What happens after KAP?
Every therapy is a journey. And when it comes to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) or its group format (G-KAP), the questions often arise: when is it appropriate to ask someone what they are experiencing, and when will they feel comfortable sharing their story? What do people experience in the days following the protocol?
The first days after therapy are often a flood of impressions, emotions, and images. They are precious, but still very fragile. A person is only beginning to process what has happened.
The first weeks: echoes of the experience
Researchers in the UK noted that already two weeks after starting treatment, people began to speak about changes in mood, feelings of lightness, and relief. A few months later, these impressions took on a different depth: there was greater clarity about how therapy had influenced their lives (BJPsych Open, 2022) link.
Months of integration: when experience takes root
In another study, participants were interviewed three and six months after completing treatment. They described this period as one of integration — when the insights and experiences from sessions gradually became part of their everyday lives (Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2021) link.
Protocols: how clinics do it
Some approaches have formalized the practice of taking multiple assessments. For example, the Ketamine-Assisted Recovery (KARE) protocol schedules follow-up assessments at four and twelve weeks after treatment. This makes it possible to capture not only the immediate effect but also the durability of changes over time (Mehtani et al., 2025) link.
What this means for us
All these examples point to one lesson: don’t rush. Give people time to feel how their KAP experience is settling into their lives.
After just a few weeks, someone may be ready to share their first glimpse of hope.
After two to three months, there is space for a more mature conversation about results.
After six months, we may hear a truly long-term story of change.
And most importantly — the story always belongs to the person themselves. They decide when and how they are ready to share it.
When we talk about KAP results among families, colleagues, or in the media, we are not only reporting facts. We are nurturing stories that can support others — and that must always happen in the right time.
Sources:
Lascelles K, et al. Ketamine treatment for individuals with treatment-resistant depression: longitudinal qualitative interview study of patient experiences.
BJPsych Open, 2022.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/ketamine-treatment-for-individuals-with-treatmentresistant-depression-longitudinal-qualitative-interview-study-of-patient-experiences/3487E41FB3F5E75C9580597CF14A120F
Close H, et al. “This Is Something That Changed My Life”: A Qualitative Study of Patients’ Experiences with Ketamine Treatment for Depression.
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2021.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.695335/full
Mehtani N, et al. Ketamine-Assisted Recovery (KARE): protocol for an open-label feasibility trial for patients with opioid use disorder.
Trials / PubMed Central, 2025.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12382537/