Ketamine Therapy in Berlin

I am happy to offer Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy in Berlin, as either a standalone treatment series or part of an ongoing therapeutic process in my practice. This exciting approach offers the possibility of working in altered states of consciousness, facilitating deeper processing, new insights, and shifts in perspective.

Originally a commonly used anaesthetic – with a complicated reputation due to its (also common) recreational misuse – ketamine has over the years earned its position as a powerful tool in the field of therapy. With research and clinical trials dating back to the 1970s, it has been repeatedly proven effective in treating depression, addictions, anxiety, PTSD, and more.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a medication first synthesized in 1962 by Calvin Stevens as a safer alternative to earlier anesthetics. Approved for medical use in 1970, it is known for its excellent safety profile, reliably allowing sedation with few side effects.

The WHO added ketamine to its List of Essential Medicines in 1985, highlighting its vital role in global healthcare. Psychiatric studies exploring its use in mental health began in the 1970s, but research gained momentum in the 1990s and 2000s, showing it can quickly help with conditions like depression, PTSD, and anxiety.

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work?

Ketamine is used in two different ways in mental health. One relies purely on its pharmacological effects on neurochemistry, offering rapid, short-term relief of depressive symptoms by blocking glutamate receptors in the brain. This use has become popular with the introduction of Spravato® nasal spray.

This isn’t what happens in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy.

Aside from its anaesthetic and antidepressant effects, ketamine – thanks to its dissociative properties – can be used to induce altered consciousness and psychedelic states of various intensities. It’s these experiences that can be harnessed in the therapy process to create lasting, meaningful change.

Depending on the dose and intensity of the effects, our work can be classified as psycholytic or psychedelic.

Psycholytic Approach

With this approach, the dose of ketamine is kept low. You will be fully conscious and able to communicate. However, your cognitive and emotional processing will be altered, certain blocks might be loosened, and new insights facilitated. This can help work through topics that might otherwise be difficult to discuss or where you might feel stuck. For patients with little or no experience with altered states, this might be a good way to start – to “dip your toes in,” familiarise yourself with the substance, and gain a feeling of safety. This approach can be maintained for the whole course of treatment, or we could move on to, or alternate with, the psychedelic approach.

Psychedelic Approach

This use of ketamine involves moderate to high subanesthetic doses of the medicine. It enables the induction of psychedelic states that might, in some cases, result in a deep, transformative experience. With this approach, you might at times not be fully conscious. I will stay with you the entire time, holding space as you go through the experience and available to talk when you wish (and are able) to.

According to research, treatment effectiveness correlates with dose and the intensity of the experience; however, very significant results can be achieved at any level, and you will always be able to decide how deep you feel ready to go prior to each infusion.

With either approach, after each session – ideally the day after – we will meet in my practice or online to discuss the experience and help you integrate it and the new insights into your life. This step is essential in the therapeutic process to ensure that what emerges from the ketamine session can be woven into your daily experience and translated into sustainable change.

How the Process Works

Prior to starting, you will be required to go through an assessment to rule out physical or mental health contraindications.
We will then hold 2–3 preparation sessions so that we can get to know each other and set goals and expectations for the process. These can be done in person or online.
All ketamine sessions are conducted in partnership with an experienced medical doctor who prescribes and administers the medicine and is present on site to monitor the session and ensure safety.
The sessions that involve ketamine administration last about 2–2.5 hours and are conducted in a cozy medical practice, offering a comfortable environment for the experience. You will be able to lie down comfortably, and the experience will be accompanied by carefully selected music.
I will help you prepare, stay with you throughout the medicine session, and afterward help you integrate the experience.
The treatment usually consists of a series of 6 ketamine sessions, once or twice per week, with an integration session after each. Especially for patients traveling from other locations to undergo Ketamine Therapy in Berlin, we will strive to condense the sessions to two per week to help with logistics. I offer the possibility of continuing ongoing therapy afterward.

Next Steps

If you are curious about Ketamine Therapy and would like to explore whether it may be right for you, please feel free to use the contact form below, call, or email for more information. I will be happy to schedule a free 15-minute call prior to booking the first appointment.

FAQs

Is this legal?

Yes, the treatment is fully legal. Ketamine is primarily an anesthetic, but off-label use in psychotherapy has been permitted in Germany for years (with practices emerging around 2017).

Are there any contraindications?

The main contraindications are pregnancy, history of psychosis, uncontrolled hypertension, or severe cardiovascular disease. In these cases, the treatment is considered potentially unsafe and will be denied. Certain other conditions may allow treatment with special care; this will be discussed during the initial screening.

What is the cost?

If paid privately, the cost is around €600 per ketamine session, so €3,600 for a course of 6 sessions. The cost of the assessment, preparation, and integration sessions must be added on top, resulting in a total cost of around €4,500.

Is the treatment covered by insurance?

The course of treatment is covered – in part or in full – by some private health insurance providers; please confirm directly with them. Otherwise, costs must be paid privately. Public insurance does not offer coverage at this time.