Is Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Right for You? Questions to Ask First

If you're searching for ketamine assisted therapy near me, you may be wondering whether ketamine could help when traditional therapy hasn't created the change you hoped for. Ketamine-assisted therapy can be worth exploring for some adults, particularly when depression, trauma patterns, or feeling deeply stuck have persisted, but it isn't right for everyone and it should begin with thoughtful medical and psychological screening.

I often meet people who aren't falling apart.

Actually, they're usually quite good at holding things together.

They work. They parent. They take care of people. They accomplish things. From the outside, their lives may look pretty good.

And then they sit across from me and say something like:

“I don't know why I'm unhappy.”

Or:

“My trauma wasn't that bad.”

Sometimes they've already done a lot of therapy. They understand their childhood. They can identify their patterns. They know why they people please, overwork, shut down, become anxious, or have difficulty asking for what they need.

They have insight.

And still, something feels stuck.

For some people, this is where a conversation about ketamine-assisted therapy may begin.

I am Sari Glazebrook, LCSW, an EMDR-trained therapist and Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Provider (PATP). In my Chicago-area practice, I work with high-achieving adults who often look fine on the outside while feeling very different on the inside.

And one of the most important things I want people to understand about ketamine-assisted therapy is this:

Ketamine isn't the therapy.

The medication and the therapeutic work have different roles.

What is ketamine therapy?

Ketamine is a medication that has been used medically for decades. In mental health care, ketamine is sometimes prescribed off-label for psychiatric conditions, including depression. Ketamine itself is not FDA-approved to treat psychiatric disorders.

That distinction matters.

Ketamine should not be confused with esketamine, sold under the brand name Spravato, which is FDA-approved for certain depressive conditions and is administered under specific medical requirements.

In my practice, I do not prescribe ketamine.

I partner with a physician who determines whether someone is medically appropriate for ketamine and prescribes the medication. Depending on the treatment plan determined by the physician, ketamine may be administered intramuscularly when the physician comes to my office, or the physician may prescribe a ketamine troche that the client obtains from a compounding pharmacy.

My role is the psychotherapy.

That separation is important because a good ketamine-assisted therapy program should take both pieces seriously: the medicine AND the therapeutic process surrounding it.

How does ketamine-assisted therapy work?

Ketamine-assisted therapy combines medically supervised ketamine treatment with psychotherapy. This is an important detail.

There is growing research interest in whether ketamine may temporarily affect processes related to mood, learning, neuroplasticity, and psychological flexibility. Research into how best to combine those effects with psychotherapy is still developing. And I have personally witnessed the positive benefits.

I think this distinction is especially important because ketamine is sometimes talked about as though the experience itself will somehow solve everything.

That's not how I approach it.

A powerful experience can be meaningful.

But what happens afterward matters too.

What did you notice?

What came up?

What felt different?

What did you understand in a new way?

And perhaps most importantly:

How do you bring any of that back into your actual life?

Because eventually you still have to go home.

Your relationships are there.

Your job is there.

Your stress is there.

And, inconveniently, your nervous system comes with you.

That is where therapeutic preparation and integration can become meaningful parts of the process.

What does ketamine therapy actually involve?

Ketamine has received significant attention because of research into its antidepressant effects, particularly in people with difficult-to-treat depression.

But ketamine therapy for depression isn't one standardized experience everywhere you go.

Treatment models can differ in dose, route of administration, frequency, set and setting, medical monitoring, and whether psychotherapy is included before, during, or after ketamine treatment.

That's one reason I encourage people to ask more than:

“Do you offer ketamine?”

Ask how the entire process works.

Who evaluates you medically?

Who prescribes the medication?

Who monitors you?

What preparation happens beforehand?

Is psychotherapy part of the experience?

What happens afterward?

How is integration handled?

You aren't simply choosing a medication.

You're choosing a treatment environment.

Who is a good candidate for ketamine therapy?

There isn't one personality type or diagnosis that automatically makes someone a good candidate.

The medical decision belongs with the prescribing physician. Your medical history, medications, mental health history, risks, and other factors need to be evaluated before ketamine is prescribed.

From the psychotherapy side, I am also interested in something different:

What are you hoping ketamine will do for you?

If the answer is:

“I've done a lot of work and still feel deeply stuck,”

that's worth exploring.

If the answer is:

“I want something that will make me never feel this way again,”

that's also worth exploring, but for a different reason.

No therapy can promise a life without pain, uncertainty, triggers, loss, anxiety, or difficult emotions.

Ketamine doesn't change that.

A Hopeful Heart Insight

Sometimes when we've been struggling for a long time, we start searching for the thing that will finally fix us.

A different therapist.

A different medication.

A different modality.

A different retreat.

A different relationship.

And I understand the longing underneath that search.

But the Hopeful Heart approach begins somewhere else.

What if you aren't a problem that needs to be fixed?

What if the question is instead:

What might help create more capacity for something different?

That is a very different place to begin.

Does ketamine erase trauma?

No.

And I would be cautious of anyone who promises that it does.

Trauma patterns can become deeply practiced ways of responding to relationships, uncertainty, vulnerability, conflict, or perceived threat.

I sometimes describe these patterns as the Grand Canyon.

If your brain and nervous system have traveled the same route for years, that pathway can become very familiar.

You might automatically:

• take care of everyone else

• avoid conflict

• overwork

• become perfectionistic

• shut down

• scan other people's moods

• struggle to receive help

• feel guilty when you set a boundary

Understanding why you do those things can be incredibly helpful.

But insight alone doesn't always create a new pathway.

Insight explains the old road. Practice builds the new one.

Ketamine-assisted therapy may create a different therapeutic context in which some people experience their thoughts, emotions, memories, or sense of self differently. But the research on exactly how psychotherapy and ketamine work together, and whether psychotherapy adds benefit beyond ketamine alone, is still developing. [ADD SOURCE]

That uncertainty deserves to be said clearly.

What if I think, “My trauma wasn't that bad”?

I hear versions of this often.

People compare their experiences to someone else's and conclude that they shouldn't be affected.

Maybe nothing obviously catastrophic happened.

But the nervous system doesn't organize our experiences according to who had the objectively worst childhood.

It learns from repeated experience.

What happened when you needed comfort?

What happened when someone was angry?

Were mistakes safe?

Could you say no?

Could you disappoint someone and remain connected?

Did you learn that your needs mattered?

Not every difficult experience is trauma. And recognizing that something affected you doesn't require deciding that your childhood was terrible or that someone was a villain.

Two things can be true.

The Hopeful Heart AND

Maybe people loved you AND there were things you needed that you didn't receive.

Maybe you've had a good life AND you're struggling.

Maybe you're incredibly capable AND you're tired of carrying everything.

Maybe you understand your patterns AND you still need help changing them.

This kind of flexibility matters in therapy.

We aren't trying to replace one rigid story with another.

We're making room for more truth.

What questions should I ask before starting ketamine-assisted therapy?

If you're considering treatment, I would ask:

• Who is prescribing the ketamine?

• What medical screening happens first?

• What route of administration is being recommended, and why?

• What monitoring happens during treatment?

• What are the potential risks and side effects?

• What medications or health conditions could affect my eligibility?

• What happens if I become frightened or overwhelmed during the experience?

• How will I prepare psychologically?

• What does integration look like afterward?

• Who provides the psychotherapy?

• What training does that therapist have?

• What happens if ketamine doesn't help in the way I hoped?

You should feel comfortable asking questions.

This is your treatment.

Ketamine assisted therapy near me: What should I look for in Chicago?

If you're searching ketamine assisted therapy near me in Chicago or Illinois, don't choose solely based on convenience or marketing.

Look at the structure of the care.

I would want to know whether there is clear medical oversight, how the medication is prescribed or administered, who is responsible for medical decisions, what psychotherapy support is available, and what happens before and after the ketamine experience.

Compounded ketamine products, including oral formulations, carry additional considerations because compounded medications are not FDA-approved and are not evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality before marketing in the same way as approved medications.

This doesn't automatically mean a compounded medication is inappropriate for you. It means the decision belongs in a thoughtful conversation with a qualified medical provider.

What does ketamine-assisted therapy look like at Hopeful Heart?

At Hopeful Heart, the psychotherapy and medical roles are clearly separated.

I provide the therapeutic component. I partner with a physician who evaluates the medical side and prescribes the ketamine when appropriate.

Depending on the physician's treatment plan, the medication may be given intramuscularly when the physician comes to my office, or the physician may prescribe a troche that the client purchases through a compounding pharmacy.

The therapeutic work can include preparation before the ketamine experience and processing or integration afterward.

My broader therapy work is trauma informed and informed by my EMDR training and PATP training. Depending on a person's needs, I offer weekly therapy as well as half-day and two-day therapy intensives.

The goal isn't to chase an extraordinary experience.

It's to help you understand yourself differently and consider what you want to practice when you return to ordinary life.

A Hopeful Heart Micro Habit: Ask a different question

If you're considering ketamine-assisted therapy, try replacing:

“Will ketamine fix me?”

with:

“What am I hoping will become possible?”

Sit with that question for a moment.

Maybe you want more connection.

More flexibility.

More capacity to feel.

More ability to rest.

More freedom from a pattern you've understood for years but haven't been able to shift.

The answer may tell you more about what you're actually looking for than the word ketamine does.

Is this a good fit for you?

Ketamine-assisted therapy may be worth exploring if you are an adult who feels stuck despite insight or previous treatment, you're willing to participate in both medical screening and psychotherapy, and you're interested in approaching the process with curiosity rather than expecting a guaranteed cure.

It may not be the right next step if you're looking for a quick fix, you're unwilling or unable to participate in appropriate medical evaluation, or the prescribing physician determines that ketamine is not medically appropriate for you.

And sometimes something else simply makes more sense.

Traditional weekly therapy, EMDR, a therapy intensive, medication management, or another level of mental health care may better fit what you need.

Treatment shouldn't be about choosing the most interesting option.

It should be about choosing the most appropriate one.

Coming Home

One of the central ideas in the Hopeful Heart Method is Coming Home.

Coming home means learning how to return to yourself while your life is actually happening.

Ketamine-assisted therapy may offer some people an unusual opportunity to experience themselves, their emotions, or their patterns from a different perspective.

But eventually, we return.

And the deeper question becomes:

How do I stay connected to myself when I'm back in my real life?

That's where the work continues.

A Final Hopeful Heart Truth

You don't need to have the “worst” trauma.

You don't need to prove that you're struggling enough.

And you don't need to decide that something is fundamentally wrong with you because you're successful on the outside and unhappy on the inside.

You can be grateful for your life AND want something to change.

You can be strong AND need support.

You can understand your patterns AND still need help practicing another road.

Ketamine-assisted therapy may be one tool worth considering.

It isn't the whole road.

If you're looking for ketamine assisted therapy near me in the Chicago area and want to explore whether this approach might fit what you're experiencing, you can book a free 15-minute consultation with me at https://www.hopefulheartllc.com/. There is no pressure to decide before we've had a chance to talk.

If you're in crisis, call or text 988 or use the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ketamine-assisted therapy?

Ketamine-assisted therapy combines ketamine prescribed by a qualified medical provider with psychological support or psychotherapy. Programs vary considerably in how ketamine is administered and when therapy occurs. At Hopeful Heart, I provide the psychotherapy while a partnering physician is responsible for medical evaluation, prescribing, and medication-related decisions.

How does ketamine-assisted therapy work?

Ketamine affects brain systems involved in mood and other psychological processes, and researchers are studying its effects on neuroplasticity. In ketamine-assisted therapy, psychotherapy may be used for preparation and integration of the experience. Research on the specific added benefit of combining psychotherapy with ketamine is still developing.

Is ketamine therapy effective for depression?

Ketamine has evidence supporting antidepressant effects, particularly in treatment-resistant depression, although ketamine itself is not FDA-approved for treating psychiatric disorders. Research into ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for depression is promising but has important limitations, and it cannot guarantee a particular result for an individual. [ADD SOURCE]

Who is a good candidate for ketamine therapy?

Candidacy should be determined individually. A prescribing physician needs to consider your medical and psychiatric history, medications, potential risks, and treatment goals. From a therapy perspective, I also explore expectations, readiness for the experience, available support, and what you hope will become possible through treatment.

Are ketamine troches FDA-approved for depression?

No. Compounded ketamine troches are not FDA-approved for depression or other psychiatric conditions. Compounded medications can sometimes serve a medical need, but they have different regulatory considerations from FDA-approved medications. A qualified prescriber should explain why a compounded formulation is being recommended and discuss its potential risks and benefits.