Heart Centered Counseling Services

Heart Centered Counseling Services Heart Centered Counseling Services Heart Centered Counseling Services

Heart Centered Counseling Services

Heart Centered Counseling Services Heart Centered Counseling Services Heart Centered Counseling Services
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  • Ketamine Assisted Therapy
  • Ketamine Assisted Therapy
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    • Home
    • FAQ's
    • Client Portal
    • Resources
    • Ketamine Assisted Therapy
    • Ketamine Assisted Therapy
      • Services

  • Home
  • FAQ's
  • Client Portal
  • Resources
  • Ketamine Assisted Therapy
  • Ketamine Assisted Therapy
    • Services

individual, family, and couples Therapy

WHat we treat

Online Services

Online Services

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Mood Disorders
  • PTSD
  • ADHD
  • Grief and Loss
  • Maternal Mental Health
  • Stress Management
  • Life Transitions
  • Improving Self Esteem
  • Healing from Past Trauma
  • Improving Communication and Conflict Resolution  
  • Psychedelic preparation and integration

Online Services

Online Services

Online Services

We currently offer telehealth to clients who prefer the convenience and comfortability. We use a HIPPA compliant platform, and clients can use their computer or phone for sessions. We see individuals as well as couples and families online. 

Ketamine assisted psychotherapy

What Is Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)?

 If you've been struggling with depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, or feeling stuck despite traditional therapy or medication, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) may offer a different path toward healing.


At my practice in Gilbert, Arizona, I provide Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy as an integrative treatment that combines the therapeutic effects of ketamine with the support of evidence-based psychotherapy. The medication is not intended to replace therapy—it is used to enhance the therapeutic process by helping clients access thoughts, emotions, and experiences in new ways.


Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) combines carefully prescribed ketamine with psychotherapy before, during, and after the medication experience.


While ketamine can create a temporary shift in consciousness, it is the psychotherapy component that helps clients make meaningful, lasting changes. Therapy focuses on preparing for the experience, processing insights afterward, and integrating those insights into everyday life.


The goal is not simply symptom relief, but deeper emotional healing and lasting psychological growth.   

One of the unique benefits of ketamine is its ability to temporarily reduce rigid patterns of thinking and increase psychological flexibility.

During treatment, many clients report:

  • Greater emotional openness
  • Reduced self-criticism
  • Increased self-compassion
  • New perspectives on difficult experiences
  • Improved ability to process traumatic memories
  • Enhanced connection to emotions
  • Increased hope and motivation

What Is Ketamine?

 Ketamine is a medication that has been safely used in medical settings for over 50 years as an anesthetic. In recent years, research has shown that lower doses of ketamine may help relieve symptoms of several mental health conditions, particularly for individuals who have not responded well to traditional treatments.


Unlike most antidepressant medications that primarily affect serotonin, ketamine works on the brain's glutamate system. This may promote neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to form new neural connections—which is believed to support learning, emotional processing, and recovery from difficult life experiences.


 Many clients describe ketamine as helping them step outside of long-standing patterns of thinking, allowing them to approach painful experiences with greater openness, curiosity, and self-compassion. 

Conditions That May Benefit from Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

  

Research suggests Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy may be beneficial for individuals experiencing:

  • Treatment-resistant depression
  • Major depressive disorder
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Complex trauma
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Chronic stress
  • Grief and loss
  • Existential distress
  • Burnout
  • Persistent negative thought patterns

 Every individual is different, and ketamine is not appropriate for everyone. A comprehensive evaluation is completed to determine whether KAP is an appropriate treatment option. 


Reach out to the office at 480-331-2412, or email Heather Fernandez at heather@heartcenteredtherapist.com to set up a consultation. 

Ketamine therapy options

Individual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Individual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Individual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

 

For individuals, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy can provide an opportunity to explore long-standing emotional patterns from a new perspective. Rather than simply reducing symptoms, therapy focuses on understanding the deeper experiences that contribute to depression, anxiety, trauma, or feelings of being stuck.

I work collaboratively wit

 

For individuals, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy can provide an opportunity to explore long-standing emotional patterns from a new perspective. Rather than simply reducing symptoms, therapy focuses on understanding the deeper experiences that contribute to depression, anxiety, trauma, or feelings of being stuck.

I work collaboratively with clients to integrate ketamine into a comprehensive treatment plan that supports both symptom relief and long-term personal growth.

  Each treatment plan includes preparation sessions, carefully guided ketamine experiences, and integration therapy to help clients apply meaningful insights to everyday life. 

Areas of focus include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Trauma and PTSD
  • Complex trauma
  • Relationship concerns
  • Self-esteem and identity development
  • Life transitions
  • Grief and loss
  • Burnout
  • Emotional regulation
  • Personal growth and self-discovery


Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy and EMDR

Individual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Individual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

 

As a therapist trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), I thoughtfully integrate EMDR principles into the ketamine treatment process when clinically appropriate.

Ketamine may help create greater psychological flexibility, reduce fear responses, and increase openness to emotional processing. EMDR provides a structur

 

As a therapist trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), I thoughtfully integrate EMDR principles into the ketamine treatment process when clinically appropriate.

Ketamine may help create greater psychological flexibility, reduce fear responses, and increase openness to emotional processing. EMDR provides a structured framework for helping the brain reprocess distressing memories and reduce the emotional intensity associated with past experiences.

While ketamine and EMDR are distinct treatments, they can complement one another when carefully planned. Depending on your needs, EMDR may be incorporated before ketamine sessions to build stability, after sessions to process insights, or during different phases of your overall treatment plan.

The goal is not simply to revisit painful memories but to help you process them in a way that promotes healing, resilience, and greater emotional freedom.


Ketamine-Assisted Couples Therapy

Individual Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Ketamine-Assisted Couples Therapy

 

Relationships often become stuck in repetitive cycles of conflict, emotional disconnection, defensiveness, or unresolved pain. Ketamine-Assisted Couples Therapy offers an opportunity for partners to step outside these familiar patterns and engage with one another from a place of greater openness and curiosity.

During treatment, ketamine m

 

Relationships often become stuck in repetitive cycles of conflict, emotional disconnection, defensiveness, or unresolved pain. Ketamine-Assisted Couples Therapy offers an opportunity for partners to step outside these familiar patterns and engage with one another from a place of greater openness and curiosity.

During treatment, ketamine may temporarily soften rigid thinking and increase emotional insight, creating space for more meaningful conversations and deeper emotional connection. The psychotherapy component helps couples translate these experiences into healthier communication, increased empathy, and lasting relationship change.

Every couple's treatment is individualized. Some partners participate together in a shared therapeutic process, while others may also benefit from individual preparation or integration sessions alongside their couples work.

The focus is always on creating a safe therapeutic environment where both partners can deepen understanding, repair emotional injuries, and strengthen their relationship.

 

Couples may seek Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy to address:

  • Emotional disconnection
  • Communication difficulties
  • Trust and betrayal recovery
  • Infidelity healing
  • Attachment injuries
  • Intimacy concerns
  • Parenting stress
  • Life transitions
  • Premarital growth
  • Strengthening emotional connection



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