Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy
Serving clients virtually in California, Washington, and locally in San Rafael and Berkeley
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. At Solthera Therapy, Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy offers a powerful and supportive approach for processing trauma. 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.
Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy
Low-dose ketamine can be thoughtfully combined with EMDR to support deeper and more fluid trauma processing. In these extended 90–120 minute sessions, ketamine helps 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.
What is EMDR and How Can it Help Heal Trauma?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy approach designed to help the brain process and heal traumatic memories. When overwhelming experiences happen, the nervous system can become overloaded and the memory may remain “stuck,” continuing to trigger anxiety, emotional distress, or negative beliefs about oneself. During EMDR therapy, you briefly focus on a memory while engaging in gentle bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or alternating taps. This process helps activate the brain’s natural ability to process and integrate difficult experiences so they can be stored in a less distressing way.
How Does EMDR Help Heal Trauma?
EMDR helps the brain complete the processing of experiences that were too overwhelming to fully integrate when they first occurred. As these memories are reprocessed, the emotional intensity often begins to soften and new perspectives can emerge. Many people find that memories that once felt overwhelming start to feel more distant, less triggering, and easier to hold with compassion and understanding. Over time, this can lead to reduced anxiety, fewer intrusive thoughts, and a greater sense of calm, safety, and resilience in everyday life.
The Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Protocol
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EMDR begins by identifying a distressing memory, symptom, or pattern you would like to work on. Together, we map out related memories and experiences that may be contributing to the issue so they can be processed through the EMDR protocol.
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Before beginning ketamine-assisted therapy, you will meet with a licensed medical provider who evaluates whether ketamine is safe and appropriate for you. This consultation includes reviewing your medical history, current medications, and mental health symptoms. If approved, the provider will prescribe ketamine and collaborate with your therapist to support the treatment process.
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Preparation helps ensure you feel safe, supported, and ready for deeper trauma processing. During this phase, we develop grounding and coping skills, identify supportive internal resources, and discuss what to expect during ketamine-assisted sessions.
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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.
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Between ketamine-assisted sessions, we meet for non-medicine integration sessions to reflect on the EMDR work from the previous week and check in on how the processing is unfolding. We may continue EMDR processing if needed, strengthen grounding and coping resources, and identify the next target memory or pattern to work with in upcoming sessions. These sessions help integrate insights from the medicine work and support steady, sustainable trauma healing. We alternate Ketamine-EMDR and Integration Sessions until we have meet treatment goals.
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EMDR can be used as a short-term approach or woven into longer-term therapy. After short-term EMDR treatment, you may decide to go back to regular therapy with your current therapist or you may continue to work with me using other modalities I use to treat trauma.
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EMDR sessions are 90-120 minutes. We will discuss session length when developing your treatment plan.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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EMDR combined with low-dose ketamine may be supportive for some people, but it requires careful screening. Please see the Ketamine Therapy page for eligibility details, or book a consultation to discuss whether Ketamine-Assisted EMDR is appropriate for you.
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