Ketamine is a medication that has been used safely as an anesthetic in medical settings for more than fifty years. In the last two decades, research has demonstrated that ketamine—at much lower doses than those used for anesthesia—produces rapid and meaningful antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant depression, severe anxiety, PTSD, and acute suicidal ideation. It works through a different mechanism than traditional antidepressants, which is why it can help patients who haven’t responded to SSRIs or SNRIs.
How ketamine works in the brain. Most antidepressants work through the serotonin or norepinephrine systems. Ketamine works on the NMDA receptor and the glutamate system, which is a fundamentally different pathway. The current understanding is that ketamine promotes rapid changes in synaptic connectivity—the way brain cells communicate with each other—which appears to underlie its rapid antidepressant effect. This is why ketamine can produce improvement within hours when standard antidepressants take weeks.
Not an opioid. One of the most common patient questions is whether ketamine is an opioid. It is not. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic, specifically an NMDA receptor antagonist. It does not produce the kind of dependence pattern associated with opioids, and it doesn’t carry the same overdose risk profile when administered in a clinical setting. The recreational misuse of ketamine that occasionally appears in headlines involves uncontrolled, unmonitored use—very different from medically supervised infusion therapy.
Why ketamine therapy exists. Standard treatments help many patients, but about a third of depression patients don’t respond fully to the first medication tried, and many cycle through multiple medications without sustained benefit. For these patients—and for patients in active mental health crisis where conventional antidepressants are too slow—ketamine represents a different option with a different mechanism and a different timeline.
Ketamine therapy is most established for several specific conditions:
Treatment-resistant depression. This is the primary use of ketamine therapy. “Treatment-resistant” usually means depression that hasn’t responded fully to one or more antidepressant medications, typically with adequate doses and adequate trial durations. For these patients, ketamine offers a fundamentally different mechanism and can produce response when other treatments haven’t.
Acute suicidal ideation. Ketamine has one of the most distinctive features in psychiatry: rapid reduction in suicidal thoughts, often within hours. For patients in active suicidal crisis who can be safely managed in an outpatient setting, ketamine can provide rapid relief while longer-term treatment is being established. Ketamine therapy is not a replacement for emergency care during an acute crisis; if you are in immediate danger, please call 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Growing evidence supports ketamine for treatment-resistant PTSD, particularly in veterans, active-duty service members, first responders, and patients with severe trauma symptoms that haven’t fully responded to standard treatment. For Northern Virginia residents whose PTSD relates to combat service, federal law enforcement work, intelligence community operations, the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, intimate partner violence, or other sources, ketamine can be a meaningful additional option as part of a broader treatment plan.
Severe anxiety. Ketamine shows benefit for severe or treatment-resistant anxiety, particularly when it co-occurs with depression. Patients with disabling anxiety who haven’t responded to SSRIs, SNRIs, or benzodiazepines may benefit from ketamine.
Addiction and substance use disorders. Ketamine has shown promise for certain substance use disorders, particularly alcohol use disorder, when integrated with broader addiction treatment. This is an evolving area of practice.
Whether ketamine is right for your specific situation is a conversation we have during evaluation.
Many patients searching for ketamine therapy have heard about it but don’t know what to expect. Here’s what actually happens during a session:
You arrive at the clinic. Sessions take place in a private, comfortable treatment room. We typically recommend you eat lightly beforehand and avoid heavy meals immediately before treatment. You can bring a book, headphones, eye mask, or anything else that helps you settle in.
You meet with the nurse who administers your infusion. An experienced registered nurse establishes the IV, reviews your vitals, and discusses the plan for the session. We monitor blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen throughout the session.
The infusion begins. Ketamine is delivered slowly through the IV over about 40 minutes. The dose is much lower than the dose used for surgical anesthesia—calibrated for therapeutic effect, not unconsciousness. You remain awake and able to communicate throughout.
What the experience feels like. Most patients experience a mild to moderate dissociative state during the infusion. This can include feeling detached from the body, time distortion, sensory effects (colors, music, or images feeling unusually vivid), or a sense of looking at thoughts and feelings from outside them. Some patients describe this as relaxing or even profound; some find it uncomfortable but tolerable; few find it overwhelming when properly dosed. The dissociation itself appears to be related to the antidepressant effect—the experience isn’t a side effect to tolerate, but appears to be part of how ketamine works.
The infusion ends. After the ketamine stops, the dissociative effects fade over the next 15-30 minutes. You’ll rest in the treatment room until you feel ready to leave, typically about an hour after the infusion ends. Most sessions are completed within two hours total.
You’re driven home. You cannot drive yourself home after a ketamine infusion. You must have someone trusted available to drive you. We may be able to help arrange Uber or Lyft if needed, but planning ahead is important.
The rest of your day. Most patients feel tired, mildly groggy, or quiet for the rest of the day. By the next morning, most feel back to normal—and many notice the antidepressant effect by then.
A standard course of ketamine therapy for depression typically involves about six infusion sessions, usually scheduled twice a week for the first two to three weeks. After the initial course, some patients benefit from periodic maintenance infusions—every few weeks to every few months—to sustain response. Others don’t need additional infusions and instead transition to maintenance approaches like medication, therapy, or TMS.
Why six sessions. A single infusion can produce notable improvement within hours, but the effect of one infusion typically lasts only days to weeks. The repeated sessions of the initial course are designed to produce a more sustained response—and patients who complete the full course generally maintain benefit longer than patients who do single sessions.
What patients typically notice during the course. Many patients notice improvement after the first infusion, often within 24 hours. Sleep often changes early. Mood and energy typically follow. Patients with active suicidal ideation often report rapid relief from the most intense thoughts. The full benefit of treatment is usually clear by the end of the standard course.
Planning around duty cycles, polygraphs, and clearance reinvestigations. For patients with anticipated career events—deployment windows, polygraph examinations, periodic reinvestigations, PCS moves, or fitness-for-duty evaluations—we can help time the treatment course around them. The six-session course typically completes in 2-3 weeks, which is short enough to fit into most planning windows.
After the initial course. The duration of response varies significantly between patients—some maintain benefit for months without further treatment, others need periodic maintenance infusions, and others transition to other treatments to sustain the response ketamine produced. We work with you on the maintenance plan that fits your response and your situation.
Alexandria’s patient population includes a substantial share of federal employees, intelligence community personnel, military officers, defense contractors, and others holding security clearances. Concerns about how mental health treatment affects clearances are among the most common questions we hear—and they deserve direct, accurate answers.
Mental health treatment generally does not disqualify a security clearance. The federal government has specifically encouraged personnel to seek mental health care without fear of clearance consequences, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has stated clearly that seeking mental health care is not a barrier to clearance eligibility. The intent of clearance review is to identify untreated conditions that pose security risks—not to penalize people for taking responsible care of their health.
SF-86 Question 21 is more limited than people assume. The current SF-86 Question 21 asks about mental health treatment with specific exceptions for routine outpatient treatment for depression, anxiety, or grief related to common life circumstances. Many forms of routine psychiatric care do not require disclosure under the current standards. The specific application to your situation depends on your circumstances, and we recommend consulting with your security officer, an EAP, or an attorney familiar with clearance law for guidance specific to your case.
Ketamine specifically has advantages for clearance holders. Compared to medication treatment, ketamine:
— Has no prescription record, no pharmacy fill, and no controlled-substance prescription that follows you.
— Has no medication record in pharmacy benefit data or pharmacy benefit manager systems.
— Is a defined treatment course with a clear endpoint, after which patients are not on ongoing medication.
— Has no daily medication-related side effects that might need to be disclosed in fitness-for-duty contexts.
— Doesn’t require ongoing prescription renewals or pharmacy visits that create a paper trail.
One important honest framing. Ketamine is generally used for more severe or treatment-resistant cases than TMS. Some patients feel that engaging with ketamine signals a more serious diagnosis than they’re comfortable disclosing, even privately. The reality is that treatment-resistant depression is common and treatable; choosing the most effective treatment available is a sign of responsibility, not a problem. But preferences and feelings matter, and we don’t push patients toward ketamine when TMS or other options might serve them well.
Confidentiality and HIPAA. Mental health treatment records are protected by HIPAA, and we do not share information with employers, agencies, or anyone else without your written authorization. The clinical record stays with us and you.
Discretion in practice. Our extended hours mean appointments can fit before or after duty hours without requiring explanations for absence. Our location is professional and unmarked from the outside in a way that respects patient privacy.
Our Walker Lane location is approximately 5 miles north of Fort Belvoir and 7 miles south of the Pentagon, which makes us one of the closer Northern Virginia options for both. Active-duty service members face specific considerations when seeking mental health treatment, and ketamine has both advantages and specific operational constraints worth naming directly:
No prescription record on fitness-for-duty matters. Antidepressants sometimes require disclosure in fitness-for-duty evaluations, flight physical updates, dive medicals, and other military-specific medical reviews. The disclosure isn’t typically disqualifying, but the requirement creates real stress for service members in particular career tracks. Ketamine doesn’t generate the medication record that triggers these disclosures.
No daily medication side effects affecting operational performance. Between ketamine sessions, there are no medication side effects. Antidepressants commonly cause fatigue, cognitive slowing, sexual side effects, or weight gain—all of which can affect operational performance in ways that matter. Ketamine sidesteps these concerns.
The operational availability constraint. The honest tradeoff: you cannot be on duty, on flight status, in a sensitive operational role, on call, or driving the day of a ketamine infusion. The dissociative effects during and immediately after treatment make these activities unsafe for that day. We schedule sessions around duty cycles, on protected non-operational days, or during leave periods. Most active-duty patients work this out, but it requires planning—we discuss this during consultation.
Tricare coverage. We accept Tricare for evaluation, medication management, and TMS therapy. However, IV ketamine infusion therapy is generally not covered by Tricare—it is primarily a cash-pay treatment. For service members who need treatment-resistant depression care covered by insurance, TMS therapy is the better-covered alternative.
Coordination with military medicine. For service members already receiving care through Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, or other military treatment facilities, we can coordinate care alongside those services. Ketamine is often used to complement, not replace, military mental health care.
Service-specific policies. Each service branch has its own policies on certain treatments, and active-duty service members considering ketamine should be aware of any unit-specific or service-specific guidance. We can discuss this during consultation.
On September 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon, killing 184 people at the Pentagon and on the aircraft. First responders from Alexandria County, Fort Myer, Alexandria, the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Team, the FBI, and many other agencies responded that day. In the years since, additional 9/11 responders have been diagnosed with serious illnesses including cancers connected to the toxic exposures of that day. The Pentagon survivor community, the first responder community, and the broader Northern Virginia population impacted that day include people carrying documented trauma—some of whom have sought treatment, some of whom haven’t, and some of whom have tried standard treatment without full response.
For patients in this population whose PTSD has been resistant to trauma-focused therapy and standard medications—and many in this population have had years of treatment that helped some but hasn’t been enough—ketamine represents a meaningful additional option. The treatment has growing evidence for PTSD specifically, has no daily medication burden, and integrates with continued trauma-focused therapy. The rapid onset can be particularly important during anniversary periods or around news of new events. We approach this work with the care it deserves.
For patients whose 9/11-related health concerns include cancers and other serious illnesses connected to that day, the World Trade Center Health Program may provide additional resources, including for Pentagon responders.
Beyond clearance-holder, active-duty, and 9/11-related populations, several other patterns we see often in our Alexandria patient population benefit from ketamine therapy:
Patients with treatment-resistant depression after multiple medications. This is the largest ketamine patient population. Northern Virginia residents who have cycled through SSRIs from primary care, then second-line agents, and still haven’t found relief have a treatment option that works through an entirely different mechanism.
Patients with active suicidal ideation who can be safely treated outpatient. Ketamine’s rapid reduction in suicidal thoughts is its most distinctive clinical feature. For patients in significant suicidal distress who don’t require inpatient care, ketamine can provide rapid relief while longer-term treatment is being put in place. Anyone in immediate danger should call 988 or go to an emergency room first—ketamine therapy is outpatient care that works alongside, not instead of, emergency services.
Healthcare workers with treatment-resistant depression. Nurses, techs, EMTs, and clinical staff at Inova Alexandria Hospital, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, and the broader Inova system often have concerns about prescription records, credentialing, and DEA registrations that make ketamine particularly appealing. Treatment is in-clinic, doesn’t appear in pharmacy data, and doesn’t generate the medication record some clinicians prefer to avoid.
Veterans. Northern Virginia has a substantial veteran population served in part by the Washington DC VA Medical Center. For veterans whose treatment-resistant depression or PTSD hasn’t fully responded to VA medication management or trauma-focused therapy, ketamine offers a different mechanism that has growing evidence in veteran populations specifically. We accept Tricare and VA Community Care for evaluation and TMS; ketamine infusions specifically are cash-pay.
First responders. Alexandria Fire & EMS, Alexandria Police, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue (southern stations), Alexandria County Fire and Police, the U.S. Park Police, the federal law enforcement agencies headquartered in the region, and the personnel who responded to the Pentagon on 9/11 all have populations carrying accumulated trauma. Ketamine has growing evidence for treatment-resistant PTSD in first responders.
Crystal City and National Landing professionals. The corporate workforce in northern Alexandria and southern Alexandria—including the substantial Amazon HQ2 presence at National Landing, the defense contractor concentration around Crystal City, and the broader professional workforce of the area—includes patients whose depression has been resistant to standard treatment and who benefit from a finite, in-clinic treatment course rather than ongoing medication.
Patients who need help faster than antidepressants can provide. SSRIs and SNRIs typically take 4-8 weeks to show full effect. For patients who can’t wait that long—a worsening trajectory, a deployment timeline, a clearance review, or a treatment timeline that needs to be compressed—ketamine’s rapid onset matters.
Patients who haven’t responded to TMS. Many patients try TMS first because insurance covers it, and most respond well. For patients who don’t, ketamine represents a different mechanism that may help.
We want to address this directly because it matters: IV ketamine infusion therapy is generally not covered by most insurance plans, including most commercial plans, Tricare, VA Community Care, Medicare, and most others. This makes ketamine primarily a cash-pay treatment, and the cost is real.
Why coverage is limited. Although ketamine has been used safely as an anesthetic for more than fifty years, the FDA has not separately approved IV ketamine for depression. (Spravato/esketamine, a related but different nasal spray formulation, is FDA-approved and insurance-covered, but is a separate treatment with separate requirements.) The lack of FDA approval for IV ketamine specifically means most insurance plans don’t cover the infusions, even when they cover other treatments for the same condition.
What patients typically pay. Costs vary by treatment plan and number of sessions. We walk through the full financial picture during consultation, including the total cost of the initial six-session course and any anticipated maintenance, so there are no surprises.
If cost is a barrier. For patients who would benefit from rapid-acting treatment but for whom ketamine isn’t financially feasible, TMS therapy is an alternative that most insurance plans cover, including Tricare and VA Community Care. TMS works through a different mechanism but addresses many of the same patients (treatment-resistant depression, OCD, PTSD). We discuss both options during consultation and recommend the path that fits your situation, not just the path that’s most expensive.
Honest framing. Some patients value ketamine highly enough to invest in it; others find the cost makes it impractical regardless of clinical fit. Both responses are reasonable. We don’t push patients toward ketamine when other options might serve them well.
Ketamine, when administered in a controlled clinical setting with appropriate monitoring, has a strong safety record. The most common side effects:
During the infusion. Dissociation (detachment, time distortion, sensory effects) is expected and is part of the treatment experience. Other during-session effects can include mild nausea, dizziness, temporary increase in blood pressure or heart rate, and feeling sleepy. These are monitored continuously by the nurse administering the infusion.
Immediately after the infusion. Grogginess, mild fatigue, and continued mild dissociation can persist for an hour or so after the infusion ends. Most patients feel ready to leave the clinic about an hour after the infusion completes.
Later that day. Tiredness, mild quietness, and occasionally a transient mood lift. Most patients feel back to baseline by the following morning.
Less common. Headache, more pronounced nausea, vivid dreams the night following treatment, and—rarely—temporary increase in anxiety the day after a session. Most of these effects resolve quickly and are manageable with supportive care.
Long-term considerations. Long-term high-frequency unmonitored ketamine use (the kind sometimes seen in recreational misuse, not clinical care) has been associated with bladder problems and cognitive effects. Therapeutic ketamine delivered in a clinical setting at appropriate doses and intervals has a different and far more favorable safety profile, and we monitor for any concerning patterns across the treatment course.
Contraindications. Ketamine is generally not appropriate for patients with active psychosis or schizophrenia, uncontrolled high blood pressure, certain cardiovascular conditions, certain liver conditions, or active substance use disorders involving dissociative substances. We screen carefully during evaluation.
Ketamine therapy is appropriate for adults with significant depression, PTSD, anxiety, or related conditions that haven’t responded fully to standard treatments. Specific considerations:
Established diagnosis. A clear diagnosis of a condition for which ketamine is appropriate. We confirm this through our standard evaluation process before recommending ketamine.
Prior treatment history. Ketamine is typically reserved for patients who haven’t responded to at least one or two standard treatments, though there are exceptions—particularly for patients with rapid clinical needs or specific intolerances to standard medications.
Medical screening. Pre-treatment evaluation includes review of cardiovascular history, blood pressure, current medications (including any substances that could interact), and other medical conditions that affect ketamine candidacy. Most patients clear this screening, but some patients with specific medical conditions are not candidates.
Reliable transportation plan. Because you can’t drive yourself after a session, you need a reliable plan for getting home. This is non-negotiable for safety reasons.
Financial considerations. Because IV ketamine is generally not insurance-covered, patients need to consider the cost realistically before starting a course. We walk through this transparently during consultation.
Treatment integration. Ketamine works best as part of broader psychiatric care, not as a standalone treatment. Patients should be willing to engage with therapy, medication management, or other supports as part of the overall plan.
Ketamine isn’t the only option, and it isn’t always the best option. A few comparisons:
Ketamine vs antidepressant medication. Antidepressants work gradually (4-8 weeks to full effect), require daily dosing, are typically covered by insurance, and produce systemic effects including potential side effects. Ketamine works rapidly (hours to days), is delivered as a series of in-clinic sessions, is generally not insurance-covered, and produces a time-limited dissociative experience during sessions. For patients who can wait for medication to work and who can tolerate medication side effects, medication is often the first-line choice. For patients who can’t wait, who haven’t responded to medication, or who can’t tolerate medication side effects, ketamine is a meaningful alternative.
Ketamine vs TMS. Both treat treatment-resistant depression but through very different mechanisms and patient experiences. TMS is a brain stimulation treatment (no medication, no dissociation), delivered daily over 4-6 weeks, generally insurance-covered (including by Tricare and VA Community Care), with no driving restrictions and minimal side effects. Ketamine works faster, requires fewer sessions (2-3 weeks), but is not insurance-covered, requires a driver home, and produces a dissociative experience during treatment. Many patients are appropriate for one or the other; some are appropriate for both. We discuss which fits your specific situation.
Ketamine vs ECT. ECT remains an important treatment for severe and treatment-resistant depression, particularly in the most severe cases. It involves general anesthesia and induced seizures, typically in a hospital setting with significant recovery time. Ketamine is much less invasive but generally appropriate for somewhat less severe presentations. Patients who haven’t responded to ketamine and TMS sometimes do well with ECT.
Starting ketamine therapy isn’t a same-day decision. Here’s how the process typically unfolds:
Initial consultation. A thorough evaluation that includes review of your diagnosis, current symptoms, prior treatment history, medical history, and goals. We assess whether ketamine is likely to help your specific situation and answer your questions about what treatment involves, including the cost, the driver-home requirement, and the dissociative experience. For clearance holders, active-duty service members, and others with specific career or duty-status considerations, your first visit is also a good time to ask the questions you’ve been carrying.
Medical screening. Review of cardiovascular history, blood pressure, medications, and other medical conditions to confirm ketamine is safe for you specifically.
Financial planning. Direct conversation about the cost of treatment and what your specific course is likely to involve. We don’t move forward until you understand the financial picture.
Treatment scheduling. Once you decide to proceed, we schedule your sessions to fit your schedule—around federal work hours, military duty cycles, family commitments, and the broader National Capital Region commute.
Treatment course and follow-up. Typically six sessions over 2-3 weeks, with check-ins to track response. End-of-course evaluation and planning for what comes next—whether maintenance infusions, continued medication or therapy, transition to TMS, or simply ongoing monitoring.
Ketamine therapy is most effective when delivered as part of comprehensive psychiatric care, not as a standalone procedure. Our approach integrates ketamine with medication management, therapy referrals, and ongoing clinical follow-up. We assess whether co-occurring conditions—anxiety, ADHD, sleep disorders, substance use, medical conditions—are affecting outcomes, and we adjust the broader plan as needed.
Many patients arrive at ketamine after years of feeling stuck. Our goal isn’t just to deliver infusions; it’s to help patients build a sustainable approach to their mental health that works after the initial course ends.
Our Alexandria clinic is led by a board-certified psychiatrist and a psychiatric physician with experience treating mood, anxiety, PTSD, and related conditions, supported by experienced registered nurses who administer ketamine infusions:
Dr. Vanessa Freeman, MD — Board-certified Psychiatrist.
Dr. Lan-Anh Tran, DO — Psychiatric Physician.
Our Alexandria team takes a patient-first, evidence-based approach: careful evaluation, transparent conversations about what ketamine can and can’t do, honest discussion of cost and alternatives, and a steady pace that respects how you’re actually doing. With same-week consultations, extended hours, Tricare and VA Community Care accepted (for evaluation, medication management, and TMS—not for ketamine infusions, which are generally cash-pay), ketamine therapy delivered on-site in southern Fairfax County, and the discretion that federal, military, and clearance-holding professional life often requires, we’re committed to making this important treatment fit the way our patients actually live.
If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental health crisis, immediate help is available:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Call or text 988 for free, confidential support 24/7.
Veterans Crisis Line. Call 988 then press 1, or text 838255.
911 or your nearest emergency room. For immediate danger.
Ketamine therapy is an outpatient treatment that requires evaluation, planning, and follow-through. It is a meaningful option for many patients, but it is not a substitute for emergency care during an acute crisis.
Our clinic is located at 6354 Walker Lane, Suite 450 in Alexandria, VA 22310, in the Kingstowne/Franconia area of southern Fairfax County—convenient to Springfield, Mount Vernon, Fort Belvoir, Lorton, and the broader I-95 / Beltway corridor. Ketamine therapy is delivered on-site by experienced clinical staff. The Pentagon is approximately 7 miles north, and Fort Belvoir is approximately 5 miles south.
IV ketamine therapy is most established for treatment-resistant depression—meaning depression that hasn’t responded fully to one or more antidepressant medications—and for treatment-resistant or severe PTSD. It is also used for severe anxiety, certain addiction conditions, and patients with acute suicidal ideation, where ketamine’s rapid onset of effect (often within hours) is particularly valuable. Ketamine therapy is generally reserved for situations where standard treatments haven’t been enough.
Mental health treatment generally does not disqualify a security clearance, and the federal government has specifically encouraged personnel to seek mental health care without fear of clearance consequences. SF-86 Question 21 has narrow criteria for what requires disclosure—routine outpatient treatment for depression, anxiety, or grief related to common life circumstances generally does not require disclosure. Ketamine specifically has advantages over medication: there’s no prescription record, no pharmacy fill, and no controlled-substance prescription that follows you. For specifics relevant to your situation, we recommend consulting with your security officer, an EAP, or an attorney familiar with clearance law. We provide care discreetly and don’t share information without your written authorization.
Yes. We accept Tricare and work with active-duty service members, dependents, and DoD civilians from Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon, and the broader National Capital Region. Our Walker Lane location is approximately 5 miles north of Fort Belvoir and 7 miles south of the Pentagon, which makes us one of the closer Northern Virginia options for both. The primary operational consideration: you cannot be on duty, on flight status, in a sensitive operational role, or driving the day of a ketamine infusion. The treatment course can be planned around duty cycles, deployment windows, or post-deployment recovery periods.
You’ll receive ketamine through an IV in a comfortable, monitored setting. The infusion itself takes about 40 minutes, and most sessions are completed within two hours including the rest period afterward. During the infusion, most patients experience a mild to moderate dissociative state—a feeling of being detached from the body, time distortion, and sensory effects. These effects subside within an hour after the infusion ends. You’re monitored throughout by an experienced registered nurse. You must arrange for someone to drive you home afterward; you cannot drive yourself.
We want to be honest about this: IV ketamine infusion therapy is generally not covered by most insurance plans, including most commercial plans, Tricare, VA Community Care, Medicare, and most others. This makes it primarily a cash-pay treatment. Costs vary by treatment plan, and we walk through the full financial picture during consultation so there are no surprises. The treatment is valuable for the right patient, but the cost is real and should be part of your decision. For patients who need treatment-resistant depression care covered by insurance, TMS therapy is an alternative that most plans (including Tricare and VA Community Care) do cover.
Yes. You cannot drive yourself home after a ketamine infusion. The dissociative and sedative effects of ketamine require a trusted person to drive you, and we typically recommend you have someone with you for the rest of the day. For solo professionals, frequent travelers, and others without easy local support, this requires planning. Options include a colleague, a friend, or Uber/Lyft (we can help arrange). We discuss the driver question during consultation and don’t move forward until it’s solved.
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