Overview

Dr. Bennett will give an overview of the field of therapeutic ketamine. Ketamine is a medication that was developed as a surgical anesthetic, but which also has rapid-acting antidepressant effects and visionary properties. Dr. Bennett will describe different ways of working with ketamine for depression, including low-dose infusions, ketamine-facilitated psychotherapy, and psychedelic ketamine journeys. She will also talk about which patients are appropriate for ketamine treatment and which patients would not be a good fit for this approach, according to the most current medical literature. In addition, Dr. Bennett will talk briefly about the pharmacology of ketamine and legal considerations about working with it in clinical practice.

The talk will be approximately 90 min, followed by an additional 30 min of live Q&A where Dr. Bennett will be joined by Jessica Katzman, PsyD. Please note that this is an introductory level presentation, and not a comprehensive training.

Objectives
Participants will be able to:

• List the currently accepted psychiatric and psychological indicators for ketamine treatment, according to the latest published academic literature.
• Describe three different paradigms for working with therapeutic ketamine, and list the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
• Identify resources for learning about ketamine-faciliated psychotherapy, and for finding ketamine providers in the community.

Gaylesta, Inc. is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.  Gaylesta, Inc. maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

This presentation is sponsored by Gaylesta: The Psychotherapist Association for Gender and Sexual Diversity. These CE units may also be credited to other licensed mental health professionals, such as LCSWs, LPCCs, and LMFTs. CE credit will only be awarded for full attendance. 

Seminar Leader
Raquel Bennett, PsyD, is a psychologist and a ketamine specialist from Berkeley, CA. She primarily works with people who are living with severe depression, bipolar disorder, and/or suicidal ideation. She is fascinated by the antidepressant properties of ketamine, and has been studying this for over seventeen years. She also has a long-standing interest in the psychedelic and mystical properties of ketamine, and the potential for this medicine to be used for spiritual exploration. Dr. Bennett is the founder of KRIYA Institute and the organizer of KRIYA Conference, which is an annual and international event devoted to understanding the uses of ketamine in psychiatry and psychotherapy. You can learn more about her work at www.kriyainstitute.com.

Target Audience

This program is open to clinical psychologists, counselors, psychotherapists, case managers, social workers, marriage & family therapists, addiction treatment specialists, other mental health professionals and those working within the LGBTQ community. It is not appropriate for the general public.

There are no potential conflicts of interest for the instructor in providing this seminar on behalf of Gaylesta.