Special Newsletter: Ketamine Infusion Therapy

Introducing our newest service that we have been envisioning for years:
ketamine therapy.

Over the last several years, I have been following one of our consulting
physicians on his path into psychedelic medicine for mental health conditions
and specifically for people in the postpartum period. The amount of research
taking place not just in the US but around the world in the last couple of
decades has been astronomical. The outcomes are giving people who suffer
from a myriad of mental health conditions, and those who treat them, some
incredibly promising results.

After many years of sitting across from mothers who were struggling with their
mental health and not finding relief on traditional anti-anxiety/depressant
medications, we, as providers, started paying close attention to the research
around Ketamine therapy. Two years ago, Alisa and I were so intrigued by
what we were witnessing, that we decided to get trained in Ketamine Assisted
Psychotherapy (KAP). And now we are ready to launch this service.
You can read about it on our website here (and if you are interested, or know
someone who might be, you can download and fill out the new client forms
here.)

Now, to be clear, we are not therapists and we know this. But we are
prescribing providers and in a very unique position in an out-of-hospital
setting who care for and monitor mothers closely who are at-risk or struggling
with their mental health, sometimes within just days of their birth; sometimes,
months and months later. Our visits with these families often center around
listening and making a plan with the client that keeps her and her baby safe.
Ketamine therapy is safe and fast-acting and while it’s not a magic bullet, as
nothing is, it can change someone’s mental state within hours of an infusion.
And from there, the work is not done. Our providers can help you find a
therapist if you don’t have one or an adjunct therapist for integration after the
Ketamine sessions.

Abigail and Alisa are the only Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) trained
providers at Dar a Luz and will sit in session with each client who chooses this
therapy with us. You do not need to be established with Dar a Luz and this is
not just for people who have had babies. This service is open to women who
desire this therapy in our space with our providers. We have taken the utmost
care to create a safe guideline and warm space for this service, just as we
have with all of our care in the past. We are so excited to join the expansion of
mental health wellness through this therapy and we are thrilled to be offering it
to women throughout our community. We are very experienced certified
nurse-midwives who have worked in women’s healthcare for over 20 years. In
that time, we have cared for many during different phases of their lives
including births and losses, joys and traumas, beginnings and endings. The
word “midwife” literally means “with woman”, and there are many ways to
support and be with women.

Frequently, Ketamine treatments are called “life changing”. We have had
the privilege of accompanying countless people through life changing
experiences. Many of life’s profound experiences share similarities to labor
and birth.

Below you can find the link to our thorough ketamine information guide on our
wesbite. If you have any additional questions, please send them to
newclient@daraluzbirthcenter.org. Alisa or I will get back to you within one
business day. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

With abiding love,
Abigail

Intro to Ketamine

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine was discovered in 1962 by Parke-Davis in an attempt to develop a
safe anesthetic that could be given by an untrained person in certain
situations such as the battlefield; it was used first during the Vietnam War. It
was FDA approved in 1970. It then moved into the operating room and is
often used on children because of its safety. It has also been adopted by
veterinarians for animal anesthesia. It is currently a Schedule III controlled
substance.

Ketamine also has anti-depressant effects. This was realized in the 1970s but
formal studies weren’t initiated until the 1990s. The first paper was published
in 2000 and the results have been replicated many times over for people
particularly with treatment resistant depression (TRD). There are also
indications for people with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
bipolar depression, and other conditions in the absence of other
contraindications (identified below). When ketamine is used for these
psychiatric purposes, it is used at sub-anesthetic doses which are
significantly lower than doses used for anesthesia purposes.

Abigail and Alisa are Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) trained
providers and completed their training through the Psychedelic Research and
Training Institute (PRATI).

Other Ways To Donate to DAL!

Please consider donating to Dar a Luz to set us up for an impactful 2026!
Every donation has a profound impact on staff and clients alike and allows us
to continue offering our exceptional care to New Mexican families.

You can now donate via PayPal directly through our donor platform,
Network for Good by clicking the button below.

We thank you for your support!

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• Cash or Check (info below)

Please make checks payable to:
Dar a Luz Birth & Health Center
7708 4th Street NW, Los Ranchos, NM 87107

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