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A clinical protocol for group-based ketamine-assisted therapy in a community of practice: the Roots To Thrive model

Summary

The Roots to Thrive ketamine-assisted therapy program is a 12-week group treatment that combines ketamine sessions with weekly group meetings, somatic practices, and emotional support. The program integrates both Western clinical approaches and Indigenous wisdom, treating depression, anxiety, and PTSD in groups of 20-40 participants. Over 750 people have participated with significant improvements in mental health symptoms and life functioning, demonstrating that this group-based approach is both safe and effective.

Background

Ketamine-assisted therapy (KaT) has demonstrated therapeutic potential for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Few published protocols provide comprehensive guidance for safe, scalable implementation in real-world clinical settings. The RTT-KaT model integrates trauma-aware care with Western and Indigenous knowledge systems.

Objective

To present a complete clinical protocol for the Roots to Thrive ketamine-assisted therapy model, a resilience-informed, community-anchored framework for group-based psychedelic-assisted therapy. The protocol aims to support replication and adaptation across diverse clinical and community settings.

Results

The program has supported over 750 participants through more than 2,000 ketamine sessions and 700 Community of Practice groups since 2018. Early published outcomes demonstrated 92% improvement in impaired life-work functionality and significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, with no serious adverse events reported across cohorts.

Conclusion

RTT-KaT offers a structured, scalable, evidence-informed, and culturally responsive model bridging clinical safety with Western and Indigenous knowledge systems. The protocol demonstrates feasibility and safety for group-based ketamine-assisted therapy and provides replicable tools for clinical implementation across diverse contexts.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Psychiatry,
  • Study Type:Clinical Protocol, Methods Article,
  • Source: PMC12498912, PMID: 41058650, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1568017
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