Ketamine-Assisted Therapy | Providence, RI

 
 

Why Ketamine-Assisted Therapy

For patients who have not found lasting relief through conventional treatment, ketamine offers something rare: an opening in the brain's ability to reset negative circuits, allowing the mind to become vastly more capable of change.

With an expert team, that period of expansion can loosen the grip of severe depression, anxiety, and trauma, creating the conditions for real recovery.

Our ketamine-assisted therapy program (KAP) is run in-house at our Providence, Rhode Island office, serving patients throughout Rhode Island and Southern New England. You have a dedicated team consisting of an H&A board certified psychiatrist and our certified KAP therapist, Dr. Sarah Wichman with you for every session. The medicine is provided by an intramuscular (IM) injection or oral lozenges with rigorous medical monitoring in a beautiful setting. You are never alone; you are never left to be remotely monitored by video outside the room.

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"My ketamine experiences have honestly been transformative and life changing... for the first time in my life I could experience space and distance from some of the recurring negative thought patterns in my brain... I now know that I can change how I experience the world." — S.D.

 

Your Personalized Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Program

Every patient is paired with a dedicated board-certified physician and a doctorate-level therapist, certified in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), for the full course of treatment. Your team is consistent, and you are never handed off.

Psychiatric Intake - Your process begins with an extensive evaluation with your psychiatrist to review your history, assess suitability, and shape a treatment plan that fits you.

Therapeutic Intake - A one-hour session with your dedicated KAP therapist begins the relationship that will carry you through every phase of treatment.

Preparation - Two structured sessions with your KAP therapist to clarify intention, address what arises, and equip you for the medicine experience.

Dosing Session - A several-hour journey in our dedicated treatment suite. Your psychiatrist administers your intramuscular ketamine injections or monitors you taking the first oral dose, and your KAP therapist remains present from the first moment to the last. The room is calming, private, and reserved for you alone.

Integration - Two processing sessions with your KAP therapist bring what you've gained from your ketamine journey into your everyday life. These sessions focus on what surfaced during the medicine journey and in the days following — and it's this processing that translates insight into lasting change.

 

Who Is a Candidate

Adults with treatment-resistant depression, persistent anxiety, PTSD, or complex trauma histories who are seeking a serious, supported, and discreet course of care. Your extensive intake with one of our board certified MDs will screen for the potential that this treatment course might help and assess any risk factors that may point treatment in a different direction.

Intramuscular (IM) ketamine involves an injection into one of the large muscles (e.g. the upper arm) of the body. IM Ketamine bypasses the GI system making it 100% bioavailable. For those more comfortable with oral ketamine can be given via lozenges that dissolve in the mouth (lozenge has a lower bioavailability). Medical oversight is rigorous and patients. Two clinicians are present for dose injections or ingestion of the oral ketamine. One of your doctors will be with you for the duration of your experience. There are no rushed transitions. We take the time and care this work requires.

Every patient is paired with a dedicated board certified physician and a doctorate-level therapist, certified in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) for the full course of treatment. Your team is consistent. You are never handed off.

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"The room they have set up is super comfortable, dark and well decorated. The bass bed adds a level of intensity to the experience I can't get anywhere else. The treatments themselves are well regulated and are gently administered." — B.F.

What Patients Are Saying

Individual results vary. The following accounts reflect the personal experience of consenting patients in our ketamine-assisted therapy program.

"I have been a patient with Hartselle and Associates for several years now... The ketamine therapy that the practice offers is one form of therapy that truly made a positive impact on my progress as a patient... You walk into this little oasis with an atmosphere that is nothing but peaceful. The room has the most comfortable lounge chair with your choice of audio built right into it. Furthermore, they ensure you stay hydrated throughout and they provide a meal at the end to ensure your journey is safe and enjoyable. Not only was my experience comfortable, but it was prosperous. I am eager to book my next session!" - KM

"As I was dealing with depression and anxiety that I just could not beat, I am so thankful I found my way to Dr. Stephanie Hartselle and Dr. Sarah Wichman. They offered ketamine treatment that really helped me. And they offered much more than just this remarkable medication, they provided a supportive environment where you feel completely comfortable even if this is a new experience for you. They are remarkably insightful and truly brilliant at what they do. I could not be more thankful." - DD

"My depression had reached a point where I knew I needed more support, but like many, I was apprehensive about looking into something like ketamine therapy. Fortunately, that hesitation completely vanished the moment I met the team... For the first time in years, I feel a deep sense of relief from my depression. I've reached a baseline of daily functioning I didn't think was possible for me anymore. If you are considering this treatment, please do yourself a favor and take that step. You are worth it." - KO

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Ketamine Therapy Cost & Pricing

Ketamine-assisted therapy is self-pay.

We provide a superbill for portion of ketamine that is billable, for those pursuing out-of-network reimbursement. It is your responsibility to check with your insurance regarding reimbursement for ketamine therapy out-of-network. 

Induction — Your First Course: $9,000 Includes:

  • Intake — Board-certified MD intake + intake with Dr. Sarah Wichman, Director of the Ketamine Program

  • Preparation — two sessions with Dr. Wichman

  • Ketamine Journey — full medication session, private suite, full clinical team

  • Integration — two sessions with Dr. Wichman

Follow-Up Course: $4,500 Includes:

  • Preparation — one session with Dr. Wichman

  • Ketamine Journey — full medication session, private suite, full clinical team

  • Integration — two sessions with Dr. Wichman

Ketamine Prior to TMS: $4,500 Includes:

  • Intake & Preparation — with Dr. Wichman

  • Ketamine Journey — full medication session, private suite, full clinical team

  • Integration — two sessions with Dr. Wichman

A limited number of new-client spots are available each month, in order to preserve the depth of attention every course requires.

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Ketamine-assisted therapy is offered by application and consultation. Reaching out is the first step, not a commitment — we'll talk through your history together and determine, honestly, whether this is the right fit before anything moves forward.

To begin, please write to our administrator directly at administrator@hartselleandassociates.com. A member of our team will follow up personally within 1-2 business days to answer your questions and, if it feels like the right fit, help you schedule your initial consultation.

We ask that you keep your first note brief — your name and the best way to reach you is enough to start. There's no need to share clinical history over email; we'll cover all of that together, privately, once we connect.

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Ketamine Therapy FAQ

  • Ketamine has been used for many years primarily in anesthesia; safe enough to be used in pediatrics. We use very low doses compared to those used in surgeries. Every session is medically supervised: two clinicians are present for dosing at every session, and a member of your team remains with you for the full duration of your experience. There is no remote monitoring, no shared space, no handoff mid-session — the structure is built so you're never navigating the experience alone.

  • You will have one to two preparation sessions with Dr. Wichman, discussing what to expect and setting goals or intentions for the medicine appointment. Patient experiences are unique and our expert team will guide you in preparing for the session. Ketamine sessions take place in a beautiful, calm, private setting designed specifically to hold this work, safely to create a personal, transformative experience.

  • Ketamine-assisted therapy is grounded in a clinical research base that has been developing for years, not a recent wellness trend. Dr. Hartselle has taught this material at Brown University before bringing it into practice — a considered clinical offering, built on an existing body of research.

  • Our clinic does not offer Spravato®, the FDA approved form of inhaled nasal ketamine. The bioavailability of Spravato® is about 40% compared to the injected form at a bioavailability of 100%.  The intramuscular ketamine used in our program is not FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, or trauma because it is a much older medication that’s been used for years as a safe and effective pediatric anesthetic at very high doses. Research that aims to gain FDA approval tends to be on newer, more expensive medications -those from which the pharmaceutical companies can profit. For this reason, injected ketamine is unlikely to gain FDA approval but does show excellent efficacy when provided in a supportive setting. Delivery via injection can provide a more predictable response.  Your psychiatrist will walk you through what these distinctions mean for your specific care during intake. Hartselle & Associates is dedicated to ensuring we recommend the best treatment to patients regardless of our ability to deliver it. If we don’t have the type of treatment we feel you might need after your comprehensive intake, we will recommend centers we know and trust for your continued care.

  • Yes — every session takes place in a private, dedicated suite with a small, consistent clinical team, not a shared clinic environment. Discretion is a structural feature of how the program runs, not a request you need to make.

  •  For some patients, one or two sessions bring lasting change; for others — particularly with certain treatment-resistant presentations — a 6–8 week course of weekly or twice-weekly sessions offers a stronger path to sustained relief. Your team will help you determine which fits your history and your goals.

  • Ketamine-assisted therapy is self-pay at Hartselle & Associates. Please see our ketamine fees page. Some insurances do cover portions of the treatment cost but many do not. We provide a superbill for patients pursuing out-of-network reimbursement. Patients are responsible for confirming whether they have out-of-network insurance benefits for ketamine treatments. 

  • Our office is based in Providence, and the team is licensed in Rhode Island and New York. The interview portion of the intake can occur remotely via video. Ketamine sessions are only provided in our facility and is never sent home with patients. Preparation and integration sessions can be conducted via video at your convenience.

  • A member of our team will follow up personally to answer your initial questions and, if it seems like a good fit, help you schedule your psychiatric intake. You can expect to hear from us within two business days.

 
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