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Integrative Counseling & Medicine
What is Ketamine Therapy?
A Different Approach to Mental Health Care
Ketamine therapy is an emerging treatment option for people struggling with depression, PTSD, and related conditions, especially when traditional approaches have not provided enough relief. Some clinics also evaluate anxiety symptoms in the broader context of a patient's mental health history and goals.
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic medication. Its use in mental health care is off-label, meaning it is used based on clinical judgment and available evidence rather than a specific FDA psychiatric indication for ketamine injection.
How Ketamine Works
Most traditional antidepressants work gradually through serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine-related
pathways. Ketamine works differently. It primarily affects glutamate signaling and NMDA receptor-related
activity, which may influence pathways involved in synaptic plasticity - the brain's ability to adapt and form new patterns of communication.
This does not mean ketamine is guaranteed to help. It means that for some patients, the medication may
create a temporary window where therapeutic support, reflection, and new perspectives become easier to
access.
Patient Experience
A guided, supportive approach
Our model combines medical supervision with therapeutic support. The medical side focuses on safe administration and monitoring. The therapy side helps patients process and integrate the experience in a way that supports practical, lasting change when clinically appropriate.
Safety Comes First. Ketamine has known risks and is not appropriate for everyone. Possible effects include increased blood pressure or heart rate, nausea, dizziness, anxiety, dissociation, changes in perception, drowsiness, and rarely respiratory depression. Screening and monitoring are used to reduce risk.
Our ketamine therapy is administered in a comfortable and safe environment by a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). All members of our Ketamine staff are BLS and ACLS certified.
Feel free to bring any comfort items from home and ensure you have a reliable person to take you home after.
Patients are taken to our ketamine treatment room where they will sit down in a comfortable chair and receive their treatment either intravenously or intramuscular. Ketamine dosage is tailored to each patient's needs. Patients have their vital signs monitored throughout the entire session. Each patient is provided with a blanket, eye shades, and music. Each treatment takes about 45 minutes.
During treatment patients may experience:
• A calm, relaxed, or reflective state
• Temporary changes in perception or sense of time
• A feeling of distance from usual worries or repetitive thought loops
• Emotional shifts or insights that vary from person to person
These effects are temporary and occur while the medication is active. Patients are monitored and supported throughout the session and recovery period.
After treatment you will spend roughly an hour recovering with continued assessments and monitoring. You are able to drink and have light snacks. You need a responsible adult to drive you home. You should avoid driving, operating machinery, alcohol, recreational substances, and major decisions for the rest of the day.
After treatment it is very important to have a therapy session within 72 hours of your treatment. This can be done with a therapist of your choosing, or with our therapist that is specialized in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
Frequency of treatment varies based on the patient, however research shows patient improvement with an average of 6 treatments.
Requirements for Ketamine Therapy
Curious if ketamine is the right treatment for you? There are a few general requirements for ketamine treatment, and certain restrictions.
Ketamine therapy may be considered for patients who have not found adequate relief with traditional treatments and who are appropriate candidates after medical and psychiatric screening. The best next step is a
consultation and screening process.
1
Diagnosis Of Major Depressive Disorder
Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder without psychotic features, Major Depressive Disorder with Suicidal Ideations, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that has been present for more than six months.
2
Failed Antidepressants
Tried and failed at least two different antidepressant medications over a six-month period.
3
Failed Augmentation Therapy
Tried and failed at least one augmentation therapy attempt, defined as the use of two antidepressant medications from different drug classes or an antidepressant used in conjunction with an antipsychotic medication.
4
No Substance Abuse
No current diagnosis of substance abuse disorder (to include alcohol abuse, opioid abuse, and recreational use of marijuana or other street drugs).
5
Not Suitable for Pregnancy
Currently not pregnant or in the process of trying to conceive.
6
Heart Health
No current history of aneurysmal disease or significant cardiovascular disease.
7
Brain Health
No current history of uncontrolled seizure disorders or conditions with elevated intracranial pressure.
