Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy™ for PTSD: investigating the synergistic effects of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy

Nov 4, 2025European journal of psychotraumatology

Ketamine and EMDR Therapy Together for PTSD: Studying How Drug Treatment and Talk Therapy Work Together

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Abstract

symptoms decreased significantly after treatment with Assisted ™ (KA-EMDR).

PTSD symptom scores dropped from an average of 15.50 to 9.88 after four KA-EMDR sessions.
Functional impairment scores fell from an average of 8.50 to 5.25 during the same period.
Both symptom and functional impairment reductions showed large effect sizes.
Clients reported feeling less fear, more self-compassion, and improved emotional clarity.
KA-EMDR could be beneficial for individuals with treatment-resistant PTSD.

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Posttraumatic stress disorder () is associated with maladaptive memory reconsolidation and overgeneralized fear responses. promotes trauma reprocessing by activating the brain's intrinsic memory reconsolidation mechanism, facilitating memory updating, and abandoning outdated emotional schemas. may also facilitate adaptive updating of traumatic memory due to its neurobiological and subjective effects. Research remains limited on the combined effects of EMDR therapy and ketamine for PTSD. Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy™ (KA-EMDR) integrates low-dose sublingual ketamine with EMDR memory reprocessing, providing a potentially synergistic trauma treatment by improving memory access, reducing hyperarousal, and enhancing adaptive reconsolidation of fear-based memories.To examine whether incorporating low-dose sublingual ketamine into EMDR therapy reduces PTSD symptom severity and functional impairment in individuals with PTSD.A retrospective clinical chart review examined data collected from eight clients with PTSD in a private psychotherapy practice who received KA-EMDR. Sublingual ketamine (37.5-75 mg) was self-administered during EMDR reprocessing after memory activation. The International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) assessed PTSD symptoms and functional impairment at baseline and after four KA-EMDR reprocessing sessions (T1). Paired-samples t-tests analysed symptom changes. Clients also completed a subjective experience questionnaire.PTSD symptom scores significantly decreased from baseline ( = 15.50, SD = 2.98) to T1 ( = 9.88, SD = 4.94),(7) = 3.21, < .05, with a large effect size ( = 1.01). Functional impairment scores significantly declined from baseline ( = 8.50, SD = 2.78) to TI ( = 5.25, SD = 3.24),(7) = 2.60, < .05, with a large effect size = 0.82. Clients reported reduced fear, increased self-compassion and emotional clarity, less resistance, and minimal adverse effects.KA-EMDR may be a promising treatment for PTSD, particularly for those with treatment-resistant trauma. Larger randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings. Background: Objective: Methods: Results: Conclusions: M M t p g M M t p g

Key numbers

5.62

Decrease in Symptoms

Average decrease in ITQ total score from baseline to post-treatment.

3.25

Decrease in Functional Impairment

Average decrease in ITQ functional impairment score from baseline to post-treatment.

Client Demographics

Total number of clients included in the retrospective chart review.

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Ketamine Assisted EMDR Therapy™ for PTSD: investigating the synergistic effects of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy

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