up for?
These are reasonable questions. And the answers are simpler than you might expect.
Samantha Tramuta, LCSW, founder of Higher Ground Psychotherapy & Ketamine Studio, designed the Reset Series to address exactly this kind of hesitation. The format is clinical, intimate, and structured. It is also the first program to launch at Higher Ground's new Westport, CT location.
What is the Reset Series?
A half-day ketamine-assisted immersion: Not a retreat, and not group therapy
The Reset Series is a collection of half-day IM ketamine-assisted psychotherapy immersions held on select Sundays at Higher Ground's Westport office. The first event, Ground & Recalibrate, takes place on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Additional sessions run monthly through the fall.
Each event is limited to six participants. The format blends precision-dosed IM (intramuscular) ketamine, guided psychotherapy, curated music, and a therapist-led integration session. It includes a preparatory orientation, intention setting, a 90-minute ketamine journey, a light lunch, herbal tea, and post-session decompression time.
The cost is $1,000 per person, with optional add-ons including IV wellness infusions and a follow-up integration call during the week.
Is this group therapy? Will people hear what I say?
This guided immersion is not a group therapy session. It is more like a guided meditation, allowing the precision-dosed medicine to gently open an internal window.
Clinically led by psychotherapist and Higher Ground founder Sam Tramuta, she understands the common concerns that participants may have. "People worry that they are going to share their deepest, darkest secrets with no control," she says. "And that is usually because they do not understand the format."
During the IM ketamine portion, participants lie on yoga mats with eye masks and weighted blankets. Music plays. Sam guides the experience and is present throughout. Participants are not talking to each other, interacting, or sitting up for conversation. The IM route is more immersive than sublingual lozenges, so the experience is internal and deeply personal.
Preparation happens together before the medicine is administered, and integration happens together afterward. But the journey itself is yours alone.
What does IM ketamine actually feel like?
A dreamlike state, not a hallucinogenic trip
This is the question underneath the question. People who have heard about psilocybin or ayahuasca experiences often picture something vivid, unpredictable, or overwhelming. Ketamine works differently.
"Ketamine is different than psilocybin or LSD," Sam explains. "Because of the dissociative properties, it is more of a dream state versus looking around, and the walls are melting or scary things are happening. Hard things can come up, but usually because of the dissociative properties, you are able to deal with hard emotions and hard experiences in a much calmer manner."
IM ketamine comes on faster than sublingual lozenges, which can feel a bit more abrupt. To smooth the onset, Higher Ground administers the injection in two stages: one dose, then a second dose 15 minutes later. This staged approach makes the increase in effects more gradual and easier to settle into.
Most participants describe the experience as meditative, spacious, and emotionally clarifying. Some move through memories or feelings with unusual vividness. Others describe a deep sense of calm they have not felt in months. No one is left alone with what comes up. Sam is present the entire time.
What do I need to plan for?
Clear the rest of your day. Arrange a ride. Dress comfortably.
The practical details matter, and Sam is direct about them. You cannot drive for the rest of the day after the ketamine administration. Arrange for someone to pick you up, or plan to use a car service. The rest of the day should be protected time for rest and self-care.
Wear comfortable, loose clothing. Think layers. The temperature in your body can shift during the experience, and you want to be physically at ease. Eye masks and weighted blankets are provided.
You do not need any prior experience with ketamine or psychedelics. Many first-time participants find that the preparation session at the start of the day settles most of their nerves. Sam walks through how ketamine feels, what to expect at each phase, and how to work with whatever comes up. By the time the medicine is administered, most people feel grounded and ready.
Who is this designed for?
People who need a reset, not a weekend away
The Reset Series is built for people who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, post-burnout, or in transition. It is also designed for people who are integrating a previous ketamine or psychedelic experience and want clinical structure around what came up.
High-functioning professionals who cannot take a full weekend for a retreat but need something deeper than a therapy session. Couples exploring relational patterns. Individuals navigating career, identity, or life season changes. Anyone who keeps showing up to their week feeling depleted and wanting a different entry point.
The Sunday timing is intentional. It creates a grounded threshold into the week ahead. Participants consistently report that the days following an immersion feel clearer, steadier, and more emotionally present.
What happens after?
Integration, rest, and an optional follow-up call
Before anyone leaves, the group reconvenes for a therapist-led integration session. This is where the themes, emotions, and insights from the journey get anchored. Sam helps participants make sense of what emerged and connect it to what they are working on in their lives.
Light lunch and herbal tea are provided during the decompression period. There is no rush. The environment is calm, unhurried, and clinical in the best sense of the word.
Participants can also add a follow-up integration call during the week to continue processing. And because the neuroplastic window following ketamine administration can remain active for days, the work does not stop when the session ends. What you do in the hours and days after, the rest, the reflection, the intentional choices, matters as much as the experience itself.
Frequently asked questions about the Reset Series
When is the first event?
Ground & Recalibrate takes place on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at Higher Ground's Westport, CT location (25 Imperial Avenue). Additional dates run monthly through September.
How many people are in each session?
Each event is limited to six participants. Early reservation is strongly recommended.
How much does it cost?
$1,000 per person. Optional add-ons include IV wellness infusions and a follow-up integration call.
Do I need prior experience with ketamine?
No. Many participants are first-timers. The preparation session at the start of the day covers everything you need to know.
Can I drive myself home?
No. You cannot drive for the rest of the day after ketamine administration. Plan for a ride home and protect the rest of your day for rest.
How do I apply?
Visit highergroundct.com/reset-series-kap-application or call (203) 418-7653 to inquire. There is a brief application process to determine clinical fit.
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.
Ember Health (2025). Taking Advantage of the Ketamine Neuroplasticity Window. Ember Health Clinical Resources.
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