Ketamine treatment, explained before you spend a dollar on it.
Ketamine therapy can be a real option when depression hasn't responded to standard treatment. For anxiety and PTSD, the research is still early. But the industry is uneven, and marketing often runs ahead of evidence. This guide explains what ketamine treatment involves, what it costs, and how to tell a strong clinic from a weak one.
- Plain language
Every page is written in plain language.
- Sourced
Our clinical, cost, and regulatory pages list their sources.
- No hype
No clinic pays to shape what we publish.
- Not shared with providers
We don’t share your request with any provider.
Where to begin
Will my insurance cover Spravato®?
Approval rules differ by insurer, plan, and state. We lay out what eight commercial insurers, Medicare, and East Coast Medicaid programs publish, which records to keep, and how appeals work.
Check your coverage →Deciding between ketamine, Spravato®, and TMS?
Start with Ketamine vs. Spravato and Ketamine vs. TMS. Then see every form of ketamine treatment side by side in Types of Treatment.
Helping someone through treatment?
If you're the one driving them home, here is what that day looks like. Family members and friends can also read the questions to ask the clinic and the warning signs to watch for between sessions.
Three things to understand about ketamine treatment
“Ketamine therapy” is five different treatments
"Ketamine therapy" covers IV infusions, injections, the FDA-approved Spravato® nasal spray, lozenges, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. They differ in evidence, oversight, cost, and insurance coverage, sometimes dramatically.
Only one form is FDA-approved for depression
Esketamine (Spravato®) is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. It is also approved for depressive symptoms in adults with major depressive disorder with acute suicidal thoughts or behavior. It is given only in REMS-certified settings. Ketamine itself is FDA-approved only as an anesthetic. That makes IV and injected ketamine for depression off-label. Compounded lozenges are not FDA-approved products at all. Off-label isn't illegitimate, but it changes who oversees your care and who pays for it.
The clinic matters more than the drug
Screening, medical monitoring, dosing protocols, and integration with your ongoing mental health care vary widely between clinics. Most of that is invisible on a website and obvious on a first phone call, if you know what to ask.
Find what you need
Every page is written in plain language. Our clinical, cost, and regulatory pages list their sources. No clinic pays to shape what we publish.
What to Expect
The full arc of treatment: evaluation, your first session, what the experience feels like, and what happens after.
Read the guide →Types of Ketamine Treatment
IV, IM, Spravato®, lozenges, and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, compared side by side on evidence, oversight, and cost.
Compare options →Conditions Treated
Where the evidence is strong (treatment-resistant depression), where it's emerging, and where it's mostly marketing.
See the evidence →Cost & Insurance
Real price ranges, why Spravato® is often covered when infusions aren't, and how to keep out-of-pocket costs down.
Understand costs →Safety & Side Effects
Short-term effects, who shouldn't get ketamine, the FDA's warning on at-home compounded ketamine, and misuse risk.
Know the risks →How to Choose a Clinic
The seven markers of a strong program and the questions that separate medical care from a retail dosing operation.
Get the checklist →Finding treatment on the East Coast
Medicaid rules for Spravato® differ from state to state. Our regional guide covers each East Coast state: what its Medicaid drug list says about Spravato®, where to check a clinician’s license, and how to find a certified treatment center.
East Coast Ketamine Treatment Guide
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and more.
Browse by state →Have a question?
Send us your question. We'll reply with general information about treatment types and the questions to ask a licensed clinician.
Quick answers
Does ketamine therapy work for depression?
How much does it cost?
Is at-home ketamine safe?
Will my insurance pay for it?
Longer answers to common questions
Ketamine vs. Spravato: What's Different
IV ketamine and Spravato (esketamine) get lumped together, but they differ on FDA status, insurance coverage, cost, and how you receive them.
Read →At-Home Ketamine Therapy: What You're Signing Up For
At-home ketamine costs a fraction of clinic treatment. How the model works, what the FDA has warned about, and how to judge whether a program is responsible.
Read →How Many Ketamine Treatments Do You Need?
Typical induction schedules for IV ketamine and Spravato, how long results tend to last, what maintenance looks like, and when it's reasonable to stop.
Read →How Well Does Ketamine Work? The Research, Plainly
What response rates in ketamine and esketamine studies really mean, how long benefits last without maintenance, and what non-response tells you.
Read →Ketamine vs. TMS for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Two different paths after antidepressants fail: how ketamine and TMS compare on speed, insurance coverage, side effects, time commitment, and durability.
Read →If Ketamine Didn't Work: What Comes Next
How to tell whether ketamine failed, what to ask your prescriber, and what the research says about Spravato, TMS, ECT, medication changes, and therapy.
Read →Have a question the guide doesn’t answer?
Start with the guide, then take your questions to a licensed clinician. If something here isn't clear, ask us and we'll reply with general information. We don't share your request with any provider.