In this powerful second conversation with author and mental health advocate Kaia Roman, host April Pride explores the clinical, emotional, and cultural dimensions of at-home ketamine treatment—particularly for women navigating trauma, depression, and midlife transitions. With brutal honesty and personal insight, the two discuss dissociation, PTSD, accessibility, and whether at-home ketamine is a fit for women with a history of sexual trauma. This episode doesn’t shy away from the hard questions: Can ketamine help with suicidal ideation? What’s the difference between medical and spiritual dissociation? How do we keep these treatments safe, affordable, and trauma-informed? Whether you're ketamine-curious or rethinking your mental health toolkit, this episode delivers the science, story, and support you need.
🔵 Key Takeaways
Ketamine therapy offers rapid relief for depression, PTSD, and even suicidal ideation—especially when traditional meds fail.
At-home ketamine treatment must be guided and never done alone, especially for trauma survivors.
Dissociation in ketamine can be healing—not retraumatizing—when properly supported.
Initial protocols often require 4–6 sessions in 2–3 weeks, with boosters tailored to the individual.
Ketamine is a safe, flexible tool with almost no side effects—but it's not a one-and-done solution.
🔵 Timestamps
[02:45] What dissociation during ketamine feels like—and why it can help
[04:02] Addressing concerns about trauma, dissociation, and triggers
[05:21] The importance of guidance in at-home ketamine therapy
[08:04] April and Kaia share stories of depression, divorce, and healing
[10:06] April’s experience with lozenges and high-functioning depression
[12:42] Kaia on ketamine protocols, boosters, and personalizing regimens
[17:10] What makes at-home therapy safe: supervision, recovery, prep
[18:13] Debunking ketamine addiction myths and improper scheduling
[19:52] Kaia shares about her podcast, Psyched, and work in the field
[21:48] Final notes and where to find Set Set resources
🔵 Featured Guest
Kaia Roman
🔵 Additional Resources
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 101 “Ketamine for Emotional Healing and Divorce”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 99 “Ketamine Therapy for Women’s Mental Health”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 98 “At-Home Ketamine Therapy for Trauma”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 50 “Ketamine Therapy and Psychedelic Psychiatry”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 54 “Ketamine Therapy for Depression”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 55 “Ketamine-Assisted Therapy: Brain Effects Explained”
🎙️SetSet Podcast: Ep. 56 “At-Home Ketamine Therapy”
Substack: “Can Ketamine Help Save New Moms?”
Have you tried ketamine therapy—or considered it? What questions or concerns do you still have, especially around safety, setting, or trauma? 👇 Let’s talk about it in the comments after the transcript below.
🔵 Transcript
[00:03] April Pride:
Hey, this is April, and this show, Set Set Show, discusses cannabis, psychedelics, and altered states of consciousness generally. It's intended for audiences 21 and over. Also, I am not a medical expert. If you are looking to engage with psychedelic substances, please consult your physician before doing so. Welcome back. I'm April Pride, your host of Set Set Show, a resource for everyone curious to safely explore the use of cannabis and [psychedelic medicine for mental wellness] for their clinically proven therapeutic potential and beyond. If you like what we share on the show, please rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts. This second part of my conversation with Kaia Roman, we delve deeper into the practical aspects of [ketamine therapy]. Kaia explains the importance of proper guidance, dosage, and integration when using [ketamine for depression] and mental wellness. We talk about the benefits of [at-home ketamine treatment], who it's best suited for, and the future of mental health support. And for our Seattle listeners, are you curious about how [psychedelic-assisted therapy] is revolutionizing mental health care? Join me for the next session of Psychedelic Salon on Monday, March 3rd at Town Hall Seattle. This month's topic, psychedelics and depression, focuses on the transformative potential of [psychedelic-assisted therapy] for mental health. We'll dive into the latest clinical findings on how psychedelics like psilocybin and [ketamine therapy] are being used to treat depression, including major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, postpartum depression, and PMDD. Local experts will share groundbreaking research and discuss the therapeutic mechanisms behind these treatments, giving you a deeper understanding of how they're reshaping the mental health landscape. Whether you're looking for new ways to manage your mental health or simply curious about these novel therapies, this salon offers valuable insights into the science and promise of psychedelics for depression. Tickets are limited, so reserve yours at townhallseattle.org, which I've linked to in today's show notes. This Psychedelic Salon is hosted by me and it's at Town Hall Seattle on the first Monday of every month. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about each month's topic and our featured guests. Now join me as we uncover the science and story behind [ketamine therapy] with Kaia Roman. So [ketamine therapy] is a dissociative, right? You just explained that at home, the doses are not really that high in order to dissociate. It feels true to me. I've never consumed ketamine. When you were describing it earlier, it sounded like that twilight period when you take a sleeping pill.
[02:45] Kaia Roman:
Well, [ketamine therapy] is an anesthetic. They use it in surgery to put people to sleep. So it is that beginning phase when you start to leave, but then you stay right there. And if you've dissociated, you would know it because it's pretty remarkable to actually forget who you are and forget where you are.
[03:10] April Pride:
To be afraid.
[03:11] Kaia Roman:
Something like PTSD or anxiety or depression, that is a huge relief, even just to get five minutes or 10 minutes or 45 minutes of I'm not connected to my problems right now. Then when you come back, that relief can be sustained. And yes, you're not afraid because it's blissful. I had the opportunity to work with the basketball player, former Kardashian family member, Lamar Odom, and sit with him many times during his [ketamine therapy] treatments. And he describes it as going to heaven. And he was addicted to cocaine for many years, famously. But it wasn't until he did [ketamine therapy]and did an ibogaine treatment down in Mexico that he was finally able to stop his addiction. But yeah, just as an aside, it's a very peaceful experience.
[04:02] April Pride:
So what I wanted to ask is I was concerned because the audience that I really speak to is women and your interests, I believe. And when I think of dissociation, I think of people that I've known that have had sexual trauma and that is how they experience a sexual encounter.
[04:21] Kaia Roman:
Yeah. Yes. And I can relate to that as well.
[04:26] April Pride:
So that was my concern, is that we are shipping lozenges to women, and then they find themselves alone, dissociating, and they are triggered, right? So I was talking to a woman who is the director of Field Trip Health here in Seattle, Dr. Bridget Carnahan. She's a guest on this season of the show, and she was saying, yeah, you would... Yeah, interesting. Right? And those memories?
[05:21] Kaia Roman:
Yeah, let me speak to that a little bit. First of all, I hope that no [at-home ketamine treatment] company is encouraging or giving the okay for people to do this at home alone. I don't think that anybody should do it. Everybody should have someone with them that they feel safe with. And like with KetaMD, we have a nurse over telemedicine watching people, taking their blood pressure ahead of time, watching them, monitoring their breathing, checking their vital signs afterwards. I think that's the safest. Then with the dissociation, it's actually unknown how important it is for the effect. There's, in the scientific community and the medical community, some disagreement about whether the dissociation is important or not. There have been some studies that say one way yes and one way no. For me personally, I just think it's a pretty amazing experience. And when you want to dislocate from, say, negative thoughts... it is essential. However, also speaking as a person who has experienced sexual trauma and dissociated during that experience, I can only speak from my own experience. They're two very different things. It's not the same kind of dissociation. Yes, in dissociation, you float above your body. But it's very different to float above your body because what's happening is unsafe and to float above your body because you're like merging with God. And actually, I think that could be very healing for the dissonance of the previous story. Dissociative experience. And I'm only one person who is not a doctor or official researcher. I just have a lot of conversations with people about their [ketamine therapy] experiences. And given that so many women, unfortunately, have had some kind of sexual trauma, I would have thought that somebody would have brought that up to me at this point because I literally ask people, tell me your [ketamine therapy] experience. I ask people to tell me their birth stories. I just love it. I love hearing these stories. I love hearing people's [psychedelic medicine for mental wellness] stories. And so I've heard probably thousands of these stories and nobody has ever brought that up. I think it's an amazing point. I'm really glad I actually hadn't considered it before, but I can just speak from my own experience. It was not triggering for me in that way at all. The kind of dissociation that you have with [ketamine therapy] is like an exhale. It's like a relief. Like you can let go. You're not escaping something. You're letting go. You're surrendering to something beautiful. So it's a different vibe.
[08:04] April Pride:
So your [ketamine therapy] treatment was, when you had your treatment, had you spoken with your now ex-husband about the fact that this was going to be happening? Or you had the [ketamine therapy] treatment and then came home and said, I want to do this?
[08:17] Kaia Roman:
When I went to do the [ketamine therapy], he knew because I had to go to Florida and leave him with the kids. So he knew that's what I was going to do. And he knew that I was struggling. I was suicidal. And that was the main thing that I had heard [ketamine therapy] can break. Suicidal ideation immediately, like more than anything. It's an awful feeling if anyone out there who's listening has ever been in that state where like your rational mind knows that would be really stupid to kill myself. Like I've got kids. I'm sure there's great things still ahead of me in my life. I have a lot going for me. But then you just really don't want to live. It's terrible. And he and I were going through a divorce, but he didn't want me to kill myself. So I was like, look, I think I need to go do this. And he was supportive of me doing it. And actually he was willing to go and do it himself after he saw how it helped me. So I think that was great. I think that really helped our divorce, actually, both of us to be able to get through it. They list divorce as one of the most stressful life activities, right? The most stressful life experiences that we can ever go through. And I think there was a lot of divorce rates skyrocketed during the pandemic because we're all stuck with each other. So, yeah, now I can laugh at it. Yeah. So hard.
[09:40] April Pride:
Our story is similar in that we both had decided before that lockdown set in. So I knew where this was going. And the only way to live through it was to live through it. Right. And to be there and be super present. Right. Because there was no other change to be made. And yeah, that's a really humbling experience.
[10:01] Kaia Roman:
Did you have your [ketamine therapy] treatments during your divorce as well or after?
[10:06] April Pride:
No. Yeah, so I moved out September 2021. And it wasn't until this September of 2022 that I had my first lozenge. I was called by WonderMed because they were curious if their lead clinician could be a guest on the show. And I had already been researching [ketamine therapy] and was really concerned about the addictive qualities and wondering, like, how are these clinics just popping up everywhere? And what's the oversight here? And to hear what you said about esketamine was an opportunity for Johnson to have IP, right? And yeah. And for them to choose the route of administration that will get you addicted, that's not that surprising considering coming from a pharmaceutical company. Oh, it's so frustrating. So, yeah, you can imagine I was not thinking that anyone's really on the side of the patient. Yeah. But I had done enough research where I knew that there was an opportunity for me to really reset my relationship with cannabis. With alcohol, when I was suicidal after the birth of my second son, and I was sober, I'd been sober for a year, and I had not been diagnosed with ADHD yet is what was happening. So I understand thinking about suicide to think about this. Meditation saved me at that point, but [ketamine therapy] saved me this past fall when I didn't realize that I was suffering from what I would call high-functioning depression. How could I not be? I moved out of my family house. I had my partner since I was 22, so for 23 years. We're no longer together. Broken his heart. I've broken my kid's heart. It's just, my heart's broken. So I poured myself into work. So, you know, that was able to just to mask what was really going on. But [ketamine therapy], it was like after the second treatment, Kaia, it was as if I had windshield wipers to my brain. And I realized just how depressed. It was so obvious, the before and after. I couldn't believe it, that I was living in that state. Yeah. And you know what I've learned this winter is it's not something where you do it and you feel great and you're done. I think it's going to be a series. I need to. That is you are starting to manage your mental health. You're not curing anything. Right. And [ketamine therapy] is a tool that you can turn to. You don't have to do. It's not try it once and then you're done. So if you could talk a little bit about what you've learned in terms of protocols and regimens that you've seen people.
[12:42] Kaia Roman:
First of all, just thank you so much for sharing your story. I'm like brought to tears by it. And I think it's so important for women like us to share these things. People could look at us and be like, oh, you're successful. You're whatever. You thought you were suicidal. You battled addiction. The heartbreak almost took you down. Yes. These are hard, horrible human experiences. And thank goodness there are tools that can help us. And that's why I do the work that I do too, because I want as many people to know about these tools and to know how to use. But it is important for people to understand that [ketamine therapy] is not some kind of magic bullet, like you have one treatment and then everything is solved forever. The Yale Protocol for Treatment-Resistant Depression is six treatments within two to three weeks, because you really have to hit those already formed very strong neural pathways. If you've been in a state of depression for a long time, it's going to take a lot of [ketamine therapy] to totally rewire that brain. And different people are wired in different ways. Some of us have a very strong negativity bias or a very strong amygdala activity. That means you're like in a state of fight or flight more often than others, often based on the trauma that you experienced in childhood or even the trauma that you hold in your DNA from your ancestors. My grandmother's a Holocaust survivor, I've got some massive trauma in my DNA. I know that my tendency is I can feel better for some period of time, and then I'm going to need a booster treatment. And the thing about those booster treatments is it really varies from person to person how often people need them, but most people need them, especially if they're getting off of all their other medications, which is really common. Once people discover that [ketamine therapy] works for them, they can get off of their sleeping medications, their anxiety medications, their ADHD medications, their antidepressants, but they might find they need a [ketamine therapy]treatment once a month, or they need a [ketamine therapy] treatment once every three months, some people once every six months. The only way to know is to monitor yourself and have that level of self-awareness that you notice your symptoms coming back. Or, of course, it's helpful if you are speaking with a therapist or a coach and then there's somebody else who's helping you monitor. But in my experience working with and guiding and just speaking to lots of people about protocols and helping to develop the protocols for KETA-MD is most people need four to six treatments pretty close together in the beginning. And then they wait. They see how they're doing. Most people feel a lot better. And it's funny. It can be subtle. They can be like, yeah, I feel a lot better. Maybe it's because I like started juicing or maybe it's because I read this really good book and don't necessarily even see that it was the [ketamine therapy]. But if you only do the [ketamine therapy] and you don't change anything else, then it'll be more obvious. Most people, it's like from the outside, it's really obvious. They are like a totally different person. And then you have to watch for those signs that start creeping back in. If it's depression... Those days when you're just like having a hard time getting out of bed. If it's anxiety and those intrusive thoughts, you will notice them. You're part of my club, PTSD or addiction or whatever it is, and then just get on top of getting the booster. Don't put it off because these are just brain patterns. But honestly, I wrote my book, The Joy Plan, about biohacking your brain to experience joy. And that's literally what these tools are. [Ketamine therapy] and other psychedelics are tools that we can use to biohack our brains to experience joy. And what I love about [ketamine therapy] is that it's so safe. It has pretty much no side effects. It has a very short half-life. It's only in the body for 24 hours, acutely only for a couple hours. And it's just a very benign substance. It doesn't interact. You don't have to go off of any of your other medications to take it. So it really works for just about anyone. The only people that can't use [ketamine therapy] are people with uncontrolled high blood pressure or some kind of condition in their eyes with extra pressure. I like glaucoma. Otherwise, it's very available to most people. So I really like it, but it is a tool that needs to be used properly.
[17:10] April Pride:
Yes. I think medical expertise is required for sure. And it's fine. At home, I think, is really convenient. And as long as you feel supported like through KetaMD and having a platform, fine.
[17:24] Kaia Roman:
Yeah, I think it's great.
[17:25] April Pride:
And someone else on the premise.
[17:27] Kaia Roman:
I think it's a great way to make it more affordable, make it more accessible. And I think that the reason why so many more clinics have opened and [at-home ketamine treatment] services have started is because it works. Yeah. There's just a demand for it because it works. As long as people are being safe. Anybody who's doing these treatments at home, don't do a [ketamine therapy] treatment and then get in your car and drive. Take some time to recover. Make sure there's somebody who can help you go to the bathroom right after in case you're like light on your feet or dizzy. Have some anti-nausea medication on hand in case you have a seasickness type nausea after the treatment. Few things, but like it's pretty safe.
[18:08] April Pride:
Yes, it's really good to hear you say that. It felt safe after I realized I was not going to become addicted to it.
[18:13] Kaia Roman:
Yeah, it's used to fight addiction. [Ketamine therapy] has never been found to be addictive administered in those ways.
[18:21] April Pride:
Yet it's a Schedule 3 drug.
[18:23] Kaia Roman:
Well, we could talk about all the improper scheduling of different compounds. Because cannabis, ibogaine, for example, ibogaine, which is the one substance on Earth that will get rid of a heroin addiction in 24 hours, fights addiction. And it's a horrifying, super intense experience that you would not want to do multiple times. So it's like the least addictive substance on Earth. And it's on Schedule 1 for being a highly addictive substance, substance with no medical benefit. So the schedule is not accurate and needs to be revisited.
[18:57] April Pride:
It's interesting. It feels like it's the most intense outcome. Schedule one, right?
[19:03] Kaia Roman:
Yeah. It's incredible to see the work that's happening with MAPS and MDMA and all the people that are working on changing legislation. It's a very exciting time for [psychedelic medicine for mental wellness] right now, which you mentioned briefly, my podcast. I have a podcast on the Women in Psychedelics Network called Psyched, where I interview different women in the industry and we follow the industry developments. And it is just really exciting. I feel very honored that I get to speak to researchers and, you know, executives of companies and who are running nonprofits. And, you know, just there's a dedicated community, mission-driven community. people that are trying to bring this medicine forward in the way that's going to be safe and accessible and equitable for as many people to have this healing as possible.
[19:52] April Pride:
Yes. I'm going to ask, is there an episode of your podcast that you would like for me to listen to? And then I can include it. And like, this is what I thought of the show. This is what I learned from it.
[20:02] Kaia Roman:
It's funny. I've only interviewed women, except I interviewed one man, which was Rick Doblin. And of course, it's my favorite episode because I just love Rick Doblin with all my heart. I think there's some very sweet clips in there. But yeah, other than that. Be sure to do that then. Yeah. The one with Hanitha from Fireside Project is amazing too. I think Fireside Project is so incredible that they have this service that people can call on. Could be relevant if somebody's having academy and experience and doesn't have support, but hopefully they're not having academy and experience without support. So I'll leave it to you. Okay. Those are two. Those two are great. I look forward to it. And those are both live now. When and where will people see this or hear this?
[20:51] April Pride:
So this episode is, let's see, this Friday is the 20th, 27th, February 3rd. Because we're going to talk about, this Friday is an episode where I talk about everything I just told you in terms of [ketamine therapy] is addictive. So actually the tape that you provided is going to be really good about the opioid receptors, and I can do some research there. Then the next one is Dr. Bridget Carnahan and Laura, and I can include some of your tape too. It's about brain science.
[21:25] Kaia Roman:
Oh, great. Right. Okay. Wonderful.
[21:27] April Pride:
And then the next episode is these are the different ways [ketamine therapy] can be administered. Okay. Perfect. That's what I wanted to include.
[21:34] Kaia Roman:
Yes. Okay. All right. So it sounds like it's going to be mixed in a few places. But if you have anything that I can share on my social media, KetaMD will share it too. So please pass it along and I'll help spread the word as much as possible.
[21:48] April Pride:
I really appreciate that, Kaia. Thank you so much. Have a nice afternoon. I appreciate your time. Bye. And if you're ready to dive deeper into the world of [ketamine therapy], be sure to check out the show notes to link to SetSet's comprehensive ketamine guide, a clinician-backed resource available in both PDF and audio that covers candidate criteria, dosing, methods of administration, contraindications, science, history, and more. The Set Set website has this resource available for purchase and download, as well as DIY guides for psilocybin and microdosing. Thank you for joining me for today's episode. I'm your host, April Pride. If you liked what you heard, please rate and review Set Set Show wherever you listen. It really does help more people find our show. And a special offer just for our podcast listeners. Enter discount code SHOW20, that's S-H-O-W-2-0, for 20% off at checkout on Set Set's psychedelic cards. Think of these like set and setting in a box. So check out the link in the show notes and make your next journey extraordinary.
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