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Exploring Art Therapy in Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Combing art therapy with Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) can enhance the therapeutic process, offering a unique pathway to process and integrate the ketamine experience. At Inner Alchemy, we enjoy exploring art processing with clients who are interested in that option!

Benefits of Art Therapy in KAP

Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that accesses creativity and non-linear thinking processes to help individuals explore their feelings. Using art in KAP can be a complimentary option for several reasons:

  • Facilitating Expression: Art therapy provides a non-verbal outlets for emotions and expression. Because the ability to form thought into words can be altered while under the effects of ketamine, art can be a way to express without words.

  • Supporting Emotional Processing: KAP sessions can evoke complex emotions and experiences, often in dreamlike imagery or metaphor. Art can make it easier to integrate these insights in a creative way.

  • Visual Representation of Powerful Experience: Art can serve as a visual representation of a ketamine journey, helping to externalize and better understand the thoughts and feelings that may emerge from an ineffable experience. In the days and weeks after a session, it can be meaningful to have a visual reminder of the experience.

  • Present Moment Processing: Art and creative expression encourage present-moment awareness, which can be especially helpful during ketamine experiences. Ketamine can be a very fluid experience, moving from one sensation to the next. Art is also a present-moment, creative process that can flow with it.


Integrating Art Therapy with KAP

Art can be integrated with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy at various points in the process:

  • Pre-Treatment Sessions: Art therapy can be used in preparatory sessions to explore intentions and goals for the KAP experience.

  • During Ketamine Sessions: Patients can utilize art during the ketamine experience, especially on lighter doses or towards the end of a session.

  • Post-Treatment Reflection: Following KAP sessions, art therapy can support reflection and integration of the material that emerged during experience.


As many people notice when they walk through the doors of Inner Alchemy, art is very present and appreciated. Many walls display art created by our team, by clients, and by our local community. Much of the art is inspired by the work that is done in KAP sessions.


If you would like to explore the use of art therapy during your KAP sessions at Inner Alchemy, please let us know! We have a variety of art supplies and mediums available and are always amazed as what clients create from their sessions.


This beautiful piece was created from a KAP session at Inner Alchemy and shared with permission from the artist.
This beautiful piece was created from a KAP session at Inner Alchemy and shared with permission from the artist.


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