May 2023
Understanding Ketamine

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic also classified as a psychedelic. In the last decade it has become frequently sought as a treatment for depression and mood disorders. This training is designed for therapists, psychologists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals who want to better understand the basics of ketamine and how they can ensure the best clinical outcomes for patients.

While ketamine is a powerful and promising treatment, effective and safe treatment involves far more than administering the drug itself. This course will teach medical professionals and mental health care providers how they can help their patients safely and legally access ketamine treatment, as well as prepare for and integrate those treatments using a psychedelic-assisted therapy framework.

This course includes a series of five videos which provide review of the key points presented in the Ketamine topic lectures. Videos are available as an enduring resource to participants. The live-online webinar is not recorded for replay.

Participants in this course will learn principles for screening and preparing patients for ketamine treatment, and integrating the insights generated from their experiences into follow up psychotherapy. We introduce a variety of care models including ketamine-assisted therapy, ketamine infusions paired with preparation and integration provided by a separate therapist.

The presenters of this course will present case examples and opportunities to practice real-world discussions role-play exercises. While an overview of infusion session procedures and ketamine effects is provided, complete ketamine administration instructions for medical professionals is beyond the scope of this course.

Please note, attendance will be verified during the live/online program in order to receive a certificate of completion. If you have any schedule conflicts please communicate with the trainers during the program. You will not receive a certificate of completion if you are absent for more than 3 total hours during the live program and role-plays.

A limited number of Diversity Fund scholarships are available, please complete this application, in addition to the course application.

• Describe the concepts of Drug Assisted Therapy to their clients
• Describe how ketamine fits into treatment plans for depressive disorders
• Apply and Integrate ketamine into their existing frameworks for managing clients with depressive disorders
• Describe the current understandings of ketamine antidepressant mechanisms
• Describe clients that might be appropriate for ketamine infusion therapy
• Describe clients that might NOT be appropriate for ketamine infusion therapy
• List the legal and practical hurdles in accessing this treatment for their clients
• List the differences between the medical and recreational use of ketamine
• Plan how to psychologically prepare their clients for the ketamine sessions
• Prepare their clients in integrating the experiences from the ketamine sessions into their larger psychotherapeutic goals
• Demonstrate specific psychotherapeutic techniques to maximize behavioral and cognitive changes during the neuroplastic windows opened by ketamine
• Describe how ketamine could play a long term role in mental healthcare

• Fluence International, Inc. is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Fluence maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
• Fluence International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0232.
• Fluence International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0674.
• Fluence International, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0167.
• The Department’s approval of a provider of continuing education does not constitute the Department’s endorsement of the content, positions or practices that may be addressed in any specific continuing education course offered by the approved provider.
• For questions about receiving your CE Certificate or Certificate of Attendance, contact Selah Drain, selah@fluencetraining.com.