Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Petaluma, CA: What It Actually Is, Who It Helps, and What to Expect

If you've been living with depression, anxiety, or PTSD that hasn't responded to medication or traditional therapy, you've probably done some searching. Maybe you've come across the term "ketamine therapy" and felt equal parts curious and uncertain.

As the only dedicated Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) practice in Sonoma County., we work with people throughout Petaluma, Santa Rosa, and the broader North Bay who are looking for something more than symptom management — people who want real, lasting change.

First: What Makes Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Different From a Ketamine Infusion?

This is the most important distinction, and it gets glossed over constantly.

You may have heard about ketamine clinics offering IV infusions — often a series of six sessions over a few weeks, focused primarily on the pharmacological effects of the drug. Many people find relief this way. But it's not the same thing as what we do.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy pairs the medicine with trained, licensed therapists who are present with you throughout the experience. The goal isn't just symptom relief — it's transformation.

Here's why that matters:

Ketamine works in part by temporarily increasing neuroplasticity — your brain's capacity to form new connections and let go of old, rigid patterns. Research presented at the 2025 American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting described this as a unique "therapeutic window," a period during and after the medicine session when the brain is measurably more open to new perspectives, emotional processing, and insight.

In a standard infusion clinic, that window often goes largely unguided. In a KAP session, a skilled therapist is right there with you, helping you move through whatever arises — old trauma, stuck emotions, entrenched thought patterns — so that the neurological opening translates into actual psychological change.

A 2025 systematic review published in Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry analyzed eight studies covering 421 participants and found significant reductions in depressive symptoms with KAP — with preliminary evidence that it also addresses comorbid PTSD and anxiety. Separate research found that KAP may outperform ketamine alone for treatment-resistant depression, with longer-lasting results.

The medicine opens the door. The therapy helps you walk through it.

Who Is a Good Candidate?

KAP isn't for everyone, and we'll always be honest with you about whether it's the right fit. But it tends to be especially meaningful for people who:

Have tried other treatments without lasting relief. This includes people who've cycled through multiple antidepressants, spent years in traditional talk therapy, or tried every wellness approach they can find — and still feel stuck.

Are dealing with depression, anxiety, PTSD, or trauma. These are the conditions with the strongest evidence base for KAP. If your suffering has a history behind it — grief, relational trauma, complex PTSD, or major depressive episodes — KAP has particular relevance.

Are ready to do real work. Ketamine isn't a shortcut. It's a catalyst. The people who get the most from it come prepared to engage — before, during, and after the medicine sessions.

Want to treat the whole person. If you've always felt that standard psychiatry was missing something — the emotional, the spiritual, the somatic — KAP within an integrative framework tends to feel much more resonant.

What Actually Happens at Temenos

We think it helps to demystify the process completely, so here it is, step by step.

1. Free Consultation

A brief phone call — no pressure, no commitment — where we learn about your history and you learn about us. We'll be honest about whether KAP seems like a good fit before you invest any further.

2. Medical and Psychosocial Assessment

If you decide to proceed, you'll meet with our physician and a psychotherapist for a thorough assessment of your medical history, mental health background, and treatment goals. This is where your care plan is built. It's also where any medical contraindications are screened for — we take safety seriously.

3. Preparation Sessions

Before any medicine is introduced, you'll work with your therapist to establish trust, clarify your intentions, and learn how to navigate an altered state. This groundwork is not optional — it's central to outcomes.

4. The Medicine Session

Sessions typically last three hours. A licensed therapist is with you the entire time. We use sublingual ketamine lozenges, beginning with a low dose and adjusting based on your response. You'll likely experience a gentle dissociative state — a softening of the usual defenses, a loosening of habitual thought patterns — during which your therapist helps guide the experience.

5. Integration

This is where the real work happens. In sessions following the medicine experience, you and your therapist explore what arose, what it means, and how to translate insight into daily life. Integration is what makes the effects last.

Why Petaluma — and Why Temenos

The North Bay has a particular need for this kind of care. Sonoma County has faced compounding stressors over the past decade — wildfires, the pandemic, housing instability, and the quiet chronic grief many people carry without naming it. Mental health resources here have historically not kept pace with that need.

Temenos was built for this community. Our founder, Dr. Jenny Palmiotto, was born and raised in Santa Rosa. Our team includes practitioners with decades of experience in the specific challenges this region faces — including trauma from environmental disasters, neurodiversity, and the complexities of rural and semi-rural mental health access.

Our clinical team holds a depth of training that's rare even among KAP providers nationally. Multiple team members are graduates of the CIIS Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies and Research (CPTR) program — one of the most rigorous training pathways in the field. Our psychiatric nurse practitioner helped launch and maintain the Kaiser Permanente Ketamine Clinic in San Francisco. Our clinical psychologist brings over 30 years of trauma-informed practice. Our physician has trained in integrative medicine, mindfulness, and somatic healing alongside formal psychiatric credentials.

This isn't a ketamine clinic that added a therapist. It's a psychotherapy practice built around the medicine — and that distinction runs through everything we do.

Common Questions We Hear

• Is it legal? Yes. Ketamine is FDA-approved and has been used safely in medical settings since 1970. It is the only legal psychedelic medicine currently available for psychotherapeutic use in the United States.

• Will I feel out of control? Most people describe the experience as a gentle loosening — not a loss of self, but a softening of the usual mental noise. You remain in our care throughout the entire session. Many clients tell us it's far less intense than they expected.

• How many sessions does it take? This varies by person and by what you're working through. We'll give you an honest picture during your assessment. Most people begin with a series of medicine sessions supported by preparation and integration work.

• Does insurance cover it? KAP is not typically covered by insurance in its full form. We're transparent about fees from the start and happy to discuss what investment looks like for your specific situation.

• What if I've tried ketamine infusions before and didn't notice lasting results? This is actually one of the most common reasons people come to us. The infusions may have provided temporary relief without the integration needed to make it stick. The psychotherapy component is often what changes the long-term trajectory.

A Note on What We Believe

We chose the name Temenos — an ancient Greek word for "sacred space" — because we believe healing requires a particular kind of container. Not clinical. Not rushed. Not transactional.

What we've seen, again and again, is that people don't just need their symptoms treated. They need to be met — fully, with the complexity and history they carry — and supported in finding their own way forward. Ketamine, used wisely and within a thoughtful therapeutic framework, can be the opening that makes that possible.

If you're in Petaluma, Santa Rosa, or anywhere in Sonoma or Marin County and you've been wondering whether this could be right for you, we'd be glad to talk.

Ready to take the first step? Book a free consultation at temenos.center or call us at 707-992-5015.

Temenos Center for Integrative Psychology | 135 Keller Street, Suite C, Petaluma, CA 94952

This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. KAP involves medical screening and is not appropriate for everyone. Please consult with a qualified clinician to determine whether ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is right for you.