How the Right Ketamine Dose Supports Deep Healing
- Seaghan Coleman
- Jun 13
- 3 min read
Understanding the Psychedelic, Psycholytic, and Anesthetic Ranges in KAP

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is a highly adaptable therapy that uses ketamine to facilitate deep healing, emotional processing, and personal transformation. The experience varies greatly depending on the dose range used — and choosing the right range is a key part of treatment planning.
At different doses, ketamine induces profoundly different psychological states.Understanding these states can help you (or your clients) choose an experience that matches their therapeutic goals.
Dr. Eli Kolp outlined four distinct subjective dose ranges:
Empathogenic
Out-of-body
Near-death
Ego dissolution
These fit within three broader therapeutic categories: Psychedelic, Psycholytic, and Anesthetic.
How Dosing Works in KAP
In KAP, ketamine is prescribed by a medical prescriber in consultation and coordination with both the client and the therapist. After an initial medical evaluation, the prescriber provides a prescription for sublingual (oral) ketamine, which is typically shipped from a compounding pharmacy directly to the client.
Importantly, the prescriber often provides a range of allowable doses, based on safety and clinical appropriateness. Within that range:
The therapist and client collaborate to choose the specific dose for each session.
Dosing is based on the function and therapeutic goals of that particular session (for example: attachment repair vs. trauma processing vs. ego dissolution).
The client typically self-administers the ketamine during the session, under therapist supervision and guidance.
This collaborative and flexible approach ensures that each KAP session is individually tailored, responsive to the client’s readiness, and aligned with their healing path.
The Psychedelic Range: Healing Through Altered Consciousness
Empathogenic Dose (Light Psychedelic)
100–200 mg sublingual
Gentle emotional opening and relational healing
Effects:
Heightened empathy
Emotional openness
Reduced defenses
Enhanced connection to therapist
Rich sensory and symbolic experience
Used for:
Early-stage trauma
Relational/attachment wounds
Grief, shame, guilt processing
Building trust and flexibility
Out-of-Body Dose (Moderate Psychedelic)
200–300 mg sublingual
Perspective shift and trauma reframing
Effects:
Floating, observing the body
Detached processing of trauma
Life review
Symbolic imagery
Used for:
Breaking rigid thought patterns
Depression, OCD
Preparing for deeper work
Near-Death Dose (Deep Psychedelic)
300–400 mg sublingual
Transcendence and existential healing
Effects:
NDE-type experiences
Dissolution of fear of death
Profound peace
Sense of universal belonging
Used for:
Death anxiety
Grief
Existential depression
Meaning restoration
Ego Dissolution Dose (Very Deep Psychedelic)
>400 mg sublingual
Radical restructuring and spiritual awakening
Effects:
Ego loss
Union with universal consciousness
Infinite space / mystical states
Post-experience awe and reverence
Used for:
Severe depression
Addiction
Trauma-based distortions
Spiritual growth
Why the Anesthetic Range Is Not Used in KAP
Anesthetic doses of ketamine (>2.0 mg/kg IV/IM) induce unconsciousness.Since KAP is about creating conscious, transformative experiences, these doses are avoided.
Conclusion
In skilled KAP, dose selection is a clinical art — and a collaborative process between the prescriber, therapist, and client. Different doses unlock different therapeutic potentials — from gentle emotional exploration to profound ego dissolution.
With careful preparation, coordinated dosing, and thoughtful integration, KAP offers a flexible path to healing, meaning, and transformation.
References
Kolp, E., et al. (2014). Ketamine Enhanced Psychotherapy.
Wolfson, P., & Hartelius, G. (2015). The Ketamine Papers.
Wilkinson, S.T., et al. (2018). Ketamine’s Antidepressant Effects.
Yaden, D.B., & Griffiths, R.R. (2020). Psychedelics' Subjective Effects.
Reynolds, A.R., et al. (2021). Ketamine for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.
Ross, S., et al. (2016). Psilocybin for Anxiety and Depression.
Griffiths, R.R., et al. (2008). Mystical Experiences with Psilocybin.
Comments