Trauma-informed ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in San Diego, CA
Rapid relief. Deeper insight. Lasting transformation.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, integrated with compassionate, trauma-informed care.
You've done the work. You're still searching for the breakthrough.
Maybe you've spent years in talk therapy, naming your pain–and still feel stuck. Maybe you’ve never tried therapy before, but something in you knows that you need a different approach. Maybe medication helped a little, or not at all. Maybe you're tired of managing symptoms instead of actually healing.
You don't need another explanation for what's wrong. You need a way in–to the parts of yourself that words alone can’t reach.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy offers a different kind of access–softening the walls that keep painful memories just out of reach, so deeper work can happen. Opening the door to your own wisdom, your own heart, your own wholeness. Not instead of therapy, but through it, held in a safe, sacred space by a compassionate guide every step of the way.
It's time to heal, reconnect, and rise.
KAP at RISE Therapy
guardian Transformational Healing
By addressing the root causes of mental health issues and enhancing the resilience and adaptivity of your brain, KAP helps your brain to rewire itself
rocket_launch Fast Results
87% of clients report improved depression and anxiety symptoms after just two sessions of KAP, and positive effects begin within hours, not days, weeks, or months
self_improvement Wholistic Treatment
As an experiential treatment, KAP goes beyond traditional talk therapy methods to provide integrated biological, psychological, relational, & spiritual healing
healing Safe & Effective
Ketamine has been FDA approved for anaesthesia since 1970, & for mental health usage since 2019. Ketamine is currently classified as an essential medication by the World Health Organization
massage Expert Care
At RISE, we create a personalized treatment plan for you that combines world-class medical care with the support of an experienced, trauma-informed therapist with specialized psychedelic training
trending_up Lasting Change
Ketamine therapy boosts your brain’s neuroplasticity, creating a unique opportunity to form new neural connections. In recent studies, 50-75% of clients report sustained, meaningful improvement
Our Specialties
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Rise from Depression
You may be feeling a lack of hope and motivation—or feeling sad and missing a sense of aliveness in your daily life. KAP can help bring it back.
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Alleviate Anxiety
Perhaps you’re locked in thought loops, worrying, or on edge frequently, and longing for a sense of peace and calm. Ketamine-assisted therapy can reduce the noise.
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Heal Trauma & PTSD
You might be navigating the damaging effects of trauma that impact your ability to live freely and fully. With KAP, healing can feel within reach.
Hi, I’m Lisa Kemble, LMFT
My commitment to helping clients achieve deep, transformative change is what drew me to KAP. Hearing a profoundly inspirational keynote address on the power of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy at an AEDP conference in New York in the spring of 2025 was a turning point in my therapeutic journey. I immediately sensed the power of combining KAP with AEDP’s neuroscience-informed, relational and experiential approach.
Since then, I have pursued advanced training in KAP with AEDP integration, specializing in using AEDP’s revolutionary model to help clients move beyond suffering and stuckness and into real vitality. I have also engaged in my own therapeutic ketamine journeys, which have not only been profoundly valuable to me personally, but also enable me to have embodied experience of the healing process.
Ultimately, I use KAP + AEDP as a uniquely powerful tool to help unlock deeper levels of transformative healing in my clients.
Heal
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Reconnect
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Rise
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Heal ✧ Reconnect ✧ Rise ✧
How Does the Process Work?
Step 1: Personalized Medical Assessment
RISE partners with an organization called Journey Clinical that specializes in providing the medical care component of ketamine treatment. Each prospective client schedules an initial evaluation with Journey Clinical, where a skilled professional reviews their medical and psychiatric history to determine eligibility. If the team deems the client eligible, we develop a customized and collaborative treatment plan for the client.
Step 2: Therapy Sessions for Preparation, Dosing & Integration
Together, the therapist and client schedule one or more preparation sessions to prepare for the treatment. We review the process and expectations, and clarify and align around the intentions and goals.
Typical ketamine dosing sessions last 2-3 hours and can take place either in person at the RISE office, or remotely via telehealth. During dosing sessions, clients take a ketamine lozenge in a comfortable, reclining position, often with an eye mask and music. While ketamine dosing sessions are most often very internal experiences, your therapist will be present with you to provide security and support as needed. On average, clients are prescribed 6-8 dosing sessions for full benefit.
After each dosing session, you will see your therapist for at least one integration session, ideally within 48 hours of your dosing session to optimize the neuroplastic effects of the medicine.
Step 3: Ongoing Followup Care
Throughout your treatment, your Journey Clinical provider will check in regularly to monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan as needed. Follow ups occur at least once per quarter, with frequency depending on your personalized plan.
FAQs
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Ketamine is a medicine that was approved by the FDA in 1970 for surgical anaesthetic use. It creates a dissociative state in which the mind is less aware of the body. In 2000, doctors discovered that ketamine had the unexpected effect of causing rapid relief of depression symptoms in some patients receiving it. Some even said their depression went away after years of finding other treatments ineffective. Since then, doctors and therapists have refined the use of ketamine to treat depression and other mental health conditions in safe, effective ways.
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While effects vary from person to person, most people find the experience to be pleasant and deeply relaxing. Many feel a sense of feeling far away from or unaware of their physical body, and detached from their typical fears and concerns, allowing participants to work with difficult material in a deeper way.
Since motor and verbal abilities are reduced during the peak of the experience, which usually lasts for about 45 minutes, you’ll be reclining comfortably during the session. Entering this non-ordinary state of consciousness frequently includes visions and shifts in perception that can expand your perspective and facilitate significant insights.
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Unlike other antidepressant medications that target serotonin, ketamine impacts glutamate, the most abundant neurotransmitter in the human brain. It blocks specific overactive signals, helps repair damaged brain cells, and grows new neural connections. This process enhances neuroplasticity and lets the brain quickly "rewire" and break out of stuck, negative thought patterns.
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Some people feel great immediately after a session, and others experience common, temporary side effects, such as increased blood pressure and a feeling of dizziness or spaciness. Nausea occurs in a very small percentage of clients, and your Journey Clinical doctor can prescribe an anti-nausea pill if you are concerned about nausea. Your therapist and medical team will monitor any effects you may experience for your safety.
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You can click the button on this page to connect, or you can email lisa@risetherapysd.com or call or text 619-600-5409.
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Ketamine has been used effectively for major depression or treatment-resistant depression, anxiety disorders, burnout, PTSD and trauma.
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In supervised clinical settings that avoid recreational abuse, ketamine is considered very safe and has a low potential for addiction.
Unlike many medicines that are prescribed for mental health conditions, such as benzodiazepines (like Valium, Ativan, Xanax, etc.), ketamine does not create the physical dependence or withdrawal that raises the potential for addiction. When your Journey Clinical prescriber approves you for treatment, your prescription will be mailed to your house.
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Most commonly, clients attend 6-8 dosing sessions spaced out over 2-6 months, although some may find relief after just one to two sessions. After the initial series of sessions, effects can last for several months or longer. Some clients return for periodic booster sessions, which can be spaced out every 1-6 months, depending on the person.
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Journey Clinical accepts a number of insurances in CA for the medical portions of treatment as well as the ketamine prescription and can run a benefits check to see if you have coverage.
Therapy sessions with Lisa are not covered by insurance directly, although you may be able to get reimbursement for sessions if your insurance plan covers out of network providers. HSA and FSA cards can almost always be used for any costs related to KAP, but it is wise to verify your specific plan’s eligibility.
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Most likely, you will be in an open and relaxed state of mind following your session, and we encourage rest and reflection afterwards. Nurturing activities such as journaling, making art, listening to music, being in nature, eating good food and spending time with trusted loved ones or pets are all recommended to extend the benefits of your treatment.
If possible, avoid returning to work the day of your treatment, as well as very taxing or stressful activities.
You may not drive for 12-24 hours following a session, and if you are in office, you will need to arrange for transportation to return home. You should also avoid operating heavy machinery or signing legal documents for 12-24 hours.
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Ketamine therapy is not recommended for clients in acutely manic states, clients with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, with active substance abuse issues, with uncontrolled high blood pressure, or with a history of ketamine dependence or abuse.
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Your therapist will help you prepare for your session, answer your questions, and walk you through what to expect at each stage of the process. The day of your session, you can expect to fast from eating and drinking for a few hours before your appointment. You will want to wear comfortable clothes, to spend some time reflecting on your intention, and to ensure that you have made arrangements for a ride home.
Get in touch to get started
Book a free 15-minute consultation or contact me directly with any questions.