Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
This two-day training offers a comprehensive and practice-oriented introduction to Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), designed for mental health professionals and academic researchers who want to responsibly engage with this rapidly developing field.
Participants will gain a clear, clinically grounded understanding of the full KAP process — from screening and preparation to dosing and integration — within a safe, ethical, and psychotherapeutically informed framework. Rather than focusing on ketamine as a standalone intervention, the workshop highlights how therapeutic outcomes emerge from the interaction between neurobiology, psychological processes, and therapeutic relationship.
Through a unique combination of science, clinical expertise, and experiential learning, participants will learn how to:
- Understand the therapeutic potential and limitations of ketamine in mental healthcare
- Create safe and ethically sound treatment settings
- Work effectively with non-ordinary states of consciousness
- Translate acute treatment experiences into meaningful, lasting psychological change
This training is specifically designed for clinicians who want to 1) get introduced in KAP, 2) expand their therapeutic skillset, 3) strengthen their confidence in working with KAP, and 4) develop a coherent clinical framework that can be applied in real-world practice. Participants will leave with practical insights, increased clinical sensitivity, and a deeper understanding of how psychotherapy remains the central driver of change within KAP.
Grounded in current clinical science and professional best practices, this workshop supports participants in becoming thoughtful, skilled, and ethically responsible practitioners in the emerging landscape of psychedelic-assisted therapies.
Eligibility criteria:
- Mental health professionals (e.g., psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, health care (GZ) psychologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors with psychotherapy training, psychiatric nurse, nurse practitioner, mental health or palliative nurse) and academic researchers working in the psychedelic space.
- ≥3 years experience providing psychotherapy or mental health care
- Comprehension of academic English
Gain Deeper Clinical Insight into KAp
This is not a passive workshop; rather, it is an interactive, collaborative group designed for clinicians, guides, and researchers who are ready to engage deeply with their own and others’ clinical material.
Over the course of the two sessions, you’ll:
- Understand the neurobiological, psychological, and interrelational mechanisms of KAP.
- Identify and mitigate physical, psychological, and ethical risks.
- Gain practical insight into preparation, administration models, and integration.
- Recognize psychotherapy and therapeutic alliance as essential change mechanisms.
practical details
Dates: October 8th & 9th, 2026
Location: Senz, Driebergsestraatweg 9, 3941 ZS, Doorn (The Netherlands)
Schedule: The full two-day agenda can be found here.
Language: English
Participants: 30 professionals (psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, therapists) and academic researchers.
Continue Education credits pending approval.
Discover the venue
The group is intentionally kept small to allow for depth, safety, and intimacy.
Method of instruction
The workshop combines short theoretical presentations with experiential and reflective learning. Participants take an active role throughout the program: engaging in guided discussions, small-group exercises, and simulated therapeutic encounters.
Through role-play, case reflection, and embodiment practices, participants explore therapist presence and attunement, and the integration of non-ordinary states of consciousness into psychotherapeutic work. This hands-on approach aims to deepen participants’ understanding of how to optimize the therapeutic potential of ketamine to treat serious mental disorders within a supportive and ethically grounded setting.
workshop pricing
| Membership Tier | Price |
|---|---|
|
Early Bird |
€599 |
|
OPEN Community Member |
€599 |
|
Regular Admission |
€699 |
Includes lunch, coffee, tea and dinner on the first night.
Excl. Travel & Lodigng.
Please note that, if you are a mental healthcare professional participating in this workshop as part of your professional practice or training, your fee is VAT-exempt under the OPEN Foundation’s CRKBO registration. If you do not meet this criterion, then the standard Dutch VAT rate of 21% will be added to the programme fee.
Meet Your Instructors
Prof. Dr. Rutger Engels
(Erasmus University & Senz, the Netherlands) – Professor
Rutger Engels, PhD, is Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, board member of the venture philanthropy De Verre Bergen, and co-founder and director of Senz, a specialized mental health care clinic. He has held senior leadership roles, including CEO of the Trimbos Institute, Rector Magnificus of Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Chief Science Officer at Zylorion. His work focuses on the design, testing, and implementation of programs that improve mental health, address substance use, and strengthen resilience across the lifespan. Over the past decades, he has led interdisciplinary initiatives that bridge science, policy, and practice, often integrating technology and innovation into mental health care. He has collaborated with governments, the European Commission, the World Health Organization, start-ups, corporates, and philanthropic organizations to develop scalable, evidence-based interventions with real-world impact.
Shiva Thorsell, MSc
(Senz, Netherlands) - Clinical Psychologist
Shiva Thorsell is a clinical psychologist with over 25 years of experience in specialized mental health care. In addition to her clinical work, she also teaches and supervises postgraduate training for psychologists. Shiva is skilled in therapeutic approaches such as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP), Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), Body-Oriented Mentalizing (LMBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Also Shiva is a co-founder of Senz, a mental health clinic in the Netherlands. Senz provides multidisciplinary treatment for people suffering from difficult to treat depression and anxiety.
Dr. Estefanía Moreno
(Clínica Sináptica, Spain) – Clinical psychologist and psychotherapist
Estefania Moreno, is an integrative and functional medicine physician (MD) and psychotherapist with over 10 years of clinical experience in integrative mental health and multidisciplinary care. She currently practices at Clínica Synaptica in Barcelona where she specializes in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP).
Her work focuses on the clinical and ethical application of psychedelic-assisted therapies, integrating evidence-based medicine, trauma-informed psychotherapy, and somatic approaches. She serves as faculty in professional training programs in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Her background includes postgraduate training in transpersonal psychology, psychoneuroimmunology, dream work, somatic therapies, and precision health.
Her clinical perspective is grounded in a commitment to personalized care and a deeply human approach to healing. She understands health as a multidimensional process—biological, psychological, relational, and spiritual—and is dedicated to building bridges between scientific rigor, embodied experience and contemplative perspectives.
Sigi Goldman, MD
(Concierge Medicine, USA) – Psychiatrist and KAP trainer
Dr. Signi Goldman is board certified in General Adult Psychiatry. She has practiced in multiple clinical settings, both in hospital systems and alternative treatment centers, and integrates these approaches into an individualized, evidence-based practice. Dr. Goldman graduated from University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and completed residency training at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where she was selected for an administrative Chief Residency position. After relocating to Asheville, she ran an outpatient General Psychiatry practice before joining Concierge Medicine and Psychiatry. Dr. Goldman treats adults with all forms of mental health symptoms. She is a graduate of Psychedelic Medicine training through both MAPS and CIIS. She co-founded Living Medicine Institute, where she has provided training, supervision and mentoring on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Her extensive knowledge of research-based use of psychedelics in medicine informs our Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy program for Mental Health.
where to stay?
- B&B La ‘Petite Bergerie’ | € 18min walk / 3 min car
- RCN het Grote Bos | € 51 min walk / 6 min car/ 32 public transport
- Private Garden House in Doorn | € 51 min walk / 6 min car/ 32 public transport
- Buitenplaats de Bergse Bossen | €€ 1 hour walk / 9 min car/ 34 public transport
- Schaapskooi | €€ 1h 20m walk / 14 min car/ 54 public transport
- Kasteel Sterkenburg | €€€ 54m walk / 7 min car
How to get there
1) By Public Transport (Train + Bus)
1. Train from Amsterdam Centraal to Driebergen-Zeist
• Take a Netherlands Railways (NS) train toward Utrecht/Arnhem and get off at Driebergen-Zeist.
• Journey ~35–40 minutes.
2. Bus from Driebergen-Zeist to Doorn
• From the station, take bus line 56 toward Doorn, Centrum.
• Bus ride ~15–20 minutes.
Travel time: ~1 hour total including transfer.
Cost: Train ~€9–€27 + Bus ~€2–€4, depending on class/tickets.
2) By Car
- Distance from Amsterdam to Senz in Doorn: ~60 km.
- Driving time: ~50–60 minutes, depending on traffic.
- Free parking at the Senz premises
Closest Airports:
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS / EHAM) – about 50-66 km away; largest international airport with most flight options.
- Rotterdam The Hague Airport – about 63-76 km away; regional airport with European routes.
- Eindhoven Airport – about 65-98 km away; another regional airport with European flights.