Intention Setting in Ketamine-Assisted Therapy: Why It Matters

If you are new to learning about KAP, check out our blog KAP: What You Need to Know

Ketamine-assisted therapy (KAP) has been increasingly popular, and while much attention is often placed on the medicine itself, one of the most important parts of the process happens before a session begins: intention setting. 

Intention setting is about creating a gentle inner compass, something that helps guide reflection, emotional openness, and meaning-making throughout the therapeutic process.

What Is Intention Setting?

In the context of ketamine-assisted therapy, intention setting is a collaborative process between client and therapist that helps clarify what the client hopes to explore, understand, or approach during treatment. Unlike a goal, which is outcome-oriented (“I want to fix this problem”), an intention is process-oriented (“I want to approach this experience with curiosity” or “I want to better understand my emotions”).

In KAP, intentions help anchor the experience within a therapeutic framework rather than viewing it as something random or disconnected from personal growth. An intention is not a demand or expectation for a specific outcome. It is a point of focus that supports curiosity, emotional openness, and reflection throughout the therapeutic process.

Examples of intentions may include:

• Developing greater self-compassion

• Exploring emotional patterns with curiosity

• Gaining insight into stress, mood, or relationships

• Practicing openness to internal experience

Why Intention Setting Matters in KAP

KAP is designed to support new perspectives and emotional flexibility. Intention setting helps in several key ways:

• Creates psychological safety
  Reflecting on an intention beforehand can help a client feel more grounded and prepared.
  

• Provides direction without pressure
  An intention offers a reference point. If the experience moves in an unexpected direction, the intention can still serve as a support to come back to.
  

• Supports integration after the session
  Intentions give therapists and clients a shared language to reflect on insights and emotions during follow-up integration sessions.
  

• Keeps therapy values-centered
  The focus stays on healing, self-understanding, and emotional growth—not on the medicine itself.
  

What Makes a Supportive Intention?

Clients are encouraged to keep their intention open, compassionate, and flexible. Helpful intentions tend to: 

• Be framed with curiosity rather than judgment

• Focus on awareness instead of control

• Allow space for emotions, memories, or insights to arise naturally

Examples of gentle, non-directive intentions might include:

• “I want to listen to what my inner experience is showing me.”

• “I want to explore my relationship with stress more kindly.”

• “I want to practice letting go of resistance.”

There is no “perfect” intention. Even noticing uncertainty can be a meaningful place to start. For example, “I don’t know what I need, but I’m open to learning” 

Intention Setting as a Collaborative Process

Intention setting is done in collaboration with a trained mental health professional. Your therapist will work with you to explore what feels meaningful, emotionally safe, and aligned with your therapeutic goals, taking into account your history, current concerns, and readiness for treatment. Intentions can evolve. What feels right before a session may shift afterward, and that’s part of the work. Therapy is not about getting it “right,” but about staying engaged with the process.

Integration: Where Intentions Come Full Circle 

After a KAP session, intention setting continues to play a role during integration.—the reflective therapy work that helps translate insights into everyday life. Revisiting the original intention can help clients notice:

• What themes emerged

• What emotions felt significant

• What new questions or perspectives arose

• Areas for continued growth

Sometimes the most valuable outcome isn’t an answer, but a deeper sense of self-compassion or insight gained.

Intention setting can help transform an experience into meaningful therapeutic work.

When approached with care, guidance, and reflection, intention setting can help ensure that KAP remains what it is meant to be: a structured, ethical, and deeply human process of healing.

Written by: Olivia Clark, LPCC, BCN