Ketamine-Assisted EMDR for Perinatal Trauma & Anxiety

A gentle, evidence-informed option for deeper healing

Some moments in the perinatal journey leave an imprint that standard therapy alone can’t always reach: traumatic births, NICU experiences, pregnancy loss, medical trauma, high-risk pregnancies, infertility, or persistent postpartum anxiety.

Ketamine-Assisted EMDR offers a compassionate, structured way to access stuck material, soften fear responses, and create emotional space for real healing. This modality pairs low, psychoanalytic doses of sublingual ketamine (not psychedelic or dissociative doses) with the precision and safety of EMDR therapy.

This approach is not about bypassing your emotions, it’s about gently widening your window of tolerance so your system can process what has felt too overwhelming to touch.

BOOK A CONSULTATION

How Ketamine + EMDR Work Together

Why ketamine helps

At low psychoanalytic doses, ketamine can:

  • Reduce fear and hyperarousal

  • Loosen rigid, trauma-locked neural pathways

  • Increase emotional flexibility and self-compassion

  • Support access to insight without losing control

You remain conscious, grounded, and able to engage in EMDR — just with softened barriers and increased internal spaciousness.

What a Session Looks Like (90 Minutes)

1. Preparation (10–15 minutes)

We review your intentions, ensure safety, and settle your body. You’ll take a sublingual ketamine dose provided by a trusted, medically trained ketamine provider I refer you to.

2. Softening Phase (10 minutes)

As the medicine gently begins to take effect, we ground, orient, and assess your readiness for EMDR.

3. EMDR Processing (45–55 minutes)

Using bilateral stimulation (audio, tactile, or both), we work with a specific memory or emotional block. The ketamine often helps reduce emotional reactivity and allows processing to move more smoothly and deeply.

4. Integration (10–15 minutes)

We close the experience thoughtfully — making sense of insights, identifying shifts, and anchoring safety. You’ll receive grounding practices and post-session care instructions.

Wildflowers and grasses on a misty meadow

Who This Approach Can Help

This modality may support you if you’re navigating:

  • Traumatic or medically complex births

  • C-section trauma, anesthesia complications, or feeling unheard in labor

  • NICU experiences

  • Pregnancy or infant loss

  • History of a high-risk pregnancy or chronic medical anxiety

  • Fertility trauma

  • Postpartum depression, anxiety, or OCD

  • Persistent guilt, shame, or fear after birth

If you’re unsure whether this is right for you, we’ll explore your history, medical eligibility, and goals together.

Safety Is Central

  • You are medically evaluated by a ketamine-trained medical provider I collaborate with.

  • You remain fully awake and in control.

  • Doses are low and specifically chosen for therapeutic processing, not psychedelic exploration.

  • You’re monitored throughout the entire 90-minute session.

  • We prioritize grounding, consent, and emotional pacing.

My Approach

As a LCSW, PMH-C with advanced training in perinatal trauma and IADC grief work, I integrate:

  • EMDR

  • Parts work

  • Somatic grounding

  • Attachment-based support

Your healing is held with compassion, cultural sensitivity, and a deep understanding of perinatal transitions.

Session Structure & Investment

Ketamine-assisted EMDR is offered in structured formats to ensure safety, containment, and meaningful therapeutic progress. Because this modality combines extended EMDR, medication support, and medical coordination, sessions are more comprehensive than standard therapy and are designed with perinatal trauma in mind.

Three-Session Ketamine + EMDR Package

A focused, therapeutic series created to help you move through one significant trauma memory, medical experience, or emotional block with stability and support.

This package includes:

  • A comprehensive preparation session

  • Three 90-minute ketamine-assisted EMDR sessions

  • Integration and grounding after each session

  • Ongoing coordination with your ketamine-prescribing medical provider

Most clients experience their most meaningful shifts within this 3-session structure.

Add-On for EMDR Intensives: Ketamine-Assisted Processing

For clients participating in a weekend EMDR Intensive, you may choose to incorporate two ketamine-assisted EMDR sessions within the intensive container. This add-on supports deeper access to trauma material and can accelerate emotional resolution.

This add-on includes:

  • Two 90-minute ketamine-assisted EMDR sessions folded into your intensive

  • Trauma-specific preparation for working with ketamine

  • Integration support across the intensive weekend

  • Coordination with your ketamine-trained medical provider

Medical Costs

Medical evaluation and the ketamine prescription are paid directly to your prescribing medical provider.
These costs are intentionally separate so that your medical care and your therapy remain clearly defined and safely distinct.

BOOK A CONSULTATION

Ketamine+EMDR FAQ

  • I offer two structured options to ensure safety, stability, and meaningful progress:

    Three-Session Ketamine + EMDR Package — $1,350
    Includes:

    • A comprehensive preparation session

    • Three 90-minute ketamine-assisted EMDR sessions

    • Integration support after each session

    • Coordination with your medical provider

    Add-On for EMDR Intensives — $900
    Includes:

    • Two ketamine-assisted EMDR sessions folded into your weekend intensive

    • Ketamine-specific prep

    • Integration support

    • Coordination with your ketamine-prescribing provider

    Medical Costs:
    The medical evaluation and the ketamine prescription itself are paid directly to your prescribing medical provider and are not included in my fees. This keeps therapy and medical care clearly and safely separate.

  • Because research on ketamine use in pregnancy is extremely limited, ketamine-assisted EMDR is not recommended during pregnancy.
    If you’re pregnant, we can continue EMDR, somatic work, and parts work without medication support.

  • Current evidence suggests ketamine appears in breastmilk in very small amounts and clears quickly. Many medical providers consider occasional, low-dose use likely compatible with breastfeeding.

    You may choose to:

    • Continue nursing without interruption

    • Pump and save milk beforehand

    • Pause breastfeeding for 6–12 hours after dosing (based on comfort)

    We’ll talk through what feels right for you.

  • This work uses a two-provider model for safety:

    • A ketamine-trained medical provider handles the evaluation and prescription.

    • I provide trauma processing, EMDR, and integration during your dosing session.

    Keeping these roles distinct ensures the highest ethical, medical, and therapeutic standards.

  • At the low, psychoanalytic doses used in this work, you stay aware, conversational, and grounded. Clients often describe feeling “softer,” “more open,” or “less defended,” not out of control.

    You will need:

    • A calm rest-of-day

    • No driving

    • Light support if caring for little ones

    Most parents feel steady enough for gentle tasks after their session.

  • It’s recommended (not required) to have someone available that afternoon or evening, especially if you’re caring for infants or toddlers. Many clients plan for childcare just to give themselves space to rest.

  • Your ketamine-trained medical provider will:

    • Complete a medical evaluation

    • Determine if ketamine is safe for you

    • Prescribe a low-dose sublingual ketamine lozenge

    • Provide dosing and safety instructions

    • Be available for medical questions

    I coordinate with them to ensure your therapeutic work is supported and safe.

  • Most clients experience meaningful change within the three-session structure.


    For intensives, the two-session add-on often deepens and accelerates trauma resolution.

  • Ketamine may not be appropriate if you have:

    • Certain blood pressure or cardiac conditions

    • Active psychosis

    • Untreated bipolar mania

    • Significant dissociation

    • Certain medication interactions

    Your medical provider will screen for all safety considerations.