How to Refer a Patient for Ketamine Therapy or KAP: A Clinical Guide for Providers
Referring patients for ketamine therapy is becoming an increasingly common conversation in mental health care. As awareness of ketamine's clinical potential grows, providers across psychiatry, primary care, and psychotherapy are exploring how it can complement the work they're already doing - and when a referral makes sense.
This guide is designed to help you understand when to consider a referral, what kinds of patients tend to benefit most, and how a collaborative model between your practice and a ketamine provider can support better outcomes for your shared patients.
When to Consider Referring a Patient for Ketamine Treatment
Ketamine therapy is not a first-line intervention - and it's not designed to be. It tends to be most appropriate when a patient has pursued conventional treatment pathways without achieving adequate relief, and when continuing the same approach is unlikely to produce different results.
In general, a referral for ketamine therapy may be worth exploring when your patient experiences one or more of the following:
- Depression or anxiety that remains severe despite appropriate medication management
- Progress in psychotherapy that has plateaued despite consistent effort
- Symptoms that significantly interfere with daily functioning or quality of life
- Trauma-related symptoms limiting engagement in traditional therapy approaches
- Patient-expressed interest in evidence-based adjunctive treatment options
It's worth emphasizing: ketamine therapy is not intended to replace the care you're providing. Instead, it can reduce the symptom burden that may be preventing a patient from engaging fully in ongoing psychiatric care, psychotherapy, or medication management.
Many patients describe ketamine as opening a "therapeutic window" - a period of increased neuroplasticity and emotional flexibility during which other treatments, including talk therapy and medication adjustments, become more effective. Integration work after sessions helps patients translate those insights into lasting change.
Who Is a Good Candidate for Ketamine Therapy?
Every patient requires individualized screening, but ketamine treatment may be appropriate for adults dealing with the following conditions:
- Treatment-resistant depression (TRD)
- Major depressive disorder (MDD)
- Anxiety disorders
- PTSD and other trauma-related conditions
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Chronic stress, burnout, or existential distress
- Certain chronic pain conditions (requires medical evaluation)
Beyond diagnosis, the patients who tend to engage most successfully share a few common characteristics. They've typically tried conventional treatments with limited success. They're psychologically stable enough to participate in preparation and integration work. And they're open to an experiential, insight-oriented model of treatment - which is especially important for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP).
Patients who already have an established therapist or who are willing to engage in ongoing therapy alongside treatment tend to see the most sustained benefit. All patients complete a comprehensive medical and mental health evaluation before any treatment begins.
Ketamine Treatment vs. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): What's the Difference?
One of the questions providers most commonly ask is how ketamine treatment and KAP differ - and which might be the better fit for a specific patient. Here's a practical comparison:
| Approach | Focus | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Ketamine Treatment | Medically supervised administration and symptom relief with monitoring | Patients primarily seeking physiological symptom reduction; those who may not be ready for deep psychotherapeutic work |
| Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) | Psychotherapy integrated before, during, and after dosing sessions - emphasizing preparation, therapeutic support, and structured integration | Patients motivated for insight-oriented work; those where trauma processing, meaning-making, or behavioral change is a primary goal |
As a referring provider, your knowledge of the patient's history, stability, and therapeutic goals makes you well-positioned to weigh in on which approach may be the better starting point. Our team is always available to consult before a referral is finalized.
How Ketamine Therapy Enhances - Not Replaces - Your Existing Care
A concern that comes up often is whether ketamine treatment will disrupt an established therapeutic relationship or complicate an existing medication regimen. The short answer is: it doesn't have to.
Ketamine treatment and KAP are designed to complement the work you're already doing. Research and clinical experience suggest ketamine may help patients in several specific ways that support ongoing care:
- Rapid reduction of depressive and anxious symptoms
- Increased neuroplasticity and emotional flexibility
- Improved insight, motivation, and openness to change
- Enhanced engagement in psychotherapy
- Support for deeper therapeutic processing when paired with integration work
With appropriate patient consent, we prioritize collaboration with referring clinicians - sharing treatment updates, aligning on goals, and coordinating care so that your patient's overall plan stays coherent. Our role is to strengthen what you're building, not to work in a silo.
How to Refer a Patient: Two Pathways
We've built our referral process to be flexible and low-friction. Depending on your patient's needs and your workflow preferences, you can choose between two approaches:
Provider-Initiated Referral
You submit the referral and our team contacts the patient directly to schedule a consultation.
- Works well for patients who need support taking the next step
- Ideal for complex or high-acuity cases
- Supports a warm handoff between providers
Patient Self-Referral
You share our contact information and the patient reaches out directly to schedule their own consultation.
- Works well for motivated, action-oriented patients
- Lower administrative burden for your practice
- Patient initiates on their own timeline
Regardless of which pathway is used, every patient completes a thorough medical and psychological evaluation before any treatment begins. Nothing is fast-tracked, and no treatment is initiated without appropriate clinical review.
A Note on Veteran and First Responder Patients
Valor Health Solutions is a veteran-owned practice with a particular focus on serving veterans, first responders, and their families. If you're referring a patient from this population, our team brings direct familiarity with military culture, service-related trauma, and the challenges of treatment-seeking within VA and community care systems.
Veterans who meet the criteria for Treatment-Resistant Depression may also be eligible for VA Community Care coverage for ketamine treatment. Our team can walk patients - and referring providers - through that process. For more on how that works, see our veteran-specific care page.
The VA covers IV ketamine treatment for eligible veterans through the Office of Community Care. Eligibility criteria include a qualifying diagnosis of Treatment-Resistant Depression, documented medication trials, and a PHQ-9 score greater than 15 within the past 30 days. We can guide both providers and patients through the referral process.
What to Expect From Collaborative Care
We believe referring providers are essential partners in patient care - not just a source of intake. With patient consent, our team can engage in the following forms of collaboration:
- Coordination on treatment goals before sessions begin
- Communication regarding progress and treatment response
- Support for integration alongside ongoing therapy
- Recommendations for continued care following treatment
This kind of coordination benefits patients by ensuring that ketamine treatment doesn't happen in isolation - and it gives you visibility into how your patient is progressing.
Key Takeaways for Referring Providers
- Ketamine therapy is most appropriate when conventional treatments have not produced adequate relief.
- Good candidates include patients with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and related conditions who are stable enough for preparation and integration work.
- Ketamine treatment and KAP serve different goals - your clinical knowledge helps determine which is the better fit.
- Ketamine therapy is designed to enhance, not replace, your ongoing care.
- We offer flexible referral pathways: provider-initiated or patient self-referral.
- With patient consent, we prioritize communication and collaboration throughout the treatment process.
Is Ketamine Therapy Right for Your Patient?
If you're considering a referral and have questions about whether a specific patient is a good fit, our clinical team welcomes a conversation. We're happy to consult on cases before a referral is submitted, discuss any concerns about candidacy, and help you feel confident that the next step is the right one for your patient.
You can reach us directly at 888-214-2144 or submit a referral through our new patient consultation portal below.
Ready to Refer a Patient or Ask a Question?
Our clinical team is available to consult on cases, discuss candidacy, and walk through the referral process with you.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is intended for licensed healthcare providers and is for educational and referral guidance purposes only. It does not constitute individualized medical advice. All patients referred for ketamine therapy at Valor Health Solutions undergo comprehensive medical and mental health evaluation prior to treatment initiation. Treatment eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis by our clinical team.
