Field Trip Health Introduces Ketimine Therapy to Fredericton
FREDERICTON – Field Trip Health is bringing an emerging form of therapy to New Brunswick.
The organization, which was founded in Toronto in 2020, is a therapy clinic that’s different than many of its rivals. Unlike other clinics, it uses what is called ketamine-assisted therapy to help clients overcome obstacles.
“We treat individuals who are suffering from PTSD, depression, anxiety, and a number of other mental health issues,” says David Muise, the clinic manager of Field Trip Health’s Fredericton location.
Muise explains that clients will come in for ketamine-assisted therapy session, which typically takes about 45 – 60 minutes, and then they will return the next day to speak with a therapist.
“The psychedelic experience knocks down walls and barriers that we put up,” Muise tells Huddle. “[This makes] our therapy sessions more meaningful than your normal, everyday talk therapy.
The science
Ketamine was first approved for use in the United States in the 1970s. At the time, it was marketed as a safer alternative to anesthetics. Around 30 years later, scientists started to figure out that the drug also has significant antidepressant properties.
Since then, scientists have been increasingly studying the drug’s potential as an antidepressant. Psychedelics like ketamine have faced legislative hurdles and stigma for years, and while the science behind psychedelic therapy is still emerging, it is promising.
“Not only do they produce sustained therapeutic effects following a single administration, but they also appear to have broad therapeutic protentional, demonstrating efficacy for treating depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorder, and alcohol use disorder, among others,” states one recent study.
As more evidence accumulates, governments are beginning to relax rules around their use in critical settings. Operations like Field Trip Health are starting to take advantage of the drugs’ changing image and the more friendly regulative environment.
Inspiration for opening
Field Trip Health opened in 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. They now have multiple locations across Canada and the United States.
Muise tells Huddle that the inspiration for opening was “the huge mental health crisis that we have in the world right now.”
He says that the company was made to help those who might not see improvement in their lives from everyday talk therapy.
“Normal talk therapy doesn’t necessarily work and there’s just too many people who are on antidepressants and [have] really seen no positive results” says Muise.
When asked if there had been any struggles introducing this sort of therapy to the community, Muise tells Huddle that people have been “surprisingly open” to the concept.
“Our biggest hurdle is not a lack of acceptance, but just a lack of family physicians in the area” he says.
Since Field Trip Health requires a doctor referral for clients to begin their treatment, a lack of family physicians has had an ongoing impact on the clinic.
‘Life-changing results’
Muise says that a lot of the clients in which Field Trip Health sees are Veterans who suffer from PTSD and severe trauma. This form of therapy helps those individuals deal with that trauma.
“It’s not going to erase the trauma or completely fix it, but it gives them tools to live their lives in a meaningful way,” he tells Huddle.
When asked about any specific client story, Muise told Huddle of an anonymous client who had experienced life-changing results.
“We had one client who’s been home from Afghanistan for 11 years,” he says. “And it wasn’t until he completed our program that he said, ‘I’ve been home for 11 years, but I actually haven’t been here, and for the first time in 11 years I actually feel like I’ve stepped off that plane.’”
Ryley Roach is a Huddle student intern, based in Fredericton. Send her your feedback and story ideas: [email protected]