Ketamine therapy uses clinically dosed ketamine or esketamine to act on glutamate signaling involved in mood regulation. Response varies and requires medical assessment.
Care is delivered in a clinical setting with screening before treatment, monitoring during and after each dose, and follow-up built into your outpatient plan. Which route is appropriate depends on your diagnosis, medical history, and coverage.
Infusions are delivered through an intravenous line, which allows precise dosing and continuous monitoring of vital signs and mental status during the session.
Intramuscular injections deliver a measured dose with a shorter administration time than most infusions, and are sometimes used when intravenous access is impractical.
Esketamine is an FDA-approved intranasal formulation for treatment-resistant depression. The Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program that governs it requires administration in a certified clinic with a supervised observation period after each dose.
A clinical evaluation determines whether ketamine therapy is appropriate for you. It is generally considered for adults with:
Diagnosis, treatment history, current medications, and medical status all factor into the decision. Ketamine therapy is one option within a broader plan, not a standalone answer.
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Most ketamine clinics do one thing. Ours sits inside a full outpatient continuum in a single location, which means the people managing your dosing are the same people managing your therapy, your medications, and your step-down. You do not retell your story to a new team every time your needs change.
| Program or service | Role alongside ketamine therapy | Typically fits when |
|---|---|---|
| Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) | Daily clinical structure, with therapy, psychiatric support, and medical monitoring through the early phase of treatment. Response and safety are tracked in the same record as the rest of your care. | You want the most structured outpatient support while treatment gets underway |
| Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) | Several therapy groups a week alongside medication management, scheduled around your treatment visits. | You are working, studying, or caregiving and need structure that flexes |
| Outpatient Program (OP) | Carries the plan forward, adjusts intervals, and keeps psychotherapy alongside the medication side of care. | You are maintaining progress and need less frequent contact |
| Co-occurring care | Depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use addressed by one team rather than referred out. Ambulatory detoxification is available when clinically appropriate. | More than one condition is in play |
| Supportive services | EMDR, family therapy, health case management, and physical wellness. | Clinical change needs to translate into daily stability |
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Each visit follows the same structure so you know what is coming.
An initial consultation may be available by telehealth when clinically appropriate and permitted under current licensure rules. Some assessments still need to happen in person before treatment begins.
Generally required
Common contraindications
San Diego Transformation Center is accredited by The Joint Commission for Behavioral Health Care, certified by the California Department of Health Care Services as a substance use disorder recovery and treatment facility (certification 370256AP, expires 10/31/2027), and approved by LegitScript. Medical oversight of psychiatric care is provided by our Medical Director, a board-certified psychiatrist.
What you pay depends on your plan, your diagnosis, the route of administration, and whether prior authorization is required. Esketamine and generic ketamine are handled differently by most plans, and ketamine used for depression is prescribed off label.
We accept most insurance plans and will maximize your benefits on your behalf. Our team completes a confidential verification of benefits before you commit to anything, and helps pursue authorization where it applies.
Learn More About Us
San Diego Transformation Center 9909 Huennekens St., Suite 110 San Diego, CA 92121
Phone: (858) 215-1655 Email: info@phealthsd.com
Our facility is in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego, a parking-friendly and transit-accessible location convenient to the I-805 and I-5 corridors. Please call to confirm today’s availability before visiting.
If you are exploring ketamine therapy or want to understand how it could work alongside structured outpatient care, speak with our team to review clinical suitability, verify insurance benefits, and discuss scheduling and costs. Contact us to start a benefits check or to arrange an initial consultation so you can make an informed decision about next steps.
Ketamine therapy uses clinically dosed ketamine, or intranasal esketamine, in a medical setting to act on glutamate signaling involved in mood regulation. Care includes screening, monitored dosing, an observation period, and follow-up within your outpatient plan.
Generally, adults with treatment-resistant depression who are medically stable enough for monitored treatment and can arrange safe transportation. Bipolar depression requires a mood stabilizer already in place. A clinical evaluation makes the final determination.
Your clinician confirms eligibility and records baseline vitals, treatment is given with monitoring throughout, and you stay on site for observation until you are medically cleared to leave with a support person. You receive same-day instructions and a follow-up review.
Response varies from person to person, and some people do not experience meaningful benefit. Your team tracks symptoms and functioning after each visit and adjusts the plan based on what it sees rather than on a fixed timeline.
It runs alongside them. If you need daily structure, PHP provides it. If you are working or studying, IOP or outpatient visits fit around your schedule. The same team manages both sides, so nothing is handed off.
Coverage depends on your plan, your diagnosis, and the route of administration, and prior authorization is sometimes required. We accept most insurance plans and will maximize your benefits on your behalf. Verify your insurance and we will confirm what applies to you.
Reported effects are usually short-lived and can include dissociation, dizziness, nausea, headache, and temporary increases in blood pressure. You are monitored during and after dosing, and you should not drive on a treatment day.
Esketamine (Spravato) is an FDA-approved intranasal medication for treatment-resistant depression and is administered in a certified clinic under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program with a supervised observation period. Ketamine given intravenously or intramuscularly is prescribed off label for depression. Plans commonly treat the two differently for coverage.
