'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Continues to Share the Ladies’ Ketamine Therapy Sessions

When original MomTok member and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast member Demi Engemann admitted to using ketamine for therapy in the first season, viewers were confused. In a religion where alcohol and even caffeine is a big no no, how could a Mormon use ketamine, a drug, for anything, even if it was therapy-approved?

In Season 2, the ladies once again turn to ketamine therapy, and they are open about it on the show. Some of the ladies do tend to bend the rules, through drinking alcohol or even attending racy male review shows, a la some Season 1 drama. But is ketamine therapy approved by the Mormon church?

The reason most people, including Mormons, use ketamine therapy is to treat a variety of mental health struggles. In the Season 2 premiere of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Jen and Zac Affleck, who have shared their marital struggles with fans and viewers, agree to do ketamine therapy. But ketamine, which was originally only used in anesthesia with medical professionals, became a sort of club drug at some point as a psychedelic, per the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

However, it is now also used in therapy, according to the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, to quickly treat depression and anxiety, among other mental health diagnoses that people and even couples face. Zac and Jen undergo ketamine therapy on Secret Lives. Prior to the second season of the Hulu series, the couple spoke with Women's Health and opened up about ketamine therapy as Mormons.

"There's nothing in the Mormon guidelines that say you can't do ketamine, but it's in the gray area," Zac told the outlet. "It can be a party drug, and it can be abused, but I think if you have the right intention and you do it in the proper setting with a doctor, it can be super impactful."

During the Secret Lives Season 2 premiere, Jen explains, "Ketamine therapy is supposed to reset a lot of past traumas or habits you've created. Ketamine is in a gray area when it comes to the church."

According to Zac and Jen, ketamine therapy is OK as Mormons. But before they publicly endorsed the form of therapy, Demi touched on it during the first season. In September 2024, when she appeared on The Viall Files podcast, she admitted that she and husband Bret Engemann use ketamine therapy to help their marriage. She also revealed that co-star Mayci Neeley uses it too.

Zac and Jen might have both said that there is a "gray area" when it comes to Mormons and ketamine, but as for official church leaders, there doesn't appear to be a confirmed stance on using it for therapy. Church leaders do promote seeking mental health help from professionals, as reported by LDS Living. Not many have outright suggested or promoted specific medication for mental health treatment, however.