Ketamine Therapy in Oakland & The San Francisco Bay Area

Offering both traditional Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and an innovative approach that combines ketamine with EMDR therapy.

Ketamine-Assisted EMDR (or KA EMDR for short) combines the therapeutic effects of ketamine with the evidence-based power of EMDR therapy. Together, they can help you access and process trauma in a way that may feel more manageable, especially if you've felt stuck in traditional therapy or have struggled to reach the deeper roots of your experiences.

Mary Fleisch LCSW; Oakland Ketamine trauma intensive and EMDR Retreat Therapist
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What is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy?

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines the neuroplasticity-enhancing effects of ketamine with the support and guidance of a trained therapist.

Unlike ketamine clinics that focus primarily on medication administration, KAP uses the ketamine experience as part of a larger therapeutic process designed to support healing from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

Ketamine can help reduce the intensity of protective responses and create greater access to emotions, memories, and experiences that may feel difficult to fully access in traditional therapy alone. Many clients describe feeling less overwhelmed, more connected to themselves, and better able to engage with difficult material during and after treatment.

In my practice, I often combine ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with EMDR therapy, an evidence-based approach for processing and healing trauma.

I use this approach because ketamine and EMDR can complement one another in powerful ways. Ketamine may help create the conditions for deeper emotional access and increased neuroplasticity, while EMDR provides a structured framework for helping the brain process and integrate traumatic experiences. Together, they can help clients move through patterns that have felt stuck for years and create lasting change that extends beyond symptom relief.

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Hi, I’m Mary (she/her)

Mary Fleisch ketamine assisted therapy Oakland
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I am a licensed therapist, Certified EMDR Therapist, trained Ketamine Assisted Therapy Provider, and EMDRIA-approved consultant in Oakland, CA.
I offer ketamine therapy in Oakland in collaboration with a licensed medical prescriber, with preparation and integration therapy built in.

My approach is integrative and intentional, combining ketamine therapy with IFS-informed EMDR to support deeper, more lasting trauma processing.


My clients walk away from a ketamine intensive with me feeling more deeply connected in their relationships, more confident, and with a better ability to flow through difficult emotions with ease.

The Key Benefits of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy

(According to research studies)

Ketamine Therapy for Deeper Emotional Healing


Ketamine creates a unique brain state that makes it easier to access and process unresolved trauma. Studies show that when combined with psychotherapy, ketamine allows people to move through emotional blocks that often feel unreachable in traditional talk therapy. In one large multi-site study, clients experienced significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms when therapy was included. (Dore et al., 2019)

Increase Emotional Resilience and Flexibility

Ketamine promotes neuroplasticity, your brain’s ability to form new connections. This increased flexibility helps you adapt to stress more easily and shift out of survival patterns that once kept you stuck. A systematic review highlights that this neurological reset is one of the main reasons ketamine-assisted therapy supports deeper emotional change. (Drozdz et al., 2022)

Promote Positive Behavioral Changes

By interrupting old loops of fear, shame, or self-criticism, ketamine creates an opportunity for new perspectives and healthier emotional responses. Clients in a large multi-clinic outcomes study reported sustained improvements in depression, anxiety, and PTSD for up to six months after treatment. (Yermus et al., 2024)

Safe and Supported Healing Environment

In Ketamine-Assisted Therapy, you’re not navigating this alone. Sessions happen in a safe, therapeutic setting with an experienced therapist who helps you prepare beforehand and integrate afterward. Research shows this therapeutic support is what transforms ketamine from a temporary relief into lasting healing. (Drozdz et al., 2022)

Why Ketamine Therapy Can Feel Faster Than Weekly Therapy

Unlike the slower pace of weekly talk therapy, ketamine can create noticeable shifts in just a few sessions. Clients often describe a sense of relief, calm, and clarity, even when other treatments haven’t worked. These rapid changes are supported by research showing ketamine’s unique ability to quiet fear responses and open a window for deep therapeutic processing. (Dore et al., 2019)

Ketamine Therapy for Trauma + PTSD Symptoms

Ketamine-Assisted Therapy has been shown to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories and relieve persistent symptoms of PTSD, complex trauma, and treatment-resistant depression. In real-world clinical studies, many clients reported feeling more emotionally settled and less overwhelmed by triggers after treatment. (Yermus et al., 2024)

How Does Ketamine Therapy Work?

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Initial Consultation

We start with a free 20-minute video or phone consultation to discuss your goals, trauma history, and any questions you may have. This helps us determine if Ketamine Therapy is the right fit for your healing journey.

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Consultation With A Medical Prescriber

Before beginning Ketamine therapy, you'll have a consultation with a medical prescriber to assess your suitability for treatment. This meeting ensures that ketamine therapy is a safe and appropriate option for you based on your medical history and current health status. The prescriber will answer any questions you may have and work with you to create a personalized treatment plan that aligns with your goals.

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90 Min Preparation Session

We’ll prepare you for your Ketamine dosing sessions, discussing expectations and the therapeutic process to ensure you feel informed and comfortable.

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Ketamine Meditation Sessions

In my Oakland office, you’ll receive a dose of Ketamine in a controlled, comfortable environment. You’ll relax and allow the therapy to guide you through emotional material, with your therapist supporting you every step of the way. If you’re in the East Bay and looking for ketamine therapy near you, this is designed to feel private, grounded, and supportive, not clinical.

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50 Minute Integration Session

After each dosing session, we’ll work together to process your experience and integrate any insights you gained. This is an essential part of the therapy, ensuring the benefits are carried into your daily life.

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Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy

While some clients choose to continue ketamine meditation sessions in office, most clients transition to at-home self-guided meditation sessions with therapy sessions done in office with a low dose of Ketamine paired with EMDR once they feel comfortable with the medicine.

  • Ketamine assisted EMDR therapy, also described as KA EMDR for short, involves taking a low dose of ketamine combined with active EMDR Therapy

  • Often more budget-friendly than standard clinic models

  • This allows for faster, deeper processing of the memories and experiences that feel stuck than traditional KAP treatment

Together, we will customize a treatment plan tailored to your unique healing goals. We will take a flexible approach to customize the frequency of treatment based on recommendations from your prescriber and your personal preference.

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Is Ketamine-Assisted Therapy or Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy Right for You?

Ketamine Therapy is ideal for those struggling with:

  • Complex trauma, childhood trauma, or unresolved emotional wounds

  • PTSD, depression, and anxiety

  • Emotional numbness, dissociation, or a sense of being “stuck.”

  • Persistent negative thought patterns, self-criticism, or self-limiting beliefs

  • Feeling easily overwhelmed in traditional therapy when processing difficult emotions or memories

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The Science Behind Ketamine-Assisted Therapy and Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy

Ketamine has been extensively studied and is known to have rapid effects on both the brain’s neural circuits and emotional regulation. It helps reset neural pathways, encouraging the brain to reorganize and respond differently to trauma, stress, and negative thought patterns. This powerful effect helps reduce symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression, and more.

By fostering neuroplasticity, Ketamine encourages new ways of thinking, feeling, and responding, which is why it’s such a valuable tool in trauma therapy. Its use in psychological healing is supported by decades of research, with promising results in treating trauma-related conditions.

When ketamine is paired with active EMDR therapy, the benefits of both approaches can be amplified. Ketamine can help reduce the emotional intensity and protective barriers that often make trauma difficult to access, while EMDR provides a structured, evidence-based approach for reprocessing and healing traumatic memories.

Ready to Experience Ketamine Therapy or Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy?

Schedule your free 20-minute consultation today to learn more about how this unique, science-backed therapy can help you feel better faster and more deeply.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • This will vary based on the length of your treatment and whether you elect for self-guided at-home ketamine meditation sessions.

    The Psychotherapy cost:

    90-minute intake: $450

    ketamine meditation sessions are billed at $900/ 3 hours

    integration sessions following the meditation sessions, billed at $250/ 50 minutes


    Most clients choose 1–3 ketamine meditation sessions, then transition to at-home meditation sessions alongside in-office low-dose ketamine + EMDR sessions.

    Ketamine + EMDR sessions are 2 hours, billed at $600, and do not require a separate integration session.


    Medical treatment cost:

    I work with a separate medical prescriber who you will pay directly for your medical consultation and the ketamine lozenges. Cost varies depending on the provider selected.

  • You will be given a superbill for all direct therapy contact hours. Depending on your insurance, you may be eligible for out-of-network reimbursement.

    Some insurance plans do provide coverage for the medical costs. You can discuss this with the prescriber and your insurance plan directly.

  • Yes, Ketamine is FDA-approved and administered in a safe, controlled environment with close monitoring by a licensed therapist.

  • Low-dose ketamine is a gentle, sub-anesthetic dose of ketamine that can help your nervous system soften and become more open to healing—without fully “checking out.” Most clients feel calm, slightly floaty, or more emotionally spacious, while still able to stay present and engaged in therapy. This often allows us to access harder to feel emotions with more ease and less overwhelm.

    In my practice, we use low-dose ketamine intentionally to support focused trauma work (including EMDR and IFS therapy), not just symptom relief.

  • I work closely with a licensed ketamine prescriber who offers both Spravato and IM ketamine. If either option feels like a better fit for your needs, we can explore that together as part of your treatment plan.

  • Yes — I offer ketamine therapy in Oakland, California in collaboration with a licensed medical prescriber. Sessions take place at my office in Oakland for clients in the East Bay, including Berkeley, Alameda, and surrounding communities. If you’re searching for ketamine therapy near me because weekly talk therapy hasn’t shifted what feels stuck, this trauma-informed approach may be a good fit for you.

    I also offer preparation and integration sessions via telehealth throughout California to support your work before and after in-person dosing.

  • There is no single recognized creator of Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy. As ketamine assisted psychotherapy became more widely available, many EMDR therapists began independently integrating EMDR principles, trauma-processing techniques, and elements of the EMDR protocol into their ketamine work.

    One of the earliest clinicians to publicly teach about combining ketamine assisted psychotherapy and EMDR was Sunny Strasburg, LMFT, who presented on the topic at the EMDRIA Virtual Conference in 2021. However, many therapists were exploring ways to integrate psychedelics, ketamine, and EMDR long before formal trainings and protocols became available.

    The integration of psychedelics and EMDR therapy predates the recent rise of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, as clinicians quietly explored ways to combine these approaches to support trauma healing and deeper therapeutic processing.

    Today, a growing number of clinicians, researchers, and training organizations are continuing to refine and develop approaches that combine the strengths of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and EMDR therapy. As a result, Ketamine-Assisted EMDR Therapy is best understood as an evolving clinical approach shaped by the contributions of many practitioners rather than the creation of any single individual.

  • Traditional ketamine therapy often uses higher doses and focuses primarily on the medicine experience, followed by a separate integration session. My approach is different: we use a low dose of ketamine while doing active EMDR therapy in the session, so we’re actually working with the material in real time. It’s more focused, more efficient, and more cost-effective than the standard ketamine treatment model.

  • We will begin with checking in, setting your intentions for your experience, and then you will take the ketamine lozenge as prescribed by your medical provider.

    The acute effects last for about an hour, where you will be focusing more internally on your experience, with the support and guidance of the therapist.

    Towards the end of your session, we will engage in more active psychotherapy.

  • The number of sessions depends on your specific goals and the depth of healing needed. The standard course of treatment recommended to get the full benefit of KAP is 8 sessions.

    Many clients choose a combination of self-guided at-home meditation sessions and with therapist low-dose ketamine + EMDR sessions. This brings down the cost of treatment significantly while boosting the effectiveness of the treatment.

  • Yes, Ketamine can complement other therapies like EMDR, IFS, or talk therapy, creating a more integrated and holistic approach to your healing.

  • I get it. Ketamine treatment can be a big investment. We can talk through a few ways to make it more doable, like working with one of my trained associate therapists at a reduced rate, shifting to 50-minute sessions when appropriate, or spacing sessions out in a way that still supports progress without overwhelming your budget. I also offer CareCredit financing with 24 month payment plan option.

  • Most ketamine clinics focus primarily on the medical side of treatment, you receive a dose of ketamine and are monitored, but there’s often little or no psychotherapy before, during, or after the session.

    My approach is therapy-first.

    Ketamine is used as a tool within a larger trauma-informed process that includes preparation, guided psychotherapy, and integration. We work together to process memories and emotions while your brain is more flexible and open to change — often combining ketamine with EMDR for deeper, longer-lasting results.

    You’re not just receiving a medication. You’re supported the entire way through.

  • My approach to Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy draws from specialized training in both EMDR therapy and ketamine assisted psychotherapy.

    I completed ketamine assisted psychotherapy training through Journey Clinical and advanced training through the Silvi Center for Integrative Health. My Ketamine-Assisted EMDR approach has been influenced by the work of Dr. Lisa Black, who developed and teaches a protocol that integrates EMDR and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Dr. Black's work builds upon earlier contributions from clinicians in the field who have been combining EMDR with expanded states of consciousness for decades.

    Like many emerging treatment approaches, Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy has evolved through the contributions of multiple clinicians, researchers, and educators. My work is informed by these trainings, ongoing consultation, current research, and clinical experience working with trauma, PTSD, complex PTSD, anxiety, and depression.