The Soundtrack of Healing: How Music Shapes the Ketamine Assisted Therapy Journey

At Koru Wellness, we talk a lot about set and setting—and one of the most powerful elements of that setting is music.

In a ketamine-assisted therapy session, music isn’t just background noise—it’s an intentional therapeutic tool. It holds the space. It supports emotional movement. It helps regulate the nervous system. And most importantly, it helps your brain integrate.

We’ve seen it time and time again: clients come into a session, receive the medicine, put on their headphones, and within minutes, they’re somewhere else entirely. Not just because of the ketamine—but because of the sound that holds them while they’re there.

What Music Does to the Brain—And Why That Matters in Ketamine Assisted Therapy

Science backs up what many of us have felt intuitively: music has a measurable impact on the brain.

• Listening to music activates nearly every region of the brain, including areas involved in emotion (amygdala), memory (hippocampus), attention, and even motor control.

• It triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter tied to pleasure and motivation—similar to what happens during meaningful social connection or spiritual experiences.

• Low-frequency music (like binaural beats or sustained ambient tones) has been shown to induce theta brainwave states, which are associated with deep relaxation, dreamlike awareness, and subconscious processing—similar to the altered state brought on by ketamine.

  
  

In a ketamine session, your brain is more neuroplastic—more able to create new pathways, rewire old stories, and make emotional connections that aren’t always accessible in your default state. When paired with music—especially music that follows a specific arc, pacing, and emotional tone—this process deepens. Music helps the brain anchor the experience. It gives the unconscious something to hold onto.

How Music and Ketamine Work Together

During ketamine therapy, the Default Mode Network (DMN)—the part of the brain that governs ego, identity, and internal chatter—goes quiet. This is why people often describe ketamine as "a break from themselves.” Music steps into that quiet space and provides structure. While the ego is relaxed and defenses are down, music offers a safe channel for emotional release, reflection, and even insight. It’s why many clients feel deeply moved by instrumental or ambient tracks they might otherwise overlook.

Music creates an emotional arc for the session—like a journey map for your brain. We’ve seen clients cry, laugh, remember long-forgotten memories, or reach a profound sense of peace, simply guided by the waves of sound.

Our Playlist Becomes Part of the Medicine

At Koru, we’ve developed a curated ketamine playlist used across our sessions. It’s more than just relaxing music—it’s a therapeutic tool.

It’s paced intentionally to reflect the arc of a session:

• Opening tracks that support grounding and calming the nervous system

• A middle section that invites expansion, exploration, and deep emotional work

• Closing tracks that gently bring the client back to baseline

We often hear from clients that this playlist becomes a touchstone:

“It helps me reconnect to the clarity I felt in session.”“I listen to it every day—it’s like therapy for my nervous system.”“Even when I’m not in a session, the music reminds me I’m healing.”

And there’s good reason for this: the brain begins to associate the playlist with emotional safety, healing, and presence. This makes it a powerful tool for integration between sessions.

Sound Healing Beyond the Playlist

Sound baths and live sound healing experiences offer similar benefits, especially for clients working with trauma or chronic stress. Instruments like crystal bowls, chimes, and gongs often resonate at specific frequencies (like 432 Hz or 528 Hz) that are believed to promote cellular healing, emotional release, and heart-brain coherence.

While the research on exact frequencies is still emerging, there’s increasing evidence that these types of sound experiences:

• Promote parasympathetic nervous system activation (rest & digest mode)

• Reduce stress hormones like cortisol

• Improve mood and emotional processing

• Support trauma recovery by allowing the body to discharge built-up stress

Music as Medicine, Long After the Medicine

One of the most beautiful parts of incorporating music into ketamine therapy is that it doesn’t stop when the session ends.

Our clients often continue listening to their playlist:

• On walks

• In the car

• During meditation

• Or on hard days when they need a reminder of who they’re becoming

It’s like a gentle tether back to their healing. A sonic anchor for everything they’ve discovered inside themselves.

Final Thoughts

Music and ketamine are both powerful on their own.But when they’re combined with therapeutic presence, intention, and a safe environment—they create something truly transformational.

At Koru Wellness, we don’t just play music during sessions.We use it to help you feel, to help you release, and to help you remember who you are—long after the medicine wears off.

Join us for a Full-Body Reset: Sound Bath at Koru Wellness | April 12th

New to ketamine therapy or feeling nervous about starting? This is the perfect place to begin.

On Saturday, April 12th, we’re hosting a gentle, all-women’s sound bath at our clinic—a grounding and immersive experience designed to help your nervous system exhale.

This is more than just relaxation—this is a space to experience what it feels like to be fully supported, without needing to “do” anything. Just come, lie back, and let the healing frequencies move through you.

Whether you're preparing for ketamine treatment, curious about the experience, or simply in need of peace—you’re welcome here.

No medicine involved. Just deep rest. Held in our serene clinic space in Lehi. Facilitated by experienced sound healer.

RSVP now—spots are limited!

Explore ketamine-assisted therapy and sound-based integration at koruwell.com.