Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Adults in Denver & Dallas
A Supported Path Toward Relief, Insight, and Lasting Change
Ketamine‑Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is an innovative, research‑supported approach that combines the neurobiological effects of ketamine with skilled, relational psychotherapy. When thoughtfully integrated, ketamine can help quiet entrenched patterns of distress and open space for insight, emotional flexibility, and deeper connection to self.
“Depending upon dose, ketamine promotes a time‑out from ordinary mind, relief from negativity, and an openness to the expansiveness of mind with access to Self in the larger sense. These effects enhance a patient’s ability to engage in meaningful psychotherapy during and after administration.”
— Dore et al., 2019
Who Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy May Be Helpful For
Ketamine‑Assisted Psychotherapy can be especially supportive for adults who:
Feel stuck in patterns that traditional therapy hasn’t fully shifted
Experience treatment‑resistant depression or persistent anxiety
Live with the lingering effects of trauma or grief
Struggle with rumination, hopelessness, or emotional numbness
Are seeking deeper insight, clarity, and reconnection to meaning
KAP is not about bypassing your experience - it’s about creating the conditions for therapy to go deeper, more gently and effectively.
How Ketamine‑Assisted Psychotherapy Works
KAP is a holistic process that unfolds over several phases:
1. Preparation
Before any ketamine sessions, you’ll meet with your therapist to explore your history, intentions, and readiness. Preparation sessions focus on safety, trust, and helping you understand what to expect—emotionally, physically, and psychologically.
2. Ketamine Sessions
Ketamine is administered in a carefully structured therapeutic setting. During the medicine session, many clients experience a sense of spaciousness, reduced self‑criticism, and shifts in perception that feel expansive or clarifying. You’ll be supported throughout the experience by your therapist.
3. Integration
After the effects of ketamine subside, your therapist will help you process and integrate what emerged—translating insights into meaningful change in daily life. Integration is where lasting transformation takes root.
About Ketamine
Ketamine is a legal, well‑studied medication that has been used safely in medical settings for decades. In mental health treatment, ketamine is known for its rapid‑acting antidepressant and mood‑enhancing effects, which can begin within hours of administration.
From a neurobiological perspective, ketamine works differently than traditional antidepressants. It blocks NMDA receptors while stimulating AMPA receptors, which is believed to:
Support the formation of new neural connections
Increase neuroplasticity
Strengthen brain circuits involved in mood regulation and stress response
These effects can create a unique window of opportunity for psychotherapy.
At Rooted Rhythm Therapy, we partner with Journey Clinical for all medical aspects of care. Their licensed medical team:
Determines eligibility
Prescribes ketamine
Develops individualized treatment plans
Monitors outcomes and safety
We exclusively use sublingual ketamine lozenges through this partnership.
What the Experience Is Like
The acute effects of ketamine typically last around 45 minutes. During this time, you’ll be resting comfortably, often with eyeshades and supportive music. Many clients describe feeling less identified with their body, a softening of habitual thought patterns, and a sense of expanded awareness.
Because motor and verbal abilities are reduced, this portion of the session is largely internal and experiential. Once the effects wear off, you’ll spend time with your therapist reflecting, processing, and making meaning of the experience.
While some insights can be difficult to put into words, clients often report that what emerges feels clear, resonant, and deeply felt.
Please read more about this service here and review KAP preparation guidelines here.
Locations & Logistics
We currently offer in‑person Ketamine‑Assisted Psychotherapy for adults in:
Colorado
Texas
Services will be expanding soon to Georgia.
If you’re curious about whether KAP is a fit for you, we invite you to schedule a free consultation.
Meet Our Ketamine‑Assisted Psychotherapy Team
Kendall Schauermann, MA, LPCC
Head of KAP | Denver, CO
Kendall brings a holistic outlook to therapy that is rooted in compassionate presence. He believes in co-creating a safe environment for growth and healing with his clients, where trust and empathy are central.
Kendall specializes in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), psychedelic integration, supporting fathers of young children, grief and loss, and healthy masculinity. He often supports men who have been living in anxiety or depression, and who are ready to find meaning and purpose in their lives. Kendall has experience with individuals in hospice care and people with dementia, as well as supporting their families.
Becoming a psychotherapist is a second career for Kendall. He studied finance at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He previously worked in non-profit accounting and helped run a clothing company. He has a 7 year old daughter and 5 year old son who have been instrumental in Kendall’s healing and growth. This life and family experience, blended with a strong daily meditation practice and an interest in continued study of therapeutic theory, offers a grounded and impactful healing space to his clients.
Kendall has a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology program at Naropa University. He has completed several Psychedelic Assisted Therapy trainings including the Transpersonal Research Institute of Psychotherapeutic Psychedelics KAP Clinician Training and Beyond the Mind’s Integrated Somatic Interventions Program.
Elana Cohen, LCSW
KAP Therapist | Denver, CO
Elana Cohen is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families through complex emotional and relational challenges. She brings a grounded, compassionate, and trauma-informed presence to her work, with a strong belief in each person’s innate capacity for healing when given the right support and conditions.
Elana offers Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) as a collaborative, integrative process that combines the neurobiological benefits of ketamine with thoughtful, relational psychotherapy. Her approach emphasizes safety, preparation, and integration—helping clients make sense of their experiences and translate insights gained during ketamine sessions into meaningful, lasting change. She is especially attuned to working with individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, and entrenched patterns that have felt resistant to traditional therapy.
Drawing from extensive training in trauma-informed care, experiential therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and positive psychology, Elana supports clients in gently exploring new perspectives, increasing emotional flexibility, and reconnecting with a sense of agency and self-trust. Her background in wilderness therapy, substance use recovery programs, schools, outpatient clinics, and in-home family therapy has shaped her holistic and systems-oriented lens.
Elana holds a Master of Social Work from Westfield State University and a second Master’s degree in Environmental Education from Lesley University. Her training in experiential and nature-based learning continues to inform her belief in healing as an embodied, relational, and integrative process. She is licensed in Colorado, Utah, and Massachusetts.
Sara Galaso, LMSW
KAP Therapist | Dallas, TX
Sara offers unparalleled compassionate support and hope to parents navigating the terrain of parenting children. Providing a safe space to process big emotions, Sara empowers clients in effectively developing their connection to themselves and strengthening bonds with others.
After years of intensively supporting (migrant and refugee) families, Sara obtained her graduate degree in social work from the University of Texas in Arlington specializing in children and families. She has specialized training and experience in navigating grief and loss due to major life changes, such as death, divorce, infertility and faith deconstruction.
Sara knows the value of staying peacefully grounded during the chaos of change, by utilizing mindfulness based somatic practices like meditation, breathing techniques, sound/movement therapy and yoga. She is trained in play therapy and ketamine assisted psychotherapy to support children and women in connecting more deeply to their wellness.
Sara’s extensive education and life experience allow her to provide deeply healing opportunities for the children and adults whom she serves to feel confident in being their authentic selves. Her three teenage daughters have been her greatest teachers, and she loves witnessing them develop their talents and explore their own sense of identity in the world.
Sara is also fluent in Spanish and able to offer culturally responsive services to Spanish speaking families.
Testimonials
“I’ve had an extremely positive experience working with Kendall and Sophie. They understand the intricacies of psychedelic medicine and are extremely well informed on how to process and release trauma. Overall very professional with kind and personable therapists.” - J.K., Adult male client
“Kendall helped me take a bold step towards a more loving, pain-free existence. Throughout our session, he sat with me, at times comforted me, and gave me courage when facing the unknown. I’m sure he would be just as adept and gifted at holding space for other men. I’ve known Kendall for more than 15 years now and find him to be of the highest character. He is gentle, kindhearted, and conducts himself with admirable poise. In connecting me with other healers, Kendall has helped guide me on a life-changing journey that has forever transformed my life. I am a better human because of him, and would recommend him to you as highly as I have ever recommended anyone.” - T.W., Father of two
“Sophie embodies the wellness that she supports others to attain with ease, confidence, humility and humor. She has a multi-faceted expertise and I have had the gift of working with her as a parent (completing parenting course and ongoing weekly calls) and as a woman on my own healing journey (Ketamine assisted psychotherapy). It is so rare these days to be able to see one healer for various aspects of life (healing, relationships, parenting, spiritual curiosity) and Sophie strikes the just right balance. She toggles between holding space, coaching, inquiry, somatic approaches, play and research-based practices for integration. Sophie believes that individuals and families can attain wellness. I was dubious about this, due to my own complex trauma and experiences. However, with her commitment to my breakthroughs and my dedication, I'm confident that wellness is possible too.” - Mother of 2 year old girl and 4 year old boy
“My experience with Sophie & Kendall has been everything I wanted, and then some! I first started seeing Sophie during the Covid pandemic for some help & was not disappointed. We began meeting virtually then after some time shifted to in-person. Sophie did an amazing job of creating a safe space where I felt loving-kindness, my voice being heard, and gratitude for the tools being presented to me that really made a difference. Not only did Sophie accomplish these feelings/secureness in-person, but over video calls as well which is really quite impressive & really lends to the passion/hard work she puts in.
Next came my time with Kendall, working on gaining more knowledge/guidance with mindfulness, and life in general in addition to masculine energy. To no surprise the wonderful service I received from Sophie translated over into my work with Kendall. The space he held gave the opportunity for me to be completely vulnerable, and truly share what was on my mind/what I was going through with no fear of judgement. Doing so allowed me to put my guard down and realize a lot of what I was going through was fairly common. The impact that had allowed me to be more gentle & compassionate with myself.
If you’re looking for individuals who are loving, authentic, supportive, and truly invested in helping people then look no further than these two beautiful humans!” - J.S., Adult male client
"Sophie’s guidance has been everything I was looking for and beyond. Sophie’s unconditional support has shifted my thinking from "working" on parts of myself that I don't like... to embracing all parts of me for the full experience. I have felt guided, intentional, and held through every step of the way - something I've never felt in this way before..." - KAP participant
Next Steps
Ketamine‑Assisted Psychotherapy is a deeply personal process, and we believe informed choice matters. A free consultation gives you space to ask questions, explore readiness, and understand whether this approach aligns with your needs.