Ketamine-Assisted EMDR: New Pathways for Healing

This guest blog article was written by trauma therapist Aleighsha Webber, of Still I Rise Counseling.

In trauma therapy, people often show up with the same “stuck” feeling. They begin to notice repeating patterns in relationships, symptoms, emotions, and reactions, yet despite the insight, change still feels out of reach. That rut can lead to exhaustion, hopelessness, and even self-blame.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) 

EMDR works directly with the memories and belief systems stored in the brain that continue to drive symptoms like hypervigilance, panic attacks, nightmares, emotional flooding, dissociation, or feeling constantly on edge. Instead of merely discussing trauma, EMDR assists the brain in reprocessing experiences to make them feel less overpowering, frightening, or current.

To learn more about EMDR, visit Brian Drennen’s blog, A Beginner’s Guide to EMDR.

Ketamine’s Role

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) and EMDR share a similar belief system that healing happens when the brain becomes more flexible and is able to integrate new, adaptable information. Ketamine is a legal medication that can aid in the healing process. It creates an altered state of consciousness that can allow clients to step outside rigid thought patterns, reduce fear responses, and view experiences with more distance.

An incredible aspect of ketamine therapy is its ability to temporarily make the brain more flexible, often for about 24 to 48 hours after a session. During this time, the brain is more open to learning and change, which can make it easier to:

• Create new ways of responding instead of falling into old habits
• Take in healing emotional experiences
• Shift long-held beliefs about yourself or the world
• Develop healthier patterns for regulating emotions and stress

To guarantee safety and appropriateness, all ketamine work is carried out under medical supervision, with collaboration between the prescriber and therapist.

Why Combine Ketamine with EMDR?

Sometimes in EMDR, barriers present themselves. Certain memories may be difficult to fully access or process due to strong internal protectors, fear responses, or emotional overwhelm. Ketamine can help navigate these barriers.

Ketamine can reduce the fight-or-flight response, lowering the intensity of fear and threat. Clients often experience increased openness, reduced avoidance, and greater access to material that once felt unreachable. This new material can then be used in the EMDR process to support adaptive learning and update negative belief systems. Additionally, meaning-making and emotional integration can be more accessible with the use of Ketamine with EMDR. 

Integrating Ketamine with EMDR is about making the work feel safer and more attainable. 

Preparation and Integration

In ketamine-assisted EMDR, meaningful change happens through preparation and integration. Preparation focuses on building safety, setting intentions, and establishing trust. EMDR resourcing can be especially helpful in getting clients grounded and supported before a ketamine dosing session. Integration is where insights, emotions, and memories that emerge are explored and made sense of. EMDR then helps anchor these experiences into the brain in a way that supports lasting, meaningful change.

Recent Research

A recent study published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology examined a protocol integrating low-dose ketamine with EMDR. Early findings showed reductions in PTSD symptoms, improved functioning, and increased emotional clarity and self-compassion. While more large-scale research is needed, early results support what many clinicians are seeing in practice: ketamine and psychotherapy together can deepen and extend therapeutic change. 

Access the study here.

Who Might Be a Good Fit?

Ketamine-Assisted EMDR may be helpful for individuals experiencing:

• Complex or developmental trauma
• Treatment-resistant PTSD or depression
• Disordered Eating
• Substance Use
• Strong intellectualization or protective parts
• Barriers or difficulty accessing material
• Trauma from service for Military, Veterans, or First responders
• Chronic or terminal illness
• Clinicians or helpers with their own processing barriers

Conclusion

Combining ketamine with EMDR can enhance adaptive reprocessing by:

Opening a 24–48 hour window where the brain is more flexible, making it easier to shift old patterns and create new ones

• Lowering fear and emotional defenses
• Making change feel more accessible and less overwhelming

When used thoughtfully and collaboratively, this approach can support clients in loosening stuck patterns and creating meaningful, lasting change.

About the Author

Aleighsha Webber is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and the Founder of Still I Rise Counseling in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. She earned her Master of Science in Counseling and Psychology from Troy University and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Troy University with a B.S. in Psychology. With over 12 years of military service and 10 years as Active Duty Air Force, she brings a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by those who serve. She continues to serve as an Air Force Reservist, keeping a strong connection to her military community. Aleighsha has a compassionate and down-to-earth approach and recognizes the need to treat the root causes of symptoms to achieve life-long benefits. Her dedication and passion for serving those who serve is the heart of her practice. Aleighsha is a EMDR Certified Therapist and Consultant-In-Training and a Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy provider with Journey Clinical.

Ready to Move Beyond Stuck? Start EMDR Therapy in Palm Beach County, FL 

If you've been doing the work but still feel like something is holding you back, you're not alone — and you're not out of options. Ketamine-assisted EMDR is an innovative, evidence-informed approach designed for exactly those moments when traditional therapy has hit a wall.

Whether you're navigating complex trauma, treatment-resistant PTSD, or simply a persistent sense that change feels just out of reach, this combined approach may open doors that have felt closed for a long time. The goal isn't to push harder — it's to help your brain become more flexible, more open, and more ready to heal. Start your therapy journey with Mangrove Therapy Group by following these simple steps:

1. Contact Mangrove Therapy Group 

2. Meet with a caring therapist 

3. Start becoming more flexible, open, and ready to heal.

Other Services Offered with Mangrove Therapy Group

EMDR therapy is only one of the multiple services that our team offers. The therapists at Mangrove Therapy Group are trained to support you through so much more. Our Delray Beach, FL office, also offers care for:

• Trauma, EMDR intensives, PTSD, and Complex PTSD
• Substance use and process addictions
• Eating disorders and body image concerns
• Grief, loss, anxiety, depression, and self-esteem challenges
• Anger, shame, emotional dysregulation
• “Failure to Launch” issues and life transitions
• CBT and DBT-based support

If you’re ready, we’re here. You can learn more on our blog or in our FAQ.