FAQs

I’ve never talked to anyone. I’m used to handling things on my own. Aren’t people who go to therapy weak?

Not at all. People who ask for help know when they need it and have the ability to reach out. Everyone needs help now and then. You already have some strengths that you’ve used before, that for whatever reason isn’t working right now. Perhaps this problem feels overwhelming and is making it difficult to access your past strengths. In our work together, I’ll help you identify what those strengths are and how to implement them again in what is happening now.

What’s the difference between talking to you or my best friend or family?

The difference is between someone who can do something and someone who has the training and experience to do that same thing professionally. A mental health professional can help you approach your situation in a new way– teach you new skills, gain different perspectives, listen to you without judgment or expectations, and help you listen to yourself. Furthermore, therapy is completely confidential. You won’t have to worry about others “knowing my business.” Lastly, if your situation provokes a great deal of negative emotion, if you’ve been confiding in a friend or family member, there is the risk that once you are feeling better you could start avoiding that person so you aren’t reminded of this difficult time in your life.

How is not using insurance beneficial?

When insurance is used, a mental health diagnosis code (DSM code) is required. There are plenty of reasons to not want to have a mental health diagnosis in your records as a pre-existing condition. Therefore, many clients choose to pay for counseling services out of pocket. This way, you are free to choose any provider that you feel is the best fit for you or your family. You have total control over who you choose and how many times you see them. I am an Out-Of-Network Provider, and I do not submit insurance claims for you. However, if you would like to attempt to get reimbursement, I'm happy to provide you with an invoice for services provided.

Why shouldn’t I just take medication?

Medication alone cannot solve all issues. What medication does is treat the symptoms. Our work together is designed to explore the root of the issue, dig deep into your behavior and teach strategies that can help you accomplish your personal and/or relational goals. Medication can be effective and is sometimes needed in conjunction with therapy.

How does it work? What do I have to do in sessions?

Because each person has different issues and goals for therapy, therapy will be different depending on the individual. I tailor my therapeutic approach to your specific needs

How long will it take?

Unfortunately, this is not possible to say in a general FAQs page. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time therapy can take to allow you to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to seek therapy in the first place.

I want to get the most out of therapy. What can I do to help?

I am so glad you are dedicated to getting the most out of your sessions. Your active participation and dedication are crucial to your success. After all, we only see each other for a session a week. It’s the work you do outside of our sessions that will really help you see your personal growth and development.

My partner and I are having problems. Should we be in individual counseling or come together?

If you are concerned about your relationship, and you would both like to work with me, I would initially work with both of you together. After this work, if one of you would like to continue in individual sessions, I could work with only one of you. It is not helpful to move from individual into couple’s work with the same therapist because of potential trust issues.

Are you a Christian counselor?

I am a counselor who is a Christian, but I do not advertise as a Christian counselor. Many of my clients have little or no faith background. Many are even anti-religion. That is never a problem. I work with what the client brings to therapy. If my client wants to explore spiritual issues, I'm more than comfortable in that arena regardless of the particular faith choices that the client may have. Faith is personal. My job as a therapist is not to guide a client to a certain place, but to help them explore if and when they want to explore those issues.

Contact

This isn't about fixing you. It's about releasing what is holding you back.

Clients often describe:

• Releasing trauma without overwhelming their nervous system

• Opening to joy and intimacy without self-sabotage

• Needing less—or no—daily anxiety medication

• Meeting younger parts of themselves with compassion

• Reconnecting with meaning or spirituality, without fear

This isn’t a magic pill. But in the right hands and setting, it can be deeply transformative.

Medical and Psychological Screening via telemed with a partnering psychiatrist at the Rivus Wellness and Research Institute
Preparation Session with Chris Green, LMFT
Ketamine Session with Chris' therapeutic support
Integration Therapy with Chris to process insights and apply them to daily life

On the day of your dosing session, please follow the directions given by the treatment team about food and medication intake. You can plan to spend approximately three hours at the clinic on the day of treatment, although this time may vary.

At the beginning of the session, you and your therapist will clarify intentions for your experience. I will encourage you to hold these intentions lightly, as resistance or attempts to control the experience can produce anxiety and stand in the way of the experience.

I will us music and low lighting to set the tone for your session. Music serves to ground and potentially enhance or guide the experience. I'll provide playlists designed to optimize your benefit from your treatment session. I will help you to optimize set and setting through meditative practices, and/or other somatic exercises to support an open, relaxed mindset, to reduce anxiety and to ease the transition into non-ordinary states of consciousness.

Once the ketamine is administered, you will be encouraged to use an eye mask to facilitate and enhance the experience, and to help you maintain an internal focus. You will spend much of the session “going inside” or focusing on your internal experience. However, your therapist will be available throughout the session should you need support or encouragement. Your therapist will take detailed notes on all that you share in order to support recall, insight, and integration.

As the effects of the medicine wear off, you will spend time discussing and integrating your experience with your therapist. All dosing sessions will be followed by an integration session in the subsequent days or weeks after the dosing session. This is where we work together to process insights and apply them to daily life.

This work may be a good fit for individuals who:

• Have felt limited by traditional talk therapy or feel like progress is very slow

• Are living with depression that hasn’t responded to other treatments

• Are navigating the effects of trauma or PTSD

• Are seeking meaningful emotional breakthroughs or new perspectives

Here’s the simple version:

1. It helps your brain become more flexible.

· Ketamine increases neuroplasticity, meaning your brain becomes more open to change, new perspectives, and emotional healing.

2. It softens rigid patterns.

· Depression, trauma, and anxiety can create mental loops that feel stuck. Ketamine can temporarily soften those patterns.

3. It creates a calmer inner space.

· Many people describe feeling more relaxed, less weighed down, and more able to focus inward.

Before the Session: Preparation

You and Chris will:

· Discuss your history, symptoms, and goals

· Review safety and medical considerations

· Set an intention for the experience

· Talk about what the journey may feel like

· Make sure you feel supported

During the Session

Effects begin within minutes and typically last 45–90 minutes. You may experience:

· Deep relaxation or a floating feeling

· Dream-like imagery

· A shift in perception

· Emotional release or calm

· Temporary loss of awareness of the room

· A sense of spaciousness or clarity

Your therapist stays with you the entire time.

After the Session: Integration

As the medicine wears off, you and Chris will explore:

· What you felt or noticed

· Any emotions or insights that came up

· How the experience relates to your life

· Practical ways to apply what you learned

Integration is where meaningful, lasting change happens.

Before participating in Ketamine treatment, you will be carefully interviewed to determine whether you are eligible for Ketamine therapy, including a medical history, a physical exam - if deemed necessary, review of your medical/psychiatric records, a psychiatric history and administration of brief psychological tests to assess your state of mind.

• Pregnant women and nursing mothers are not eligible because of potential effects on the fetus or nursing child. The effects of Ketamine on pregnancy and the fetus are undetermined, and therefore, it is advisable to protect against pregnancy while exposing yourself to Ketamine or in the immediate aftermath of its use.

• Untreated hypertension is a contra-indication to Ketamine use as the substance causes a rise in blood pressure. Similarly, a history of heart disease may make you ineligible to participate.

• Information on Ketamine’s interaction with other medicines is only partially available, and it will be assessed as to your eligibility for KAP.

• Ketamine should not be taken if you have hyperthyroidism. There have also been reports of some decrease in immune function in patients receiving surgical doses of Ketamine.

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy FAQ's

FAQs

I’ve never talked to anyone. I’m used to handling things on my own. Aren’t people who go to therapy weak?

What’s the difference between talking to you or my best friend or family?

How is not using insurance beneficial?

Why shouldn’t I just take medication?

How does it work? What do I have to do in sessions?

How long will it take?

I want to get the most out of therapy. What can I do to help?

My partner and I are having problems. Should we be in individual counseling or come together?

Are you a Christian counselor?

Will KAP fix me?

What does the KAP process look like?

What does a KAP session look like?

Who can benefit from KAP?

How does Ketamine work?

What should I expect from KAP?

Who can participate in KAP?

Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy FAQ's