Preparing Your System for KAP with IFS
If you’ve read my other blogs, you know by now that I love IFS, and for years I’ve seen it help transform individuals’ experiences in KAP. Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) can be a powerful and transformative tool for healing. When approached with care, intention, and the right support, it opens a doorway into your internal world, offering space to listen, release, and reconnect. But just like with any deep journey inward, how you begin matters.
In psychedelic-assisted therapy, there’s a phrase we return to again and again: “set and setting.” It refers to the mindset you bring into the experience (set) and the environment in which it takes place (setting). Together, these two elements create the emotional and physical container for your KAP session, and can deeply shape how safe, connected, and supported you feel.
When you combine this with an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, you’re not just preparing yourself for the journey. Rather, you’re preparing your whole inner system: the parts that carry pain, the parts that protect you, the parts that are longing for change, and even the parts that you might not know are there yet.
*Please note that this blog is intended for educational purposes, and is not a replacement for therapy.
Understanding “Set”: Preparing Your Mind and Internal Landscape
Your “set” is your internal mindset: the emotional tone, expectations, and parts that are present as you move toward your session.
Tune In to Your Parts
A few days before your KAP session, take some quiet time to check in with your system. This can be as simple as sitting in stillness, placing a hand on your heart, and asking:
What am I feeling about this experience?
Are there parts of me that feel curious? Nervous? Hopeful? Resistant?
What do those parts need right now to feel safer or more included?
This kind of listening helps you enter the session with more Self-Energy, a grounded, open-hearted presence that can lovingly hold your parts throughout the experience.
2. Address Resistance with Compassion
If protector part show up with hesitation or fear, it likely means they care about you. Rather than pushing past them, you might consider speaking to them:
“I know you’re trying to keep me safe. This session isn’t about bypassing you; It’s about including you, gently and respectfully. You won’t be alone in this.”
By engaging with these parts ahead of time, you build internal trust, one of the most powerful anchors for the KAP process. Curious to learn a bit more about resistant parts in IFS? Check out my recent blog here!
Honoring “Setting”: Creating Safety in Your External Environment
The physical space you’re in is very important during a KAP session. The setting influences how your nervous system responds, how deeply you’re able to relax, and whether your parts feel safe enough to soften and share.
1. Choose a Calm, Supportive Space
Whether you’re working with your therapist in their office, at an IV/IM clinic, or a home-based setting, it’s important that the space feels warm, quiet, and emotionally safe. Soft lighting, comfortable seating, a cozy blanket, or familiar objects can help cue your system that it’s okay to relax. Your therapist plays a key role in this, as their presence and attunement help co-create a secure space for exploration.
2. Curate Sound Intentionally
Music is a powerful element in many KAP sessions. Whether you or your therapist selects the playlist, choose music that feels emotionally resonant but not overwhelming. Let your parts have a say in this too—if a certain kind of music feels activating or comforting, that’s valuable information.
Set a Shared Intention with Your System
Once your system feels more settled and heard, you might set an intention. This isn’t a goal to be achieved, but a gentle orientation to attune your parts to the space.
Some examples:
I’m open to hearing from the parts of me that haven’t had a voice.
I want to understand the pain I’ve been carrying with more compassion.
I’m ready to be present with whatever arises.
Aftercare: Continuing the Conversation
Just as you prepare before the session, it’s important to care for yourself after. Integration, the process of making sense of what you experienced, is where deep healing happens. Journaling, resting, or meeting with your therapist for a post-session check-in can help your system process what emerged.
Let your parts know there will be space afterward to reflect, rest, and reconnect. Remind them they are not alone in carrying anything that came up.
KAP and IFS in Denver: Getting Started
Preparing for KAP isn’t just about logistics; it’s about creating an intentional, loving container for the tender and courageous work you’re about to do. When we include our parts in the process and tend to both set and setting with care, we signal to our system: It’s safe to soften here. You’re supported.
If you’re considering KAP in Denver and want a thoughtful, IFS-informed, trauma-informed approach, I’d be honored to support you. Together, we can prepare your system and your space in a way that feels grounded, intentional, and curious.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gigi Woodall, LMFT
Trauma & Eating Disorder Therapist in Denver
Hi, I’m Gigi—a Denver-based trauma and eating disorder therapist and clinical supervisor passionate about helping people heal and reconnect with themselves. My work focuses on exploring how early experiences, relationships, and protective parts of the self shape our inner narratives. Through a compassionate and individualized approach, I help clients challenge limiting beliefs and step into a more authentic, intuitive way of living.
Prior to private practice, I worked at nonprofit organizations and eating disorder treatment centers. I'm also a proud Denver chapter member of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), a clinical supervisor for pre-licensed therapists, and am on my way to becoming a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS).
With training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and eating disorder treatment, I provide a safe, supportive space for those navigating recovery, trauma, and self-discovery.
Looking for support on your healing journey? Book a free consultation to see if we’re a good fit.