woman lying down wearing an eye mask during ketamine therapy

WHERE NEUROPLASTICITY MEETS TRAUMA THERAPY

Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy

A supportive treatment method for trauma

Serving clients virtually in California and Washington and locally in San Anselmo

TWO MODALITIES, ONE INTEGRATED APPROACH
A gentle approach to
processing unresolved trauma
If you’ve been in therapy for a long time but still feel stuck in the same emotional patterns, you’re not alone. Many people want to heal trauma but feel afraid of being overwhelmed by painful memories or emotions. Ketamine can help relax the nervous system and soften protective defenses, making it easier to approach difficult experiences with greater safety and openness. When combined with EMDR therapy, this approach can help the brain process and integrate unresolved trauma so the past no longer feels as present or overwhelming. For many people, Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy brings renewed hope that deep trauma healing is possible.

EMDR, EXPLAINED

What is EMDR?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured psychotherapy intended to help the brain continue processing experiences that were too overwhelming to fully integrate when they occurred.

The goal is not to erase the memory, but to support a shift in how it is held. As the memory is reprocessed, it may feel less immediate or emotionally charged, allowing new perspectives to emerge.

HOW EMDR REPROCESSING WORKS

01

Focus on an experience

Together, we identify and focus on the traumatic memory and the negative belief, emotions, and body sensations connected to it.

02

Bilateral Stimulation

While briefly focusing on the memory, you engage in alternating eye movements or taps. Your attention moves between the memory and your present experience.

03

Reprocess what emerges

Brief sets of bilateral stimulation are repeated as thoughts, feelings, images, and sensations arise. Between sets, your therapist checks in and follows what changes.

04

Strengthen an adaptive belief

As the distress connected to the memory shifts, EMDR includes an installation phase intended to strengthen a preferred positive or adaptive belief.

the role of ketamine in emdr

Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Trauma Processing

Low-dose ketamine can be thoughtfully combined with IFS and EMDR to support deeper and more fluid trauma processing. In these extended 90–120 minute sessions, ketamine may help soften protective defenses and increase cognitive and emotional flexibility, while EMDR supports the reprocessing of traumatic memories in a structured, integrative way. This approach can allow material that feels stuck or difficult to access to be worked with more gently, often supporting greater ease, insight, and nervous system settling.

This approach draws from the Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy™ model developed by Danielle Ciccone, LPCC, LMHC, and Michele Topel, LPC, LCPC.

Ketamine may open a window for change.
EMDR offers a framework for working with what emerges.

Learn more about ketamine and the Ketamine-Assisted Therapy treatment path.

Explore KAP

step-by-step guide

The Ketamine-Assisted
EMDR Protocol

After assessment and medical consultation, treatment generally alternates between non-medicine EMDR sessions and Ketamine-Assisted EMDR sessions.

Each session builds on the work that came before it, allowing time to review what has shifted, continue EMDR processing, and plan for the next session.

Assessment begins with a review of your current concerns, relevant history, and treatment goals. We identify a distressing memory, symptom, or recurring pattern you would like to work on and map clusters of related memories and experiences organized around shared themes. This helps us determine where to begin within the EMDR protocol.
Before beginning ketamine-assisted EMDR, you will meet with a medical provider who evaluates eligibility for treatment. This consultation includes reviewing your medical history, current medications, and mental health symptoms. All decisions related to ketamine prescribing and medical monitoring are made by your medical provider.
During non-medicine EMDR sessions, we review what has shifted since the previous session and continue processing the memory network or theme using EMDR. Based on what emerges, we identify the focus for the following Ketamine-Assisted EMDR session.
During ketamine-assisted EMDR sessions, ketamine is taken in a carefully monitored therapeutic setting to help relax the nervous system and soften protective defenses. As the medicine takes effect, we gently engage the EMDR process to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories and emotional patterns with greater openness and safety. This combination can allow difficult experiences to be approached with less overwhelm, helping the brain integrate trauma in a deeper and more supportive way.
Treatment moves between non-medicine and Ketamine-Assisted EMDR sessions.
Throughout the process, we review what has shifted, adjust the pacing and treatment targets, and determine whether to continue with the same theme or begin working with another cluster of related experiences.

FAQs

EMDR sessions are 90-120 minutes. We will discuss session length when developing your treatment plan.
EMDR is often used as a short-term therapy focused on specific memories or themes. It can also be integrated into longer-term therapy when that feels more supportive.
No—you don’t need to share detailed descriptions of traumatic events. EMDR works primarily with what you notice internally, rather than retelling the story.
Yes, EMDR can be helpful for complex or long-standing trauma when approached thoughtfully and at a pace that feels safe. Preparation and ongoing support are key parts of this process.
Ketamine-Assisted EMDR may be a good fit for some people. During the assessment, we consider your treatment goals, current concerns, and readiness for EMDR. A prescribing medical provider separately reviews your health history, medications, and eligibility for ketamine. Together, the assessment and medical consultation help determine whether this approach is appropriate for you.
Please refer to the KAP Fees page for information about fees.