Episode 108 | New to Ketamine? 3 Things to Know Before You Start

If you're new to ketamine therapy or Spravato (esketamine), figuring out where to start can feel overwhelming. How do you choose the right ketamine clinic or treatment provider? How should you prepare for a ketamine or Spravato session? And what should you do afterward to support the changes you're hoping to create?

With more than 100 episodes of Ketamine Connections, there’s a lot you could listen to—but in this episode, Anna Kristall, your Ketamine Coach, boils it down to the three foundational episodes every ketamine beginner should hear.

These principles can also be valuable if you're receiving Spravato treatment for depression and want to take a more intentional role in what happens before, during, and after your appointments.

Because getting more out of ketamine isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about preparing adequately and learning how to work with your treatment instead of simply showing up and hoping for the best.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to choose a ketamine clinic or provider and what questions to ask before beginning treatment
• How to advocate for yourself within a ketamine or Spravato treatment setting
• Why your preparation begins before ketamine or esketamine ever enters your system
• How to prepare for a ketamine or Spravato session more intentionally
• What to avoid before treatment, including heavy input, emotional chaos, and unnecessary stress
• What to prioritize instead: space, gentle movement, introspection, intention, meditation, journaling, or hypnosis
• Why the hours immediately after ketamine can be such an important part of the process
• How to be intentional about your environment and inputs after a ketamine or Spravato treatment
• Why you don't need to immediately interpret everything that happened during your experience
• What to do if you've already started ketamine therapy or Spravato without intentionally preparing beforehand

The 3 foundational Ketamine Connections episodes:

Episode 36 — How to Choose a Ketamine Clinic
Learn what to look for in a ketamine provider, which questions to ask before booking, and how to advocate for the support you need throughout treatment.

Episode 48 — The Hours Before Ketamine
Your experience begins before the medicine ever enters your body. Learn how to prepare your mind, environment, and subconscious before a ketamine session. Many of these preparation principles can also be applied when preparing for a Spravato appointment.

Episode 33 — The Hours After Ketamine
Learn how to be intentional with the period following your session, capture what surfaced, and create conditions that support meaningful change rather than immediately returning to your usual inputs and routines.

And if you've already started ketamine therapy or Spravato treatments without doing any of this? It isn't too late.

Preparation and intention are practices you can begin with your very next session. Sometimes changing what happens around your treatments is exactly what helps you engage with the process differently.

If you're exploring ketamine therapy, IV ketamine, ketamine-assisted therapy, or Spravato (esketamine), preparing for your first treatment, or wondering how to get more out of sessions you've already started, consider this your starting point.

Free Ketamine & Spravato Resources

Get the free Ketamine Starter Portal:
https://www.yourketaminecoach.com/free

Inside, you'll find resources to help you understand ketamine treatment, prepare for your sessions, and approach the experience more intentionally.

Go deeper with the Ketamine Preparation Protocol:
https://www.annakrishtal.com/kpp

The Ketamine Preparation Protocol helps you prepare your subconscious mind, clarify your intentions, and create the conditions for meaningful transformation before, during, and after ketamine.

Whether you're beginning ketamine infusions, at-home ketamine, ketamine-assisted therapy, or Spravato treatment, Ketamine Connections is here to help you better understand the process and become an active participant in your experience.

Follow Ketamine Connections wherever you listen so you never miss an episode—and send this episode to someone who just discovered ketamine or Spravato and has no idea where to begin.