July 2024

I'm Back! 

When I was on leave for much of 2023 and the start of 2024 due to having Long Covid I was afraid. I had Long Covid Brain Fog and anxiety which increased as time progressed and I wasn't seeing the changes I wanted to see. I was seeing my PCP, a neurologist, a pulmonologist, and mental health care providers and I spent a great deal of time and energy on my recovery. 

I believe that KAP really helped me gain the insight and clarity I desired. It was difficult at times because I was torn between two ways to live my life. The way I was doing it... I was living with my wife where I had a lot of love, safety, and security built in but at the cost of my being away from and missing out on what my heart was aching for. 

I had an internal struggle that I was aware of for several months and while processing this, I realized that I was actually in a full-on tug of war with myself for years. When I took my first job out of grad school, I moved away from my friends and family when I accepted the position with a promise to myself that I would come home in a few years when I had enough supervision to take the board exam. 

In 2014 I reached that goal and started planning to head home and two things happened. First, my (to be) wife began pursuing dating me and I thought that was worth sticking around for and I was assaulted at work. I had a TBI and for 10 months I was unable to work, was heavily involved with L&I, and had many medical appointments. 

At this time, I almost went home. My elderly dad wanted me to move to his house so he could take care of me. I didn't think that would be fair to him and my (to-be) wife and social work co-workers offered to help me get through my recovery... and boy! They did. I was super grateful. And I stayed.

By then my relationship became serious and while I felt very drawn to going home, I made a deal with my wife to stay with her and her kids until her youngest kid was 18. Then we would go to Oregon to be with mine. So, I stayed.

Of course, life happens and it just isn't possible for her to leave WA now and we don't know when. She became aware of this years ago when her oldest turned 18 and then her middle kiddo turned 18... that is not some magic number that makes kids ready to be adults. My wife communicated that she couldn't leave. And I stayed.

I knew a long time ago that I was unhappy and I missed my family terribly. I ignored, I rationalized, I isolated, I shut down, and shoved away my feelings. After all, most people I know my age do not live near their families. Kids grow up and do their own lives and sometimes they move away. I tried to accept it. 

I was miserable thinking about staying in WA and I was miserable thinking about going back home to OR. I needed a change and things got worse for me the longer I lingered in this emotional mess. KAP helped me have the breakthrough I needed. 

I felt an incredible sense of love and belonging the very first time I tried ketamine. I had an overwhelming feeling that everything would be okay. It became clear that I wanted to go home to Oregon. It became clear that I did not want to damage my relationships. It became clear that now was the time to act. From the very moment I made the decision to move I felt 100% better. My wife said I changed. 

So, today I write this blog from my apartment in Oregon. I have two roommates, my 10-year-old pup, and Sunshine, my 3-year-old canary. I am a close drive to my kids, grandkids, and brother as well as my nephew and his wife and kids. My wife and I watch TV together at night on speakerphone and we are taking things as they come. 

I have been licensed in WA for 10 years and I am maintaining that license and will continue seeing my current clients. I have a new Oregon License and I am super excited to be able to offer services to clients living in either state. I have been devouring the most delicious training and am excited about building my business by including KAP.

I have been very interested in psychedelic psychotherapy for a few years now. My curiosity did what it typically does, leading me into a wonderful new adventure. Below my post, I have included Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) 101 for anyone interested. 

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) 101

What is Journey Clinical?

● Journey Clinical is a platform for licensed psychotherapists to incorporate science-based psychedelic therapies in their practice safely and effectively, starting with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on patient eligibility, prescriptions, and outcome monitoring, while I take on the therapy. Their collaborative care model is designed to deliver personalized treatment plans to meet your individual needs and improve long-term outcomes.

I offer a therapeutic modality called Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) in partnership with an organization called Journey Clinical.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. I take on the psychotherapy portion of the experience, while Journey Clinical’s medical team supports you on all medical aspects. This includes determining eligibility, developing a custom treatment plan, prescribing the medicine, and monitoring outcomes. Below is more information about KAP to help you navigate if it may be a good fit for you.

What is Ketamine?

● Ketamine is a legal, safe, and effective medicine used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Ketamine has rapidly-acting antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects, which can begin to take effect within 1-2 hrs. after treatment and last for up to 2 weeks. It works by blocking the brain’s NMDA receptors and stimulating AMPA receptors, which are thought to help form new synaptic connections and boost neural circuits that regulate stress and mood. Ketamine has also been shown to enhance overall neuroplasticity for lasting symptom improvement.

● Ketamine can be administered in a variety of ways, including IV infusion, intramuscular injection, via nasal spray, and using sublingual lozenges. In my work with Journey Clinical, we only use the sublingual lozenge form.

How Does Ketamine Feel?

● The effects of ketamine, which most patients find pleasant, last for approximately 45 minutes. These effects can make you feel “far from” your body, and facilitate shifts in perception that can often feel expansive in nature. Your motor and verbal abilities will be reduced, so you’ll be lying down in a comfortable position during the experience. Once these effects subsided, we’ll spend the remainder of our appointment giving you space to process and discuss your experience. While it may feel hard to articulate what happened during the experience, patients feel like the insights gained are nonetheless clear. Studies have shown that the benefits to mood and neurological growth can last up to two weeks after the Ketamine experience.

How Does Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Work?

1. InitialconsultationwithJourneyClinical

• ●  You schedule an initial evaluation with a clinician from the Journey Clinical medical team via Zoom. They will go over your medical and psychiatric history with you, provide education on the treatment, and determine if you are eligible for KAP.

• ●  If Journey Clinical’s medical team determines that you are eligible for KAP, they will develop a personalized Ketamine prescription and outcome monitoring plan for you.●  Journey Clinical’s medical staff will write a ketamine prescription for you, and a small amount of oral ketamine will be sent to your home, enough for the first 2 KAP sessions. You will be taught to take your vitals and self-administer the ketamine lozenges by Journey Clinical’s medical team in advance of our KAP sessions

2. Preparation sessions:

● Once you receive your ketamine lozenges, we will schedule time for our KAP preparation, dosing, and integration sessions. Preparation session(s) will be scheduled just like regular therapy sessions before the KAP dosing session. The goal of a preparation session(s) is to align on the process and set intentions for our KAP sessions together.

3. KAP DosingSession:

• ●  A typical ketamine dosing session lasts between 1-2 hours and can take place either in-person at my office, or remotely via telehealth.

●  During a dosing session, you will self-administer your ketamine lozenge in your home. You will be in a comfortable, reclining position wearing an eye mask and listening to calming music. Although a KAP dosing session may be largely an internal experience, I will be present with you the entire time to hold space and provide support as needed.

4. IntegrationSessions:

● After our KAP dosing session, we will meet for multiple integration therapy sessions to review the memories, thoughts & insights that arose during your dosing session, and to prepare for the next dosing session.

5. Follow-upconsultationswithJourneyClinical:

● After our first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules regular follow-ups with you to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow-ups depends on your unique treatment plan, at a minimum of once per quarter.

Follow-up Consultations with Journey Clinical :

● After our first KAP session, Journey Clinical’s medical team schedules regular follow-ups with you to monitor outcomes and prescribe ketamine lozenge refills, as appropriate. The frequency of follow-ups depends on your unique treatment plan, at a minimum of once per quarter.

What is the Cost of Treatment?

● Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy is an affordable, accessible modality. Although the medical intake and follow-ups are not covered by insurance, they are eligible for out-of-network reimbursement.

○ Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

■ My typical hourly rate is $155/hr

○ Journey Clinical Medical Costs

• First-time patients

  • ●  Initial medical consultation with Journey Clinical: $250

  • ●  Cost of medication: $88 (enough for 2 sessions)

• Ongoing treatment

  • ●  Follow-up medical consultation with Journey Clinical $150

    (at least 1X per quarter)

  • ●  Cost of medication: $148 (enough for up to 6 sessions)

    How Do I Sign Up?

● If you would like to explore the possibility of working with me on KAP, please call me at 425-521-6518 or e-mail me at mattiazz35@gmail.com to discuss eligibility and the next steps.