In this in-person episode of Ketamine Connections, I sit down with Dr. James Leathem — anesthesiologist turned psychedelic pioneer — to explore what transformational medicine actually means.

We talk about rejection as redirection, trusting the process, and what it takes to build something meaningful — in medicine and in life. Dr. James shares his journey from failing into medical school twice to building a comprehensive ketamine clinic model rooted in safety, preparation, and integration.

We break down what makes ketamine therapy effective for depression, PTSD, and anxiety — and what most people misunderstand. Neuroplasticity is neutral. Ketamine may open the door, but what you do afterward determines whether you reinforce old patterns or build new ones. It’s a tool, not a cure.

We also explore safety as the foundation of healing, why ego is attachment to familiar suffering (not arrogance), and how anxiety can be reframed as “future awareness.” This episode ends on a cliffhanger as we begin defining ego — a conversation that continues in Part Two (come back next week!), where we dive deeper into clinical protocols and methodology.

Dr. James has also spoken about transformational medicine and the future of ketamine care.

If you’re considering ketamine therapy, or want to understand how to maximize its impact through preparation and integration, this episode is for you.

This episode is educational and not medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your treatment plan.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Advanced Wellness & Pain – Scottsdale & Gilbert, Arizona
• Joe Dispenza (Neuroplasticity reference)
• Inside Out 2 (Film)
• Ketamine Preparation Protocol

CONNECT WITH US ON YOUTUBE

👉 https://www.youtube.com/@KetamineConnections

I hope you had a beautiful, love-filled Valentine’s Day. 💛

In this final Sunday Sneak Peek, Anna officially retires the three-month experiment and shares why she’s refining the rhythm of Ketamine Connections.

Sunday Sneak Peek was an experiment — a way to test whether two episodes a week created more connection. But this show has never been about maximizing output. It’s about serving and connecting with you.

Instead of splitting energy, Anna is choosing to pour fully into one powerful, intentional Wednesday episode — the long-form conversations you’ve come to know and trust.

At the same time, the show is expanding in new ways:

• Full video episodes on YouTube
• More short-form clips
• New ways to deepen connection in 2026

Because the goal isn’t more content. It’s more connection.

Inspired by the idea of “burning the forest you love to make space for something better,” this episode marks a refinement — not an ending.

Join us Wednesdays for one strong, grounded episode each week. And come hang out on YouTube as the next chapter unfolds.

In this episode of Ketamine Connections, I did something a little sneaky — I called ketamine clinics across the country as a “secret shopper.”

Not as your ketamine coach. Not as someone who has worked in preparation and integration for years. Just as a curious first-time patient asking simple questions:

What do you offer for preparation?
What support exists for integration?

What I found was a mixed bag.

Nearly every clinic immediately discussed medical clearance, fasting instructions, medication review, and transportation logistics. All of that matters. Safety is essential. But when I asked about mental and emotional preparation — things like intention setting, nervous system regulation, or how to navigate fear — the answers were inconsistent.

Some clinics are beginning to offer intention-setting guides or pre-session conversations. Others confuse preparation with therapist-guided sessions or focus solely on the medical model. The field is evolving, but education around working with ketamine — not just administering it — is still catching up.

Integration followed a similar pattern. Many clinics collaborate with therapists or recommend sessions within 24–72 hours of infusion. That’s progress. But integration is often labeled as optional or supplementary. And if someone doesn’t know they need integration support, will they seek it out?

Probably not.

Ketamine opens a neuroplastic window. Preparation sets the tone. Integration determines whether insights become lasting change.

In this episode, I break down what proper preparation really means, why integration is the difference between “something I tried” and “something that changed my life,” and the exact questions you deserve to ask a ketamine clinic before starting treatment.

This isn’t about shaming providers. It’s about elevating the field — and empowering you to advocate for your healing.

Ketamine opens the door.
You’re the one who walks through it.

Resources Mentioned

Ketamine Starter Portal
👉 www.yourketaminecoach.com/free

Episode 28: Should You Journey Solo or With a Sitter?
A full breakdown of whether you need a trip sitter or therapist-guided session, plus a companion quiz inside the Starter Portal.

Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP)

👉 www.annakrishtal.com/kpp

A comprehensive preparation program designed to help you:

• Understand how ketamine works on the brain
• Learn how the subconscious mind operates
• Set powerful, effective intentions
• Regulate your nervous system before sessions
• Navigate difficult emotions if they arise
• Make the most of the neuroplastic window afterward

In this Sunday Sneak Peek episode of Ketamine Connections, Anna shares a preview of an upcoming episode that’s been in the making for over a year.

For this episode, Anna cold-called ketamine clinics across the United States, not as a ketamine coach or professional in the field, but as a curious, anxious first-time patient. Her goal was simple: to understand what information clinics provide when patients ask about mode of administration, preparation, and integration, without being prompted by an expert.

What emerged from these conversations wasn’t about individual clinics being “good” or “bad,” but about the patterns and themes that show up again and again when patients explore ketamine therapy. This sneak peek sets the stage for Wednesday’s full episode, where Anna shares clips from those calls and breaks down what she noticed, and what listeners should be paying attention to when choosing a clinic.

If you’re in the exploration phase of ketamine therapy, these first conversations matter. How a clinic responds to your curiosity, anxiety, and questions is often your first indication of whether it’s the right fit for your nervous system.

🎧 Full episode drops Wednesday, February 11, featuring real call clips and Anna’s conclusions from these conversations.

🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

• Episode 36: How to Choose a Ketamine Clinic
  A full breakdown of essential questions to ask when evaluating ketamine providers.
• Ketamine Clinic Vetting Guide (PDF) is inside the Ketamine Starter Portal
  A downloadable list of questions pulled directly from Episode 36, designed to support you in choosing a clinic that feels aligned and supportive.
• 👉www.yourketaminecoach.com/free
• Ketamine Starter Portal
  A free resource library with podcast-related guides, PDFs, and tools to support your ketamine education and preparation.
• 👉www.yourketaminecoach.com/free

Have you ever felt like something was wrong with you, like you were a problem to be fixed, or that life would finally feel better after the next milestone?

In this deeply vulnerable episode of Ketamine Connections, the tables are turned as Dr. Ashley Irizarry returns to the podcast to interview host Anna Krishtal.

Anna shares her personal journey of starting therapy at age 11, living with suicidal ideation, cycling through years of ineffective talk therapy, and chasing external milestones in the hope that happiness would arrive “when.” She reflects on the moment she realized that nothing was wrong with her, and how true healing began when she stopped trying to fix herself and started working with her subconscious mind.

This episode explores inner child work, the malleability of memory, self-talk, forgiveness, resilience, and why trauma-specific modalities like ketamine therapy and hypnotherapy can create change where traditional approaches often fall short. Together, Anna and Ashley unpack how ketamine provides access to the subconscious mind as a tool to help you rewire outdated beliefs and step back into the driver’s seat of your life.

This conversation is about responsibility without shame, healing without bypassing, and the reminder that your subconscious mind has been trying to keep you safe all along.

Resources Mentioned

• Ketamine Starter Portal – a free library of guides, tools, and resources discussed on the podcast
  • 👉 www.yourketaminecoach.com/free
• Share Your Story - Ketamine Connections is inviting more transformation stories in 2026. If you feel called to share your experience, you can submit your story here: 👉 https://www.annakrishtal.com/podcast

In this Sunday Sneak Peek, Anna shares highlights from attending the ASKP Conference (American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists, and Practitioners) and reflects on how meaningful it felt to see the conversation expand beyond data and analysis into real human stories — the kind we center here on Ketamine Connections.

She also shares the full-circle moment of meeting Dr. Ashley Irizarry in person and previews this week’s episode, where Dr. Irizarry interviews Anna on her own podcast. The conversation begins with the same question Anna asks every guest — and leads into a deeply vulnerable story about starting therapy at age 11, navigating self-harm and suicidal ideation, growing up without trauma-informed language, and living for years in the “I’ll be better when…” cycle.

This upcoming episode explores inner child work, the malleability of memory, forgiveness and self-forgiveness, and what it really looks like to give yourself what you actually needed.

Anna also invites listeners to share their own transformation stories as Ketamine Connections moves into 2026.

👉 Submit your story here:
https://form.jotform.com/251955687330667

Come back Wednesday for the full episode.

After recent headlines linking ketamine to the deaths of Matthew Perry and Jim Irsay, fear-based reporting has resurfaced scaring an already vulnerable population away from a treatment that, when used correctly, can be profoundly supportive.

So instead of asking “Can ketamine kill you?” we ask:

Under what conditions is ketamine safe—and when is it not?

This episode breaks down the missing context: the difference between clinical vs. recreational use, why the container matters just as much as the medicine, and how ketamine actually works as a catalyst for neuroplasticity, not a cure, not a miracle, and not a shortcut.

If you’re considering ketamine for depression, anxiety, PTSD, or chronic pain, or you’re already working with it, this is essential listening.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Why fear-based headlines about ketamine are misleading—and dangerous
• The difference between relief vs. resolution in ketamine therapy
• Why ketamine is not a silver bullet (and never was)
• How ketamine opens a window of neuroplasticity—and why that window often closes without lasting change
• The critical role of medical oversight, preparation, and nervous system safety
• Why ketamine has been safely used for decades in hospitals, emergency rooms, and war zones
• How unsupervised or recreational use dramatically changes the risk profile
• Why your health history, stress load, and nervous system state matter more than the medicine itself
• What actually creates transformation: preparation, intention, and a safe healing container

Key Takeaway:

Ketamine does not change your life.
You do.

Ketamine opens the door—but without safety, structure, and subconscious education, that door often closes without anything changing.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

✨ Ketamine Starter Portal (Free)
All of the free guides, resources, and education referenced on the podcast live here. This is the best place to start if you want to approach ketamine with intention and safety.

👉www.yourketaminecoach.com/free

✨ Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP)
For those who want to go deeper into preparation, subconscious safety, and making ketamine a true turning point, not just temporary relief.

👉www.annakrishtal.com/kpp

✨ Episode 7 – 3 Fun Facts About Ketamine

If This Episode Supported You

Please consider sharing it with someone who’s been confused, scared, or discouraged by recent ketamine headlines. Accurate education saves hope, and sometimes lives.

Ketamine has been questioned as a cause of death in recent high-profile tragedies with Matthew Perry and Jim Irsay, and the headlines have left out crucial context.

In this Wednesday's episode of Ketamine Connections, we slow the conversation way down and ask a better question than the media does:

Not “Can ketamine kill you?”
But “Under what conditions is ketamine safe — and when is it not?”

We explore:

• why ketamine keeps becoming the scapegoat in fear-based headlines
• what the science actually says about ketamine’s safety profile
• how decades of untreated trauma, substance use, and chronic stress impact the heart and nervous system
• the difference between temporary relief and real, lasting transformation

This episode is not about minimizing risk but rather it’s about telling the whole truth so people can make informed, grounded decisions.

Ketamine is a catalyst, not a miracle.
Your body and nervous system are the container.

🎧 New episodes drop Wednesdays
📺 Ketamine Connections is back on YouTube so follow along for full episodes and clips https://www.youtube.com/@KetamineConnections