We understand that taking the first step toward healing
may feel uncertain. At Golden Afternoon ketamine clinic, we are
here for you and will walk you through exactly what to expect.
Our team will take you through these six carefully planned steps:
• Our clinicians will take a detailed medical history and screen for any contraindications, either by phone or
through our online patient portal.
• Once we ensure that you are a good candidate for ketamine therapy, we will choose an appointment time together.
• We will make sure that you are prepared safely for the treatment. You will be asked to refrain from eating any
solid food for 4 hours and drinking any liquids for 2 hours before your appointment. We will ask that you secure
a safe ride home, as driving or operating any heavy machinery following treatment is not recommended.
• When you arrive for your appointment, our reception staff will go over your paperwork and make sure that all your questions are answered.
• Our staff will then bring you to your treatment room along with an assigned nurse, where you will relax in a zero-gravity chair and meet our clinicians
.• Our doctor will take a medical history, describe the ketamine therapy process to you once more, ask about your goals for treatment and answer any questions you might have.
• Your nurse will then help craft the experience that feels best for you. You can choose to go through grounding meditation and breathwork, put on an eye mask, wear noise-canceling headphones or select a soothing soundscape.
• Some patients find that setting an intention prior to their experience helps to prepare their mind for healing. For some people, this can be very concrete, such as mentally overcoming a specific event. For others, it can be as abstract as acknowledging and respecting whatever thoughts, images and feelings might arise during treatment. If you are already working with a therapist or healer, you can set this intention with them before your appointment.
• During your treatment, you are welcome to bring a therapist or healer with you to help support and guide you through the process. Many people prefer to be alone, and that is beneficial too.
When you are ready to begin, our nurse will ensure the music, blankets and eye coverings are all adjusted to your liking so that you feel comfortable enough to embark on the experience. They will connect you to a monitor, start treatment through an intravenous (IV) port, and then leave the room. The transfusion will last between 45 and 60minutes.
• After a few minutes, your body will feel light and floaty. You could start to see colors, moving backdrops, or examine your thoughts in a different way. You may experience feelings of gratitude, empathy, interconnectedness or have a mild mystical experience.
• Once the 60-minute transfusion is complete, your nurse will return to remove the IV and lead you through simple grounding exercises. The process of reintegration and grounding is very important after the ketamine experience. Our nurses and therapists are trained to facilitate an integration process that is tailored to your goals. We offer a journal to record your experience if you wish.
• We typically administer six treatments over a 2-4 week period. In some cases, more treatments are needed. While you are receiving ketamine therapy, we recommend that you continue to seek care from your doctors and therapists.
• In order to make sure that your treatment is effective and that you feel supported, our team at Golden Afternoon will check in with you after your first treatment. We will ask how you are doing and assess your goals for subsequent treatment sessions.
• When you return home from your treatment, we encourage you to glean insight and meaning from your ketamine experience by practicing grounding exercises like yoga, breathing and mindfulness techniques, journaling, exercising, meditating, playing or listening to music.