Innovative Treatments for Mental Health Disorders
Ketamine therapy is a medically supervised treatment for depression that hasn't improved with standard antidepressants. At Healthy Life Recovery, we assess whether it fits your needs, refer you to a trusted medical partner who provides the ketamine sessions, and keep your therapy and outpatient care moving alongside it.
Ketamine isn't a stand-alone fix. It works best as one part of a plan that includes therapy, psychiatric support, and the day-to-day habits that keep progress steady. We build that plan with you through our wider depression treatment program in San Diego.
Ketamine therapy uses controlled, low doses of ketamine to treat depression, given in a medical setting with monitoring. Ketamine was first developed as an anesthetic. At the doses used for depression, it works differently from most antidepressants, acting on the brain's glutamate system rather than serotonin.
Ketamine for depression comes in two main forms:
Our medical partner decides which option, if any, is appropriate for you.
Many people notice changes sooner than they would with a new oral antidepressant, but responses vary and no result is guaranteed. For a deeper look at the research, read our guide to ketamine for depression.
Our role is to make sure ketamine therapy is the right call for you, then keep it connected to the rest of your care. You'll have one team following your progress instead of juggling separate providers who never talk to each other.
Our clinical team reviews your symptoms, treatment history, current medications, substance use history, and overall health. If ketamine doesn't look like a good fit, we'll talk through other options with you instead.
When ketamine looks appropriate, we refer you to our medical partner, who completes their own medical evaluation and provides every ketamine session. We handle the handoff so you're not starting from scratch or repeating your story.
We stay in contact with the medical partner during your course of treatment. Your therapist and psychiatric provider can adjust the rest of your plan based on how you're responding, so your ketamine sessions and your weekly care stay aligned.
Ketamine-assisted therapy pairs ketamine sessions with psychotherapy. Many people describe feeling more open to new perspectives in the days after a session. Your therapist helps you use that window to work on the thoughts, patterns, and goals that matter most, often using approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Ketamine therapy is generally considered for adults whose depression hasn't responded well enough to other treatment. You may be a candidate if you're experiencing:
Ketamine isn't right for everyone. Certain heart and blood vessel conditions, a history of psychosis, pregnancy, and active substance misuse are among the factors a prescriber weighs. Ketamine is not a treatment for addiction itself.
If you're having thoughts of suicide, don't wait for a ketamine appointment. Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911. Our crisis intervention services can also help you and your family find immediate next steps.
During a session, it's common to feel detached from your surroundings, relaxed, drowsy, or lightheaded. Some people have nausea or a temporary rise in blood pressure. These effects usually fade within hours, and the medical team monitors you until you're ready to leave.
Ketamine sessions are only a few hours of your week. The rest of your treatment plan is where lasting change gets built, so we match you with the level of care that fits your symptoms, schedule, and responsibilities.
Ketamine is one of several advanced tools we can bring into your care. If it isn't the right fit, or you'd like to compare options first, our team can walk you through alternatives:
Depression and substance use often feed each other. Our dual-diagnosis care for addiction and depression treats both at the same time, so one condition isn't left to undermine progress on the other.
Because ketamine has misuse potential, we're careful about when it enters the picture for someone in recovery. Our clinical team and the medical partner look at your substance use history, how long you've been stable, and what safeguards you'll have in place before recommending it.
Coverage for ketamine therapy varies widely by plan and by the form of treatment. Your ketamine sessions are billed through our medical partner, while our team can check your benefits for the therapy, psychiatric, and outpatient care you receive with us.
The quickest way to get answers is to verify your insurance with our admissions team. It's free, and we'll explain what we find in plain terms before you commit to anything.
Plenty of San Diego clinics offer ketamine sessions. What we add is everything around them: assessment, therapy, psychiatric support, and a plan for what comes next.
You won't be left managing separate providers on your own. We keep your ketamine sessions, therapy, and medication management connected from the first referral to your final review.
Licensed therapists and psychiatric providers help you turn changes in mood into new habits and coping skills, so improvement has something to hold on to.
We treat addiction and mental health together every day. When depression and substance use overlap, you get a plan that accounts for both, including the safeguards ketamine requires.
If ketamine doesn't look right for you, we'll say so and recommend options that make more sense. The goal is the right treatment, not a particular one.
Our Four Pillars approach of community, education, exercise, and nutrition helps you build a routine that supports your mood between sessions, with plenty of chances to get active in Pacific Beach.
No. We assess whether ketamine therapy is a good fit, refer you to our trusted medical partner for the sessions, and coordinate the rest of your care. Your therapy, psychiatric support, and outpatient programming happen with our team.
Esketamine nasal spray is FDA-approved for adults with treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine infusions for depression are used off-label, which means the FDA hasn't approved them for that specific use. Our medical partner will explain which option they recommend and why.
Some people notice changes within days of starting treatment, which is faster than most oral antidepressants. Others respond more gradually, and some don't respond. Your care team tracks how you're doing and adjusts the plan based on your response.
It depends on your history and current stability. Ketamine can be misused, so we and the medical partner review your substance use history carefully and only move forward when the potential benefits clearly outweigh the risks.
Some plans cover certain forms of ketamine treatment, especially esketamine, while many don't cover infusions. Coverage depends on your plan. Our admissions team can verify your benefits for the care you receive with us and help you understand next steps.
Ketamine is a medication given in a monitored clinical setting. TMS uses magnetic pulses and involves no medication or sedation. Both are used for depression that hasn't responded to standard treatment, and our team can help you compare them.
Many people do. You'll need to avoid driving and plan a quiet rest of the day after each session, but our evening and outpatient programs are designed to fit around work and family.
Dr. John Allen, MD is a psychiatrist in El Cajon, CA and has over 45 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Allen has extensive experience in Addiction & Substance Abuse and Psychotic Disorders. He graduated from Baylor University in 1976.
