Ketamine-Assisted Therapy vs. EMDR Intensives: Which One Is Right for You?

May 19

Ketamine-Assisted Therapy vs. EMDR Intensives: Which One Is Right for You?

When you’ve tried traditional therapy but still feel stuck, disconnected, or overwhelmed by unresolved trauma, it can be hard to know where to go next.

Maybe you’ve heard about EMDR. Maybe someone recommended ketamine therapy. Or maybe you’ve seen both mentioned and now you’re wondering:

“Which one is right for me?”

As a trauma therapist in Oakland CA who offers both EMDR Intensives and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)—and blends EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS) into my ketamine work—I can tell you: these are powerful options, and they serve different needs.

There’s also a middle path that doesn’t get talked about enough: psycholytic ketamine therapy, a hybrid approach that brings together the best of psychedelic and trauma work.

Let’s break it down.

A Quick Overview of Each Option

EMDR Intensives

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they no longer hijack your nervous system. Intensives condense months of therapy into a focused a 3 day experience for deeper and faster results. This is done in person in my office in Oakland.

Best for:

People who want to work through specific trauma memories
Those who don’t have time for a weekly therapy commitment, or feel like weekly therapy is moving too slowly.
Clients who want a structured, condensed, and focused process
Those who feel stuck in their healing, despite trying numerous approaches

For more information about EMDR Intensives, click here.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

KAP combines ketamine with trauma-informed therapy. This takes place over 6-8 sessions, with an integration session within 3 days of that dosing session. The entire course of treatment typically takes around 3-4 months of bimonthly dosing sessions. This is done in person in my office in Oakland.

In my work, KAP includes EMDR and IFS to help you explore parts of yourself that feel stuck, scared, disconnected, or shut down. In the dosing session, you are inward with your experience, but we engage in active therapy immediately following the experience and in the subsequent integration sessions. Ketamine quiets the inner critic and softens defenses, allowing buried emotions and insights to emerge.

Best for:

Folks stuck in survival mode, numbness, or disconnection.
People who’ve done years of therapy but still feel like something’s missing
Those who feel like they’ve intellectualized their trauma but can’t feel it
People who’ve outgrown talk therapy and are looking for a spiritual or intuitive approach
Those who dissociate, or immediately shut down in traditional therapy

For more information about Ketamine Assisted Therapy in Oakland, click here.

Psycholytic Ketamine Therapy (The Middle Path)

This approach uses a lower dose of ketamine to keep you engaged and present during the session—while also loosening emotional defenses. We integrate IFS and EMDR tools in real time with Ketamine, helping you stay connected to your experience and supported by a trained therapist throughout.

This is done in 2 and a half-hour sessions, in person in Oakland or virtually for California residents. The typical course of treatment ranges from 1-6 sessions, depending on what you are looking to work on.

Best for:

Clients who want to feel more without being overwhelmed
People afraid of “letting go” completely in a psychedelic state
Anyone craving an emotionally connected, in-the-moment therapy process with enhanced access to their inner world
Those who are looking to work on specific treatment issues or memories in a concentrated, focused way with enhancement from Ketamine to open emotional access.

Which Should I Choose?

Go with an EMDR Intensive if you’re craving a structured, focused approach to trauma healing. You don’t need to have clear memories or emotional access—just a willingness to explore. This option works well if you’re ready to go deep, want to process specific events or patterns, or feel like weekly therapy is moving too slowly. It’s also great for those navigating a big life transition and wanting to clear out old baggage quickly.

Choose Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (blended with EMDR and IFS) if you feel stuck in survival mode, emotionally numb, or disconnected from your body. This is especially helpful for people who’ve done years of therapy but still feel like something hasn’t landed. It allows you to access deeper emotions, loosen long-held defenses, and connect with parts of yourself that traditional talk therapy often can’t reach.

Consider Psycholytic Ketamine Therapy if you want the emotional access that ketamine offers—but also want to stay present and connected with your therapist during the session. It’s a middle path that allows you to talk, feel, and process while under the influence of ketamine. This can be especially powerful if you’re scared of “letting go” in a full-dose KAP session or want to do deeper parts work in the moment.

What to Expect After Each

After an EMDR Intensive:
You might feel lighter, clearer, or even a little raw. Many clients report a sense of emotional release or relief—like something heavy has finally moved. It's also normal to feel mentally or physically fatigued for a day or two as your brain continues to process. Sometimes insights keep unfolding in the days after, like puzzle pieces clicking into place. Integration happens naturally, but we’ll also give you tools to support that process consciously.

After Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (with EMDR + IFS):
You may leave the session with a mix of clarity, emotional openness, and lingering imagery or sensations. It’s common to access buried emotions or parts of yourself that have been long exiled. While the session itself may feel dreamy or expansive, the real power often lies in the integration work that follows—where we help you make meaning of what emerged and translate it into real-life healing.

After Psycholytic Ketamine Therapy:
Because you stay emotionally and relationally engaged during the session, you may experience tangible shifts—like a part finally feeling seen, a breakthrough in self-compassion, or a surprising release of grief. You might also feel tired or tender afterward, especially if big emotions moved through you. That’s not a sign anything went wrong—it’s a sign your system is actually processing. Integration tends to feel more immediate here because the work is already happening in real time.

Final Thoughts: You’re Not Stuck

There’s no one-size-fits-all path to healing. These approaches meet different needs—but the right choice depends on where you are in your process and how your nervous system is functioning.

Sometimes, clients begin with ketamine to access emotion—then shift into EMDR when they’re ready to process memories more directly. Others start with EMDR and layer in ketamine when things feel blocked or overwhelming.

Whatever you choose, you are not broken. These are just different doorways into the deeper healing you deserve.

Not sure where to start?
Let’s figure it out together.

👉 Book a free 20-minute consultation.
We'll talk about where you’re at, what you’re needing, and which option might offer the relief, insight, or transformation you’re craving.