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Hidden Pathways Therapy  ›  Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy

You have tried everything. That does not mean nothing will work.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in Palm Beach County, with Heather Scholnicoff, LMHC. A 16-session protocol pairing medicine sessions with the integration work that makes them stick.

Call (561) 231-0042
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If talking has not been enough

Some people arrive here after years of good therapy. They understand their history. They can explain exactly why they are the way they are. And none of it has moved the thing that actually hurts.

Others arrive after a shelf of medications that either did nothing or cost more than they gave.

If that is you, it is worth saying clearly: that is not a personal failure, and it does not mean you are beyond help. Depression and trauma that resist treatment are a well-recognised clinical reality, not evidence that you did it wrong. Sometimes the conditions have simply never been right for the work to land.

Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy is one way of changing those conditions.

What it is

Ketamine is a medicine that has been used safely in medical settings for decades. Given carefully under medical supervision, it appears to briefly increase neuroplasticity, the brain's capacity to form new connections, and to loosen the grip of rigid, well-worn patterns of thought.

That opening is temporary. It is also the point. The medicine does not do the healing. The therapy done inside that window is what creates lasting change, which is why every medicine session in this protocol is paired with a dedicated integration session within 24 to 48 hours, while things are still moveable.

Said plainly, because you deserve accuracy. Using ketamine to treat depression, anxiety or PTSD is an off-label use. Off-label prescribing is legal and common throughout medicine, but it is not an FDA-approved indication for this purpose.

Nobody can promise you a result. What is offered here is careful screening, a structured process, and real therapeutic support around it. If KAP is not appropriate for you, you will be told so.

The protocol

Sixteen sessions, in three phases

Structured so the work has somewhere to go, rather than stopping the moment the medicine wears off.

Phase 1

Preparation and intake

90 minutes. Medical and psychological assessment, intention setting, safety planning, and building the grounding skills you will use throughout.

  • Journey Clinical confirms medical eligibility
  • Clear personal goals for the work
  • Nothing proceeds until this is done
Phase 2

Medicine and integration

Eight pairs, sixteen sessions. Each 2.5-hour medicine session is followed within 24 to 48 hours by a 50 to 60 minute integration session.

  • Quiet, held setting with continuous support
  • Integration while insight is still fresh
  • You arrange a ride home each time
Phase 3

Consolidation

50 to 60 minutes. Drawing together what came out of all eight journeys, reviewing what has actually changed, and building the plan for afterwards.

  • Honest review of what shifted and what did not
  • A long-term plan you can hold onto
  • Onward referral if it is the right thing
Two providers, two roles

Who does what, and why that matters

Journey Clinical · the medical side

A medical organisation specialising in ketamine-assisted therapy. Their clinicians decide whether you are medically eligible, build your treatment plan, prescribe the medicine and monitor your outcomes.

  • Eligibility and medical screening
  • Prescribing and dosing
  • Ongoing outcome monitoring
  • Billed separately from therapy

Heather Scholnicoff, LMHC · the therapy

A Licensed Mental Health Counselor providing the psychotherapy: preparing you, holding the medicine sessions, and doing the integration work that turns an experience into change.

  • Preparation and safety planning
  • Support through each session
  • Integration, where the change is made
  • Does not prescribe or provide medical care
Why the split is a feature, not a complication. Plenty of ketamine clinics give you the medicine and send you home. The therapy is the part that decides whether anything lasts, and here it is the part that gets the most attention.
Questions worth asking

Honest answers about ketamine therapy

Is ketamine-assisted therapy FDA approved?

This is the question to be precise about. Ketamine itself is FDA approved as an anaesthetic, and has been used safely in medicine for decades. Using it to treat depression, anxiety or PTSD is an off-label use. Off-label prescribing is legal, common and well established across medicine, but it is not the same as an FDA-approved indication and nobody should tell you otherwise.

A related medicine, esketamine, is FDA approved under the brand name Spravato for treatment-resistant depression. That is a different medicine, a different route, and is not what is offered here.

What does the ketamine actually do?

Research suggests ketamine temporarily increases neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to form new connections, and briefly loosens rigid patterns of thought. Many people describe some distance from the usual grip of their own thinking.

That state is a window, not a cure. What matters is the therapeutic work done inside it, which is why every medicine session here is paired with an integration session.

Who decides whether I am eligible?
Journey Clinical's medical team does. They review your medical and psychiatric history, decide whether KAP is appropriate for you, prescribe if it is, and monitor your outcomes throughout. Heather is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and does not prescribe or provide medical care.
Who should not do this?
There are real medical and psychiatric reasons KAP may not be appropriate, including certain cardiovascular conditions, uncontrolled blood pressure, a history of certain psychotic disorders, pregnancy, and some substance use histories. This is exactly what the medical screening is for. If it is not right for you, you will be told plainly.
What does it cost, and does insurance cover it?
The psychotherapy portion is $4,200 for the full 16-session protocol. Journey Clinical bills their medical fees separately and those are your responsibility. KAP is self-pay, though payment plans are available. You are entitled to a Good Faith Estimate of your costs before you begin.
How long does the whole protocol take?
Most people move through it over roughly three to four months, depending on scheduling. It begins with a 90-minute preparation session, then eight medicine sessions each paired with an integration session, and closes with a consolidation session.
Will I be alone during a medicine session?
No. Medicine sessions run about 2.5 hours in a quiet, held therapeutic setting with continuous support. You will also need someone to drive you home afterwards.
Can I keep my regular therapist?
Often yes, and many people do. It is worth telling Heather about any other treatment you are in so the work supports rather than duplicates it.
Take the first step

You have carried this long enough

The eligibility call is free, fifteen minutes, and carries no obligation. You describe what you have already tried, and you get an honest answer about whether this is worth pursuing. If it is not right for you, you will be told, and pointed somewhere better.

Call (561) 231-0042
If you are in crisis, please do not wait for a call back. Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911. This website, its forms and its assistant are not monitored for emergencies and are not a secure place to share medical details.
Other pathways

Not sure this is the right one?

There is no wrong door. If a different pathway suits you better, Heather will say so.

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