Ketamine-Assisted Intensive Retreats
Experience Life-Changing Transformation in Just One Week
Ketamine-Assisted Intensive Retreats are a powerful new approach to trauma healing. Available year round in Northampton, MA.
- 3 to 5 days
- Northampton, MA and East Granby, CT
- One therapist, one client
Why a retreat
The Power of Intensive Therapy
When dealing with deep-rooted trauma or persistent mental health challenges, a more powerful intervention is often necessary to create meaningful change. Our intensive retreat model provides this catalyst:
-
A single day equals approximately eight 45-50 minute therapy sessions
-
Two months of weekly therapy condensed into just one day
-
Your therapist's undivided attention throughout each day
-
No time wasted on session transitions or catching up
-
Continuous, immersive therapeutic work allowing for deeper insights
Certified, trusted, and recognized
The approach
Embark on a Transformative Healing Journey with Our KAIR Team
Uncover new depths of healing and personal growth with our groundbreaking Ketamine-Assisted Intensive Retreat (KAIR) Program. What makes us unique is that we combine the potency of ketamine with intensive trauma therapy. This is a powerful approach for treating various mental health conditions, especially those resistant to traditional treatments.
Trauma can lock us into rigid responses, crippling our ability to interact with the world spontaneously. We become hypervigilant, constantly on guard. To thrive, we need to loosen our grip on former ways of relating and become more adaptable.
Ketamine offers a powerful key. It unlocks the neuroplastic windows of our brain, allowing us to create new connections and cognitive flexibility. We can learn to navigate daily life with greater fluidity and grace, shedding the shackles of internal vigilance and truly engage with the world. By quieting the mind’s resistance, ketamine can open doors to fresh insights and possibilities that may have felt inaccessible before.
Ketamine, however, is just the beginning. To fully integrate these new insights, intensive therapy with a skilled clinician is crucial. Their feedback and presence during and after the ketamine experience helps us continue the integration of the journey, anchoring the positive changes in our long-term memory.
This transformative combination of ketamine and intensive trauma therapy empowers us to redefine how we respond to the world. We become able to reshape our narrative, build our resilience and take back control of our lives.
Your week
The KAIR Program Experience: Your Healing Journey
-
Day 1: Intake, Resource Building & Assessment
You'll be your therapist's only client for the entire duration of your retreat, allowing for a depth of connection and continuity that accelerates the healing process. Your first day begins with a comprehensive intake process to understand your unique history, current challenges, strengths, and goals.
-
Days 2-5: Intensive Trauma Processing with Ketamine Integration
When you and your therapist agree you're ready, you'll begin methodically processing your traumatic memories, typically working chronologically from earliest to most recent. This structured approach often creates a “domino effect,” where healing earlier wounds naturally diminishes the emotional charge of later experiences.
-
Final Day: Integration and Future Planning
Your retreat concludes with a comprehensive integration session to solidify the progress you've made and prepare you for continuing your healing journey.
Safety and professional care
Providing you with a space you can feel safe.
Safety is our highest priority in the KAIR Program. All ketamine sessions are conducted under the supervision of qualified medical professionals, with vital signs monitored throughout to ensure client safety.
Unlike some ketamine providers who focus solely on the medication aspect, our program embeds ketamine treatment within a comprehensive therapeutic framework. Our experienced clinicians provide support before, during, and after ketamine sessions to help process and integrate the experience.
During ketamine sessions, you may experience altered perceptions, changes in thought patterns, emotional releases, or insights. These effects are normal parts of the ketamine experience and typically resolve completely within a few hours after the session. Our clinical team is trained to guide you through these experiences and help you use them therapeutically.
The KAIR Program is designed for deep therapeutic work and is not appropriate for acute crisis situations. If you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or crisis hotline for immediate support.
Our team
Meet our Team of Certified Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Providers
-
Dr. Bambi Rattner, Psy.D.
Northampton, MA
Bambi received her master’s degree in 1987 and has been in practice ever since - 37 years! She received her doctorate in psychology in 1997 and has worked in pretty much every setting, with every age, and every population. In her intensive work she weaves together EMDR, Internal Family Systems, ART and Image Transformation Therapy to promote rapid healing and lasting change.
-
Nikki Gamache, M.A., LMHC
Northampton, MA
Nikki is EMDR Certified and trained in a variety of trauma-healing methods, including Progressive Counting, Flash, and ART. She practices from a mindfulness-based and Internal Family Systems approach. Nikki has worked with a variety of clients from all different backgrounds, with her passion being in working with LGBTQ+ individuals with a focus on transgender and non-binary individuals.
-
Amy Shuman, LICSW, DCSW
Northampton, MA
Amy’s 30 years as a social worker has provided her the opportunity to work extensively with people and their challenges. She uses a blend of two approaches: Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and a heart-felt meditation practice called HeartMath, to help clients decrease or resolve distress that affects their ability to find contentment in their present life.
-
Vickie Alston, LCSW, DCSW
East Granby, CT
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Correctional Health Care Professional & Master Practitioner in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) & EMDR, Vickie has unique experience assisting individuals to enhance their lives. She has been in private practice for 28 years and has worked 40 years with populations across the lifespan in medical, mental health, correctional & military settings.
Common questions
Common Questions About the KAIR Program
How long does the KAIR Program last?
Our intensive retreats typically last 3-5 days, depending on individual needs and treatment goals. This concentrated format allows for deep therapeutic work within a relatively short timeframe.
Is the KAIR Program right for me?
The KAIR Program is designed for individuals who have tried multiple types of therapy without finding adequate relief, especially those dealing with trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and related conditions. Our assessment process helps determine if the program is appropriate for your situation.
What kind of results can I expect?
While results vary for each individual, many clients report significant improvements after completing the KAIR Program. These may include reduced symptoms, improved mood, decreased anxiety, better sleep, enhanced relationships, and a greater sense of well-being. The program often provides insights and shifts that continue to develop over time.
How does the KAIR Program differ from standard ketamine treatment?
Unlike standalone ketamine treatments, the KAIR Program integrates ketamine with intensive trauma therapy in a retreat setting. This comprehensive approach addresses the root causes of symptoms and provides the therapeutic support needed to process and integrate the ketamine experience.
What happens after the retreat ends?
The healing process continues after the retreat concludes. We provide a post-retreat follow-up session and recommendations for continuing care. Many clients find that the insights and shifts that occur during the retreat continue to unfold in the weeks and months that follow.
Get started
Get in touch.
Please select your preferred therapist from the menu below:
We offer the KAIR Program at our facilities in both Northampton, MA and East Granby, CT.