If you live with anxiety and you're considering ketamine therapy, you've probably wondered:

"What if my anxiety ruins my ketamine experience?"

It's one of the most common fears I hear from clients.

But what if you've been looking at anxiety the wrong way?

In this episode of Ketamine Connections, I share a perspective that completely changed how I understand anxiety after years of studying the subconscious mind and coaching ketamine clients.

Instead of seeing anxiety as a liability, what if it's actually been preparing you?

Through the story of one coaching client, "Casey," we explore why anxiety and ketamine have more in common than most people realize, how anxiety can become an unexpected strength during ketamine therapy, and why your anxious mind may be more prepared for this work than you think.

We also dive into the Default Mode Network (DMN), neuroplasticity, and why preparation is one of the biggest predictors of lasting transformation.

In This Episode

• Why anxiety is so often misunderstood
• The biggest fear anxious clients have before ketamine
• How anxiety may actually prepare you for a ketamine journey
• The surprising overlap between anxiety and altered states of consciousness
• The difference between personality and subconscious patterns
• How ketamine quiets the Default Mode Network (DMN)
• What the neuroplastic window is—and why it matters
• Why preparation and integration create lasting change

Resources Mentioned

📝 Listener Survey
https://forms.gle/RZb29Ecwn9vRkQTC9

💙 Submit Your Ketamine Transformation Story

🚀 Ketamine Starter Portal (Free Resources)

🧠 Ketamine Preparation Protocol

Help Shape Future Episodes ❤️

The listener survey takes less than three minutes and helps me understand:

• Where you are in your ketamine journey
• What you're struggling with
• What questions you want answered
• What episodes you'd love to hear next

Your responses directly shape the future of Ketamine Connections.

📝 Listener Survey:
https://forms.gle/RZb29Ecwn9vRkQTC9

If This Episode Helped You...

Please consider:

• Leaving a review
• Sharing this episode with someone considering ketamine therapy
• Sending it to your therapist or clinic
• Completing the listener survey

Because psychedelic conversations are still restricted online, most new listeners find this show because someone shared it with them.

Thank you for helping these conversations reach the people who need them most.

 Listener Survey https://forms.gle/RZb29Ecwn9vRkQTC9

Submit Your Ketamine Transformation Story 

One hundred episodes.

Honestly... I almost skipped celebrating this milestone.

I had a completely different episode planned, but then I realized something: I'm only going to have one Episode 100.

So today, instead of talking about ketamine preparation, psychedelic integration, or the subconscious mind (although those inevitably sneak into the conversation), I'm taking you behind the scenes of what it actually took to build Ketamine Connections.

The truth? This podcast took me more than a year to launch.

Not because I didn't know what I wanted to say, but because I had to overcome the beliefs that convinced me I wasn't qualified enough, wasn't ready enough, and wasn't "perfect" enough to speak publicly about the work I love.

In this deeply personal episode, I share the fears that nearly kept this podcast from ever existing, the healing that allowed me to finally press publish, and the promise I made to myself before recording Episode 1:

Show up every week. No matter what.

One hundred weeks later... here we are.

I also reflect on how dramatically the ketamine landscape has changed since I began coaching in 2021—from expanded access to ketamine therapy, to the growth of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), to the increasing number of therapists and clinicians seeking training in preparation, integration, and subconscious mind work.

Most importantly, this episode is an invitation.

I want to know who you are.

Whether you're preparing for ketamine treatment, already in your healing journey, a therapist, clinic owner, or simply someone who's curious about the power of the subconscious mind, I want to create this show for you.

Inside the show notes you'll find a short listener survey where you can tell me what you need, what you're struggling with, and what topics you'd love to hear in future episodes.

After 100 episodes, this feels less like my podcast...

...and more like our community.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you for making these first 100 episodes possible.

Here's to the next hundred.

In This Episode

•  Why it took over a year to launch Ketamine Connections
•  The subconscious beliefs that almost stopped me from ever starting 
•  The mindset shift that changed everything: Give up the goal or give up the belief
•  What 100 consecutive weekly episodes has taught me about healing, consistency, and courage 
•  How the ketamine therapy landscape has evolved since 2021 
•  Why therapists have become one of the largest groups listening to the podcast 
•  My vision for future clinician training in ketamine preparation and integration 
•  Why asking for help has become one of my biggest growth edges 
•  How you can help shape the future of Ketamine Connections

Resources Mentioned

•  Listener Survey https://forms.gle/RZb29Ecwn9vRkQTC9
•  Submit Your Ketamine Transformation Story 
•  Ketamine Starter Portal (free resources) 
•  Ketamine Preparation Protocol 
•  Previous episode about taking a year off social media : Episode 46

Help Shape the Next 100 Episodes ❤️

If you've been listening to Ketamine Connections, I'd love your help.

Please take just a few minutes to complete the listener survey. It helps me understand:

•  Where you are in your ketamine journey 
•  Whether you're a client, therapist, or clinic owner 
•  What questions you still have 
•  What episodes you'd most love to hear next 

Your feedback directly shapes the future of this podcast.

•  Listener Survey https://forms.gle/RZb29Ecwn9vRkQTC9

If You Enjoyed This Episode...

The biggest way you can support Ketamine Connections is completely free:

•  Leave a review 
•  Share this episode with someone considering ketamine therapy 
•  Send it to your therapist, clinic, or provider 
•  Share it with someone who needs hope 
•  Complete the listener survey 

Because of restrictions around psychedelic content on social media, nearly every new listener discovers this show through word of mouth.

Thank you for helping these conversations reach the people who need them most.

What happens when you've built the life you've always wanted... but you can't feel it?

In this deeply vulnerable episode of Ketamine Connections, entrepreneur, CEO, speaker, and six-time author Brett Olson shares what it was like to spend nearly a decade living with depression despite having everything he thought should make him happy. 

Married for 39 years, a father of six, grandfather of eleven, and the builder of a highly successful career, Brett couldn't understand why he felt disconnected from the very life he had worked so hard to create. The harder he worked to protect what he had built, the further he drifted from himself. 

Just ten days into his ketamine journey, Brett joins the podcast to share the breakthroughs that changed everything.

He opens up about the business collapse that triggered years of scarcity and survival mode, the moment a ketamine provider helped him recognize that his fight-or-flight response had been stuck "on" for nearly a decade, and the profound relief of waking up one day to discover that the depression was simply gone. 

Together, we explore what it means to move from scarcity to abundance, why presence became more important than success, and how healing isn't about becoming someone new—it's about removing everything that's been standing between you and your authentic self. 

This conversation is especially powerful because Brett is still in the middle of his ketamine protocol. At the time of recording, he is only four infusions into treatment, offering a rare and honest glimpse into transformation while it's happening. 

In This Episode, We Discuss:

•  Living with depression despite having a successful life 
•  How business trauma can create long-term survival mode 
•  The connection between scarcity, stress, and emotional disconnection 
•  What it feels like when the fight-or-flight response becomes chronic 
•  Brett's breakthrough realization during ketamine therapy 
•  Why abundance became one of his biggest lessons from treatment 
•  Learning to be present after years of feeling disconnected 
•  How ketamine helped him reconnect with joy, gratitude, and motivation 
•  The difference between achieving success and experiencing peace 
•  Why healing is often about returning to yourself rather than becoming someone new 

Resources Mentioned

•  Ketamine Preparation & Integration Coaching 👉 https://www.annakrishtal.com/kpp
•  The Ketamine Starter Portal 👉 https://www.yourketaminecoach.com/free
•  Feelings Chart 
•  Drama Triangle Framework 
•  Breathwork and Box Breathing 
•  Yoga and Mindfulness Practices 

Ready to share your story on the Ketamine Connections podcast? Use the form below to submit your interest (no commitment, just interest):

 👉 https://forms.gle/LZp56i4NuBCbR2879

One of the most common things I hear from people preparing for ketamine is:

“I just want to make sure I’m doing this right.”

And while that sounds completely reasonable, especially if you're someone who likes to be prepared, organized, and successful, it may actually be the very thing standing between you and the transformation you're looking for.

In this episode of Ketamine Connections, we're talking about a surprising truth:

The same part of you that helped you build a successful life may not be the part of you that needs to lead your ketamine journey.

If you're a high achiever, a researcher, a planner, a note-taker, or someone who likes to optimize everything, this episode is for you.

We'll explore why trying to "do ketamine right" can actually keep you stuck in the very patterns you're hoping to heal, how ketamine works with the Default Mode Network, and what it really means to approach ketamine with presence, curiosity, and receptivity.

You'll also hear a powerful client story about a CEO who discovered that healing wasn't about building a better wellness plan—it was about putting the list down.

In This Episode:

✨ Why "doing ketamine right" is the wrong goal
 ✨ The hidden trap of perfectionism and optimization
 ✨ How high achievers accidentally bring burnout into healing
 ✨ What the Default Mode Network has to do with ketamine therapy
 ✨ Why ketamine works best when you stop trying to control the experience
 ✨ The difference between performing and receiving
 ✨ The role of curiosity in psychedelic healing
 ✨ How to prepare for ketamine without overthinking it
 ✨ What true readiness for ketamine actually looks like

Mentioned in This Episode

🎧 Episode 95: Five Things Seasoned Ketamine Journeyers Know That Newbies Haven't Learned Yet

🎧 Episode 65 with Troy Leonard

🎓 Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP)

The self-paced course designed to help you prepare for ketamine, understand your subconscious mind, create a powerful intention, and make the most of the neuroplastic window.

👉 https://www.annakrishtal.com/kpp

Connect With Anna

If you're preparing for ketamine and want support before, during, or after your journey, you'll find resources, courses, and coaching opportunities in the links below.

👉 https://www.annakrishtal.com/coaching-info

Can chronic pain, IBS, migraines, fatigue, and other persistent symptoms be connected to your emotional life?

In this episode of Ketamine Connections, I welcome back therapist and mind-body medicine practitioner Sean Hershey for a fascinating conversation about the connection between chronic symptoms, emotional health, and healing.

Sean shares his personal journey from years of debilitating IBS, restrictive diets, medical appointments, and failed treatments to discovering a completely different paradigm—one that transformed both his health and his career. 

Together, we explore why so many people with chronic symptoms reach the end of the medical road still searching for answers, how emotions can manifest physically in the body, and why healing often requires looking beyond the symptom itself. 

We also discuss the role ketamine may play in helping people access emotional safety, reduce nervous system activation, and create the conditions for deeper healing through neuroplasticity. 

In This Episode:

✨ Sean's personal experience with chronic IBS and years of unsuccessful treatments
 ✨ The surprising discovery that changed everything for his healing journey
 ✨ Why chronic symptoms aren't always caused by structural problems in the body
 ✨ The connection between emotional repression and physical symptoms
 ✨ How chronic pain can function as a danger signal within the mind-body system
 ✨ The role of neuroplasticity in healing chronic conditions
 ✨ Why some people improve when they address emotions rather than symptoms
 ✨ The overlap between ketamine therapy, nervous system regulation, and emotional healing
 ✨ Common chronic conditions that may have a mind-body component
 ✨ Why hope is often the most valuable resource people bring into healing

Resources Mentioned

📚 Healing Back Pain by John Sarno

📚 Mind Your Body by Nicole Sachs

🎙️ Sean's Podcast:
 Mind Body Medicine for Chronic Pain

🌐 Sean's Website:
 MindBodyMedicineForChronicPain.com

Connect With Anna

If you're preparing for ketamine and want support before, during, or after your journey, check out the resources below:

🎧 Join the Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP)
 👉 https://www.annakrishtal.com/kpp

🎧 Access the Free Ketamine Starter Portal
  👉https://www.yourketaminecoach.com/free

What if the most important part of ketamine therapy isn't the medicine itself?

In this episode of Ketamine Connections, we're diving deep into one of the most misunderstood concepts in the ketamine space: the neuroplastic window.

You've probably heard terms like neuroplasticity, Default Mode Network, and subconscious mind tossed around in conversations about ketamine therapy. But what do they actually mean? More importantly, what do they mean for you and your results?

In this episode, I break down what happens in the brain during and after a ketamine session, why ketamine creates a unique opportunity for change, and why so many people unintentionally leave the most important part of the journey untouched.

We'll explore:

✨ What the neuroplastic window actually is
 ✨ How ketamine affects the Default Mode Network
 ✨ Why the subconscious mind matters so much in healing and transformation
 ✨ How long the neuroplastic window stays open after a session
 ✨ Why you can't "think" your way into lasting change
 ✨ The difference between conscious goals and subconsciously sound intentions
 ✨ What to do in the hours and days after ketamine to maximize your results
 ✨ Why ketamine is the door—not the transformation itself

If you've done ketamine, are preparing for your first session, or you're wondering how to get more from the sessions you've already had, this episode is for you.

Resources Mentioned

🎧 Join the Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP)
 👉 https://www.annakrishtal.com/kpp

🎧 Access the Free Ketamine Starter Portal
  👉https://www.yourketaminecoach.com/free

What do experienced ketamine clients know that first-timers don't?

After working with hundreds of ketamine clients, I've noticed a clear difference between people who are brand new to ketamine therapy and those who have spent months or years working with the medicine. And no—it isn't that seasoned clients are more enlightened, more evolved, or somehow "better" at ketamine.

They've simply learned a few things through experience. 

In this episode, I break down the five biggest mindset shifts I see happen over time and why these lessons can dramatically change how you approach ketamine therapy, integration, and healing.

If you're new to ketamine, this episode may help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls and frustrations. And if you've been working with ketamine for a while, you may recognize just how much you've grown through the process.

In This Episode:

•  Why you don't need every ketamine session to make sense 
•  The biggest mistake people make when trying to "figure out" their experiences 
•  Why every ketamine journey feels different—and why that's actually a good thing 
•  The difference between controlling a session and surrendering to it 
•  Why asking "Am I doing this right?" can keep you stuck on the surface 
•  How subconscious change often happens before you can see evidence of it 
•  The role of trust in psychedelic healing and ketamine integration 
•  Why some of the most powerful transformations begin with subtle shifts 

Key Takeaway

The biggest difference between new and experienced ketamine clients isn't knowledge—it's trust.

Trust that not every session has to be dramatic.

Trust that healing doesn't always happen on your timeline.

Trust that the subconscious mind is working beneath the surface, even when you can't yet see the results.

And most importantly, trust that transformation is unfolding, even when it doesn't look the way you expected it to. 

Resources Mentioned

•  The Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP) 👉 https://www.annakrishtal.com/kpp

What happens when people stop trying to heal alone?

In this deeply personal episode of Ketamine Connections, Anna Krishtal shares what unfolded during the recent live round of the Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP) — and why healing in community can unlock something that solo work often cannot. 

This episode explores the power of group healing, vulnerability, subconscious transformation, and the unexpected magic that happens when real humans gather with a shared intention to heal. Anna reflects on the themes that emerged during the live KPP calls and explains why ketamine journeys may happen alone in the chair… but preparation and integration were never meant to be solo sports. 

Inside this episode:

•  Why community accelerates healing 
•  The “group field” that forms in transformational spaces 
•  How witnessing someone else’s vulnerability can unlock your own 
•  Why live conversations create breakthroughs no self-paced course can replicate 
•  The neuroscience and subconscious impact of storytelling and connection 
•  The role of preparation and integration in ketamine therapy 
•  What liminal space actually is — and why discomfort is often part of transformation 
•  Why healing work deepens when it’s witnessed by others 

Anna also shares powerful moments from the live round of KPP, including participants uncovering long-held subconscious patterns, experiencing emotional breakthroughs, and discovering new levels of honesty, safety, and connection through shared healing experiences. 

One of the biggest takeaways from this episode:
 You do not have to do this alone.

Whether you are preparing for ketamine therapy, integrating a psychedelic experience, or simply navigating personal transformation, this conversation is a reminder that community itself can become medicine. 

Topics covered in this episode:

•  Ketamine preparation 
•  Psychedelic integration 
•  Healing in community 
•  The subconscious mind 
•  Group healing dynamics 
•  Vulnerability and transformation 
•  Liminal space and personal growth 
•  Neuroplasticity and connection 
•  Ketamine coaching 
•  Emotional healing and nervous system safety 

Resources + Links:

• Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP) 👉https://www.annakrishtal.com/kpp
• Free Ketamine Starter Portal 👉https://www.yourketaminecoach.com/free

If this episode resonated with you, send it to someone who’s navigating ketamine therapy, psychedelic healing, or the messy middle of transformation. Sometimes hearing “you’re not alone” lands differently when it comes from someone walking the path too.

What if the thing that changes your ketamine experience isn’t the ketamine itself… but how you prepare for it?

In this episode of Ketamine Connections, I sit down with therapist Sean Hershey to talk about his experience inside the Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP), what surprised him most about ketamine therapy, and how intentional preparation completely changed the way he approached the medicine. 

Sean shares how he came to ketamine after years of personal healing work and why he quickly realized that ketamine alone wasn’t the thing creating transformation. Instead, it was the combination of intention setting, subconscious awareness, integration, and participation in the healing process that shifted everything. 

We talk about:

•  why ketamine is not a “magic pill” 
•  the importance of preparation before ketamine sessions 
•  subconscious healing and shadow work 
•  intention setting for ketamine therapy 
•  how Sean’s intentions evolved from “let go” to “allow” 
•  why trying too hard can block the healing process 
•  the difference between passive healing and active participation 
•  how ketamine accelerated emotional healing already in motion 
•  why people often misunderstand what ketamine actually does 

Sean also shares his fears before starting ketamine therapy, including concerns about “bad trips” due to previous experiences with cannabis, and how ketamine ended up feeling completely different than he expected. 

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that ketamine can open the door to the subconscious mind — but lasting transformation happens through the choices, awareness, and actions that follow. 

If you’ve been wondering whether ketamine therapy is “worth it,” or why preparation and integration matter so much, this episode is going to completely change the way you think about the process.

Resources & Links

🌐 Sean Hershey Website
🌐 Mind Body Medicine for Chronic Pain
🌐 Ketamine Preparation Protocol (KPP)

Most people prepare for ketamine the wrong way.

They focus on logistics, and miss the part that actually creates change.

Ketamine opens a neuroplastic window, but without direction, that window closes without taking you anywhere new.

KPP is the framework for preparing your subconscious mind so that change is inevitable.

For the first time in 2026, I'm running it live.

👉 https://www.yourketaminecoach.com/kpp-live

This episode was born out of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians Conference 2026 here in Austin, where I reconnected with Robin Arnette, founder of SoundSelf—and got to experience their work firsthand. 

And honestly… it opened up a conversation that I think this space really needs.

Because most clinics understand that there’s something important about set, setting, and experience… but they don’t necessarily know how to create it.

So what ends up happening?

People take ketamine…
 and then just sit there waiting for something to happen.

In this episode, we talk about what becomes possible when you move beyond that model and start thinking about ketamine as part of a full, immersive experience.

We get into SoundSelf—an interactive, biofeedback-based technology that uses your voice, visuals, and sound to guide you into altered states of consciousness. Instead of passively receiving the experience, you’re actively creating it in real time.

And that shift—from consumer to participant—is everything.

We also talk about “Ketamine Plus,” which is essentially what we discuss on this podcast all the time:

How do you take the neuroplastic window that ketamine opens…
 and actually use it?

Because if you don’t?

You go right back into the same patterns.

This conversation explores:

•  why the experiential side of ketamine is often overlooked 
•  how somatic and sensory practices deepen healing 
•  what it means to learn surrender before you’re in a psychedelic state 
•  and why getting out of your head—even briefly—can be a huge breakthrough 

One of the biggest takeaways for me was this:

A lot of people aren’t struggling because nothing is happening…

They’re struggling because they don’t know how to work with what’s happening.

And that’s something we can learn.

I also share my own experience trying SoundSelf at the conference—what it felt like to use my voice to shape the experience, and how surprisingly restorative it was after a full few days of being in that conference environment.

We’re in a really interesting moment where ketamine is becoming more mainstream…

But the art of how to use it?

That’s still catching up.

And this episode is a glimpse into what the future could look like when we start to bridge that gap.

Resources + Links

🌐 https://soundself.com

📍 https://soundself.com/near-me

🎵 Golden Ratio