A novel framework for ketamine-assisted couple therapy.
Frontiers in psychiatry January 1, 2024 C Khalifian, K Rashkovsky, E Mitchell et al. 8 citations
Intimate relationship distress is common and linked to worse health and mortality. Evidence-based couple therapies target cognitive, behavioral, and emotional processes. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) shows efficacy for depression, anxiety, and PTSD, and its mechanisms—such as increased neuroplasticity, changes in functional connectivity, adaptive dissociation, decreased inhibition, and reduced avoidance—may also enhance couple therapy interventions. The paper reviews evidence for KAP and outlines how these mechanisms could augment existing couple therapies. It proposes a framework for ketamine-assisted couple therapy, addressing preparation, dosing, and integration into a dyadic context. This framework may help clinicians improve couple therapy outcomes, especially when one or both partners have mental health concerns.