Integrative Ketamine Therapy
Our primary goal with this treatment option is to help people like you achieve a greater sense of vivacity: the sense that you feel well, lively, and fully connected to the world around you.
Ketamine was first developed in the 1960s and is a ‘dissociative’ prescription used for general anesthesia. In the 1990s it was discovered that subanesthetic doses could induce profound psychedelic experiences and evoke a gentle lifting of existential burdens. When people enter the dreamlike state ketamine offers, it can invoke awareness of a more whole self. The transformative power of ketamine is in part its ability to help with capacity to see the world differently. This is why ketamine tends to help with chronic conditions that have a repetitive nature.
The first step in determining if integrative ketamine therapy might be a good fit for you is to book a complementary discovery call using one of the links below. After a telehealth appointment with Vivacity Healthcare’s prescribing physician, you would then schedule to come in person for dosing sessions with the practitioner.
Psychotherapy Track
If the symptoms you would like to address center on mood or a sense of existential stagnation, our psychotherapy track is the pace to start.
Zach Rieck, LCSW
Psychotherapist in Private Practice
My therapeutic style is born from an acknowledgment of the vastness of the human experience and the sacredness of the individual within their ecosystem. I completed an intensive Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy training through Polaris, I’m certified in Integrative Harm Reduction Psychotherapy, and I was the clinical director of a ketamine therapy space for two years.
Bodywork Track
If you are seeking augmented acupuncture or bodywork for chronic pain conditions, the lower dosage bodywork track is the place to start.
Dr. Margie Navarro, LAc
Founder, Vivacity Healthcare
I practice Traditional East Asian Medicine to help people meet their wellness goals and live more vibrantly. Acupuncture works on a mind-body level and pairs well with ketamine therapy for a variety of concerns including chronic pain. After over a decade focusing on sports medicine, I completed a 2023 pilot study on acupuncture combined with psychedelic ketamine therapy. This groundbreaking research guided Vivacity’s integrative ketamine therapy options, the first of its kind with dovetailing tracks.
Psychotherapy Track FAQs
What sort of people might benefit and how does it help?
Over the past few years of deep work with clients utilizing ketamine, I’ve noticed the most profound growth for people undergoing major life transitions. Often they are feeling stuck in some emotional, relational, or spiritual process, which may have led to a diagnosis like depression.
Ketamine, in the right context, can act as a sort of psychic lubricant, allowing us to discover a “path to a path,” where things were previously feeling stale and rigid.
What if I already work with a therapist?
That’s great! The more support a person has, the more likely this process is to feel safe and therapeutic. We will want to make sure your therapist is on board with your participation in ketamine therapy. You and I will work together for a time-limited period, but the work will live on in your existing relationships. I’m happy to collaborate with your therapist in whatever way feels useful.
What does the typical course of treatment look like?
Everyone is different, and we will collaborate to develop a plan that suits you. We will start with a free 30-minute virtual ‘discovery call,’ where we can see if it feels like a good fit and how we might structure the process.
If we decide to proceed, you will meet virtually with Dr. Michael Pappas, who will do a thorough medical screening before prescribing your ketamine nasal spray.
I then offer pre-dosing sessions where I can learn more about you and how I can support you through the process. These might be covered by your insurance. Otherwise, I work on a sliding scale.
Clients often do three to six dosing sessions, at the pace of one session per week. These sessions typically last about two hours each. We can discuss whether you’d like to include offerings like live sound, acupuncture, and/or bodywork.
After your final dosing session, I offer follow-up (or “integration”) sessions which also may be covered by your insurance. If you aren’t already working with a therapist, it might make sense for us to continue our work together.
Are there any contraindications?
Ketamine is very safe when used in a contained environment with professional oversight. There are a few medical and psychiatric contraindications, which we will thoroughly screen for before our work together.
Bodywork Track FAQs
What sort of people might benefit and how does it help?
Based on my work designing and conducting a 2023 pilot study using acupuncture in conjunction with ketamine therapy, I’ve found that this combination can help people who are seeking treatment for conditions with both mental-emotional and physical aspects. It can be particularly helpful in making progress when someone feels they have reached a plateau using other modalities.
What does the typical course of treatment look like?
After medical clearance from the prescribing physician and receiving the ketamine nasal spray from the pharmacy, you can schedule your first dosing session. You’ll self-administer a low dose of nasal spray to facilitate the acupuncture session.
If desired, ketamine-assisted bodywork sessions can be scheduled in the second hour of a 2-hour ketamine-assisted psychotherapy session, or completely separately. Preparation and integration psychotherapy (not using ketamine) are also available if desired.
How is this different from other acupuncture or bodywork experiences?
Vvacity Healthcare is the first to offer this unique ketamine-assisted bodywork treatment. It is based on our team’s extensive experience in holistic psychedelic medicine and the pilot study on feasibility and patient experience using this customized approach.
Medical Intake
with Prescribing Physician- A telehealth session with Dr. Michael Pappas provides medical clearance for the ketamine prescription for either the psychotherapy and bodywork track, or a custom combination of both.
- The cost of the ketamine nasal spray is then paid directly to the pharmacy (starting at $70).
Psychotherapy Session
Dosing Session with Zach Rieck- In-person sessions on the psychotherapy track with Zach Rieck are two hours with options for sound meditation and bodywork during the second hour.
- Preparatory and integration sessions with Zach Rieck are covered by insurance and in-network with Aetna, and Cigna.
Bodywork Session
Dosing Session with Dr. Margie Navarro- In-person ketamne-assisted acupuncture sessions with Dr. Margie Navarro may be covered by insurance.
- We will verify your insurance coverage prior to your complementary discovery call with the treating practitioner so that the details and cost of your treatment plan can be reviewed at that time.