Founder Insights from ASKP3: Why Ketamine Works Best When Therapy Is Part of the Plan

We recently attended the The American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists & Practitioners (ASKP3) Conference, a national gathering of clinicians, researchers, and providers working at the leading edge of ketamine and psychedelic-assisted mental health care. Conferences like this can sometimes feel overwhelming, but this one was different. The conversations were practical, research backed, and focused on what actually helps patients improve over time.

We left feeling both challenged and reassured. Challenged by how much there still is to learn about the brain. Reassured that at Koru Wellness, we are approaching ketamine treatment in a way that aligns with where the field is clearly headed.

One concept, in particular, stood out throughout the conference: ketamine is powerful, but it is not meant to work alone.

Glutamate: A Missing Piece in Mental Health Conversations

Much of the conference focused on a brain chemical called glutamate. While serotonin and dopamine get most of the attention in mental health conversations, glutamate is actually the most abundant and influential chemical messenger in the brain. It plays a central role in learning, mood, memory, and the brain’s ability to change and adapt.

What became clear is that glutamate is not something to simply “increase” or “decrease.” Balance matters. Too little glutamate activity and the brain struggles to grow, adapt, or recover from stress. Too much glutamate activity and the brain becomes overstimulated, inflamed, and stuck in rigid patterns.

This balance helps explain why mental health symptoms can look so different from one person to the next, even when diagnoses appear similar. It also helps explain why single-medication approaches often fall short. Glutamate is not an antidepressant. It is a regulator of brain flexibility and resilience, influencing how the brain responds to stress, trauma, and change.

Why Ketamine Helps and Why It Is Not the Whole Answer

Ketamine works by briefly disrupting unhealthy glutamate patterns. For many people, this creates a window where the brain becomes more flexible and less locked into repetitive thought loops, emotional shutdown, or chronic distress. That window can feel profound and relieving.

However, the conference reinforced an important reality: without support, the brain often returns to familiar patterns. Ketamine opens the door, but it does not teach the brain what to do next.

This is where therapy becomes essential. Multiple sessions and case discussions highlighted that psychotherapy is not just emotional processing. Over time, therapy itself can influence how glutamate behaves in key emotional and regulatory regions of the brain. In simple terms, therapy helps translate ketamine’s short-term effects into lasting change by reinforcing new patterns rather than old ones .

This reinforced why a medication-only model of ketamine treatment has never felt sufficient to us. Relief without integration is often temporary.

The Overlooked Factor: The Brain Lives in the Body

Another major theme at ASKP3 focused on patients who did not fully respond to ketamine until underlying physical factors were addressed. These were not rare or extreme cases. They were high-functioning individuals whose nervous systems remained stuck due to issues such as vitamin deficiencies, hormone imbalances, sleep disorders, thyroid dysfunction, or chronic inflammation.

Several presentations demonstrated how targeted lab work and functional medicine approaches uncovered problems that had quietly undermined mental health for years. When those issues were addressed alongside ketamine and therapy, patient outcomes improved significantly.

This is a critical point. Mental health treatment cannot ignore the body. The brain depends on nutrients, hormones, energy balance, and immune regulation to function properly. When those systems are compromised, progress often stalls regardless of how effective the psychological or medication-based intervention may be.

Why This Conference Confirmed Our Approach at Koru Wellness

ASKP3 did not push us toward a new philosophy. Instead, it confirmed the one we already practice.

At Koru Wellness, we believe ketamine is most effective when it is paired with therapy, supported by thoughtful preparation and integration, and informed by the broader health picture of the person receiving care. Some patients need more than symptom relief. They need deeper investigation into what is keeping their nervous system from stabilizing.

Ketamine creates opportunity. Therapy gives direction. Functional medicine strengthens the foundation. When these elements work together, outcomes improve. When one is missing, people often plateau.

The Direction of Mental Health Care

The future of mental health care is not about a single diagnosis, drug, or protocol. It is about precision, integration, and respect for complexity. Ketamine will continue to play an important role, but increasingly it will be used as part of a broader, more personalized approach that recognizes the brain, body, and lived experience as inseparable.

After attending ASKP3, we are more confident than ever that this integrated model is not just thoughtful. It is necessary.

If you feel like you’ve tried traditional paths without getting the lasting relief you’re looking for, consider a different kind of approach. At Koru Wellness, we combine ketamine-assisted therapy with licensed counseling, medical evaluation, lab testing, and supportive wellness services to address not just symptoms but the root causes of emotional and mental health struggles . Every treatment plan is personalized, evidence-informed, and built around your goals. If you’re curious about whether this integrated model could be the next step for you, we invite you to schedule a complimentary consultation or explore our services at koruwell.com.