Ketamine Can Change a Life—But Only If It’s Done Right.

Why Ketamine Infusions and Therapy Are the Standard You Deserve.

Patient getting set up for their ketamine treatment at Propel Therapeutics

For over a decade, I’ve worked with mental health providers, cash-pay medical clinics, and treatment innovators pushing the boundaries of what healing can look like. When ketamine entered the psychiatric arena, I saw something remarkable: people with chronic depression, PTSD, and suicidality—many of whom had failed multiple medications—began to feel relief. Real, measurable, life-saving relief.

But I also saw something else: corners being cut.

Today, some providers offer oral ketamine through telehealth-only models. Troches are shipped to homes without structured therapy or oversight. For desperate patients, these options seem convenient and affordable. But this is where science—and ethics—must intervene.

Because when it comes to ketamine, route matters. Setting matters. Integration matters.

The Evidence: IV Infusion Is the Gold Standard

Let’s start with what the science clearly shows.

🔹 Bioavailability

• Oral ketamine has a bioavailability of only ~20%, meaning most of the medication is broken down before reaching the brain.

• In contrast, IV infusion delivers 100% bioavailability, allowing precise control over plasma concentrations and onset time. (Loo et al., 2016; Andrade, 2017)

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🔹 Precision and Safety

• IV ketamine allows real-time titration based on response, vitals, and patient feedback.

• Clinical trials consistently use IV administration to produce rapid antidepressant effects.

  • A landmark NIH-funded trial (Berman et al., 2000) demonstrated significant reduction in depressive symptoms within hours using IV ketamine.

  • A 2013 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that 64% of patients with treatment-resistant depression responded to a single IV ketamine infusion compared to 28% receiving placebo. (Murrough et al., 2013)

Graph depicting the ketamine experience with different modalities of administration

Ketamine Without Therapy? Incomplete and Risk-Prone

Ketamine doesn’t “cure” depression—it creates a neuroplastic window where the brain becomes more receptive to change.

• Neuroimaging studies show ketamine increases synaptogenesis, particularly in the prefrontal cortex—an area central to mood regulation and trauma processing. (Duman et al., 2012; Abdallah et al., 2018)

But without therapy, these new neural connections may never be put to meaningful use.

🧠 Integration

• Studies suggest that combining ketamine with ketamine-assisted psychotherapy results in longer-lasting outcomes.

  • One 2020 study found that integrated psychotherapy with ketamine reduced relapse rates and extended antidepressant effects from weeks to months. (Dore et al., 2019, Journal of Psychoactive Drugs)

  • In patients with PTSD, the greatest symptom reductions occurred when ketamine was paired with trauma-focused therapy. (Feder et al., 2021)

Risks of Non-Infusion, Non-Therapy Models

Home-use oral ketamine is often marketed as “accessible.” But access without structure can lead to misuse, dependency, and retraumatization.

• There is limited evidence supporting at-home oral ketamine for complex psychiatric disorders. Most home models rely on self-reported outcomes, with no control over set, setting, or integration.

• Dissociative side effects, anxiety, and even increased suicidality have been reported when patients take ketamine in unmonitored, unsupported environments.

• Repeated sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine without psychological integration have not been proven effective for sustained remission. In fact, they may contribute to emotional numbing or detachment.

Real Healing Requires More Than Molecules

What we’ve learned from both science and practice is this: ketamine opens the door—but therapy walks you through it.

• Ketamine modulates NMDA receptors, increases BDNF, and disrupts ruminative thought loops.

• But it’s the therapeutic container—the conversations, the meaning-making, the narrative reconstruction—that helps patients turn insight into action.

In other words: it’s not just about feeling different—it’s about becoming different.

Patient doing ketamine therapy integration also known as ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP)

What Ethical Clinics Do Differently

If you’re a provider, you have a responsibility. Not just to offer a drug, but to offer a pathway. Clinics that prioritize:

✅ IV ketamine under medical supervision✅ Therapeutic integration by trained mental health professionals✅ Structured treatment protocols and follow-up care

…aren’t just delivering better outcomes. They’re delivering on trust.

And if you’re a patient or family member exploring ketamine treatment, ask these critical questions:

• Will I receive IV infusions or only oral medication?

• Is therapy part of the program or merely optional?

• Is there medical oversight during my treatment?

• How are progress and safety tracked over time?

Your life—and your brain—deserve more than a mail-order pill.

Immersive treatment room for ketamine therapy at Propel Therapeutics. www.propeltherapeutics.com

Final Word: Integrity Is Good Medicine

In over 10 years of this work, I’ve seen what happens when marketing outpaces ethics. And I’ve seen the heartbreak when shortcuts fail patients. But I’ve also seen what happens when clinics combine the best of science, structure, and soul.

When ketamine is administered with precision (IV), in the right setting, and integrated through therapy, the transformation is not just possible—it’s often times profound.

We’re not just delivering treatment. We’re delivering hope—with a compass, a guide, and a map home.

You deserve more than temporary relief—you deserve lasting transformation. At our clinic, we combine the gold standard of IV ketamine with expert therapeutic support to help you truly heal.

Don’t trust your mental health to shortcuts. Trust a team that puts safety, science, and your story first.

📞 Call us today to schedule a free consultation 1 (916) 915-9215

Or www.propeltherapeutics.com to learn how real change begins—with the right care.

Why Ketamine Infusions and Therapy Are the Standard You Deserve.