Frequently Asked Questions about Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy and Bloom

At this time, Bloom Psychedelic Therapy offers intramuscular and intra-nasal ketamine administration.

Participation in ketamine therapy can result in a number of benefits, but there is no guarantee that this will occur.

Ketamine is a new and experimental psychiatric treatment, though there are many studies demonstrating its efficacy. Improvement generally occurs with more than one administration and is most robust when part of an overall treatment program. It may not permanently relieve your condition. If your symptoms respond to ketamine, you may still elect to be treated with medications and ongoing therapy to reduce the possibility of relapse. Over time, you may also need additional ketamine booster treatments or other therapies to maintain your remission.

The literature indicates a 70% initial response rate to ketamine, and a remission rate (return of symptoms) for patients with treatment-resistant depression of 40-50%. If you respond with mood improvements after 6 treatments, you may go on to receive additional maintenance treatments periodically as determined by you and your therapist.

During your intake session, you and your therapist will reflect on your goals for treatment and set intentions for your ketamine experience. We also encourage you to hold these intentions lightly, like resistance or attempts to control the experience can produce anxiety and stand in the way of the experience. 

Before and during your ketamine session, you may be offered breathing exercises and other mindfulness or meditation guidance to address any anxiety you might have going into the experience.

We will also discuss the use of music during your treatment session. Music serves to ground and potentially enhance or guide the experience. We can provide playlists designed to optimize your benefit from your treatment session. If you prefer silence, noise-canceling ear covers will be provided.

On the day of your ketamine treatment, please follow the directions given by our staff about food and medication intake. You will be invited to use an eye mask to facilitate and enhance the experience, and to help you maintain an internal focus. You will spend much of the session “going inside” or focusing on your internal experience. A nurse or medic will be available should you have any concerns or adverse experiences. You will have the opportunity to discuss outcomes and breakthroughs through follow-up and integration sessions.

You will be at our clinic for approximately three hours. As the effects of the medicine wear off, you will spend some time reflecting on your experience while you wait for the effects to wear off. You are required to leave all sessions with an adult chaperone and you will not be able to drive for at least 18 hours after your appointment. 

The effect of ketamine changes with the dosage and route of administration.

You can have empathogenic effects and/or feelings of dissociation. These feelings can support increased awareness of the body, feelings of comfort and relaxation, reduction of ego defenses, increased empathy, compassion, and warmth. This openness and relaxation of defenses can be helpful in breaking repetitive patterns or may help you to see issues from a different perspective. 

You will likely experience increased sensitivity to light and noise so we provide you with eyeshades and calming music or noise-canceling ear protection to meet your preference. 

A mingling of the senses, known as synthesesia, may occur and you will likely lose your ordinary sense of time. In general, you will feel altered perception through your senses. You may feel like you are suspended in space or floating, or feel like your limbs are somewhat disconnected. You will be reclined comfortably in a chair and have the option of a blanket if you desire.

Ketamine is considered very safe and has been extensively used as an anesthetic in field and pediatric environments since the 1970s. As with any medication, there are potential risks and side effects to consider, and your therapist will discuss these with you at your intake appointment.

Common side effects include dizziness/lightheadedness nausea, sedation, slurred speech or difficulty speaking, transient changes to your senses, impaired balance, and coordination. As a result, you are not able to drive for 18 hours after your appointment and must leave your ketamine session with an adult chaperone.

The number of sessions needed will be discussed by you and your Bloom team, while keeping your needs in mind.

You can book a free Discovery Call and a member of our team will help you understand more.

Some individuals struggling with long-term challenging psychological issues find themselves directed to KAT therapy by way of the current media attention. Eye-catching headlines and sound-bite journalism can create unrealistic expectations that are counterproductive to successful KAT outcomes.

Ketamine assisted therapy (KAT) is sometimes approached with the false notion that ketamine provides a one-off quick-fix mental health shortcut. Some have even incorrectly referred to ketamine as a “happy pill.”

To help protect and promote a productive KAT treatment process, realistic expectations are an important consideration. We recommend mutually defining realistic expectations and identifying achievable goals for symptom relief with your therapist and/or therapy team.

It is helpful to foster realistic expectations for the “sooner and later” timeline of KAT’s effects and benefits. Some changes may come in sudden shifts of perspective during a KAT session that may remain long after the sessions have been completed. Also, it is important to note that some of the most valuable KAT influences and insights may evolve slowly over time with extended integration and reflection.

KAT is best approached with the understanding that developing “a resilient life worth living” is a process. Although Ketamine is the mechanism for an intervention, it is actually time itself – with mindful reflection, investigation, patience, and integration – that is the vehicle of transformation.

Each insurance provider is different in terms of what cost they will cover. Many private insurance plans cover a portion of therapy costs. Please contact your insurance provider to discuss what coverage is available to you.

Yes, absolutely. We have had clients from other cities in Alberta and British Columbia access treatment at Bloom Psychedelic Therapy, so whether you're from Lethbridge, Edmonton, Red Deer, Kelowna, Vancouver, Victoria, Saskatchewan or elsewhere in Canada, please book a Discovery Call to determine what options are available to you.