ConditionS
Depression
How Ketamine treats Depression
A different path forward. Our physician-led approach pairs the rapid neurological benefits of ketamine with personalized intention setting — so you're not just feeling better, you're building a framework to stay there.
How it works
What ketamine does in the brain
Traditional antidepressants target serotonin and norepinephrine, and they can take weeks to months before you feel a difference. Ketamine works through an entirely different mechanism — one that can produce noticeable shifts in mood within hours to days.
At subanesthetic doses — far below what's used in surgical settings — ketamine interacts with the brain's NMDA receptors, which play a central role in how neurons communicate. This triggers a cascade of activity involving glutamate, the brain's most abundant neurotransmitter and a key player in learning, memory, and mood regulation.
The result is something researchers describe as a burst of neuroplasticity — essentially, your brain's ability to form new connections and rewire existing pathways. For someone living with depression, where rigid, repetitive thought patterns can feel like they're hardwired, this window of enhanced plasticity is significant. It's what creates the opening for new perspectives, and it's a major part of why the intention roadmap matters: you're giving your brain something constructive to build toward during its most receptive state.
Rapid Onset
Unlike traditional antidepressants that require weeks, ketamine can begin improving mood within hours of the first infusion.
Neuroplasticity
Ketamine promotes the growth of new neural connections, giving the brain an opportunity to move beyond entrenched patterns.
Glutamate Signaling
By modulating glutamate — the brain's most active neurotransmitter — ketamine helps restore balance in mood-regulating circuits.
Sustained Relief
With a proper induction series, many patients experience lasting improvement that extends well beyond each individual session.
OUR APPROACH
Treatment that starts with understanding you
At Ketamine Uplift, your treatment doesn't begin when the IV starts — it begins the moment you connect with your doctor. Our physician works one-on-one with each patient to build a deep understanding of their depression: what thought patterns are present, what viewpoints shape the way they experience happiness, and what beliefs may no longer serve them. From those conversations, your doctor creates a personalized intention roadmap — a guide designed to help you reframe the moments and self-perceptions that keep you stuck.
Complimentary Telehealth Consultation
Everything begins here. Your doctor meets you for the first time over a video call — no commitment, no pressure. The first priority is safety: the doctor reviews your intake and medical history to confirm that ketamine infusion therapy is physically appropriate for you. From there, the conversation turns to your story. When did the depression begin? Is it connected to a specific chapter in your life, or has it been more gradual? Your doctor listens for the patterns — the recurring thoughts, the cycles — and starts shaping a preliminary approach for your intention setting.
First Infusion Appointment — The Deep Dive
When you decide to move forward and come in for your first session, your doctor spends 45 minutes to an hour with you before the infusion begins. This is where things go deeper. Together, you'll explore how the infusion experience can help you reframe the thought patterns that don't serve you. During this session, your doctor delivers your intention roadmap — the specific themes and reframes you'll focus on throughout your induction phase. Think of it as a compass for the inner work that ketamine makes possible.
Induction Series & Ongoing Calibration
You'll then begin your induction series — a sequence of infusions designed to build on one another. As you progress, your doctor checks in and adjusts your intentions based on your feedback. Some themes may shift, new insights may surface, and the roadmap evolves with you. This isn't a one-size-fits-all protocol. It's a living, responsive treatment plan shaped by your experience.
Efficacy
What the research shows
Ketamine infusion therapy for depression is one of the most actively studied treatments in modern psychiatry. Over two decades of clinical research have produced a growing body of evidence — and the numbers are encouraging.
A retrospective analysis of over 9,000 patients across 178 community practices in the United States found that more than half of patients with treatment-resistant depression responded to ketamine induction, with nearly one in three reaching remission. Among patients experiencing suicidal ideation, 73% reported meaningful reduction. Notably, the response rate was consistent across all levels of baseline depression severity.
Research from the University of Michigan's Bio-K study showed that after just three infusions over 11 days, 52% of participants with severe depression achieved remission. Functional brain imaging studies have also revealed measurable improvements in brain connectivity within 24 hours of a single infusion — changes researchers believe may explain the sustained effects patients report.
When combined with psychotherapy or structured intention work — like the approach used at Ketamine Uplift — the benefits appear to be amplified. Systematic reviews suggest that combining ketamine with guided therapeutic frameworks produces greater improvements in depressive symptoms than either treatment alone.
Data drawn from peer-reviewed studies published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, JAMA Psychiatry, Translational Psychiatry, and related clinical literature.
Safety
A well-studied treatment with a strong safety record
Ketamine has been used in medical settings for over 50 years — first as an anesthetic, and more recently at lower, subanesthetic doses for mental health treatment. Its safety profile at these therapeutic doses is well documented.
Every infusion at Ketamine Uplift is administered under direct physician supervision. Throughout your session, your vitals — including blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels — are continuously monitored. The doses used for depression treatment are a fraction of what's administered in surgical settings, and the clinical environment is designed so you can relax safely while your body and mind do their work.
The most commonly reported side effects are mild and temporary — things like light nausea or a brief headache. Some patients also describe feeling a sense of lightheadedness or gentle dissociation during the infusion itself. These effects typically resolve on their own within an hour or so of the session ending, and your care team is with you through it all.
An NIH-led assessment of 163 patients across five placebo-controlled clinical trials found that a single subanesthetic-dose ketamine infusion was well tolerated, with no serious drug-related adverse events. Researchers noted that the most commonly reported experience was simply "feeling strange or loopy" — transient and self-resolving. Patients are advised not to drive for the remainder of the day following their infusion, and our team ensures you're feeling grounded before you leave.
Considerations for Use
Is ketamine infusion therapy right for you?
Ketamine infusion therapy can be a powerful option — but it's not for everyone, and that's okay. Your complimentary telehealth consultation is specifically designed to determine whether this treatment is appropriate and safe for your unique situation.
Ketamine infusion therapy is generally considered for individuals who have not found adequate relief from conventional antidepressant treatments. It's also being studied for those experiencing acute depressive episodes with suicidal ideation.
During your initial consultation, your doctor will review your complete medical history — including any cardiovascular conditions, history of psychotic disorders, or substance use — to ensure the treatment can be administered safely.
Certain conditions may require additional evaluation or may make alternative treatments more suitable. These include uncontrolled hypertension, active substance dependence, and specific cardiovascular or neurological conditions.
Ketamine infusion therapy is one piece of a larger mental health picture. Your doctor will discuss how it fits alongside any existing medications, therapy, or lifestyle approaches that are part of your care.
Take the first step and talk to a care navigator
Your care navigator will explain the process, discuss costs, and connect you with Dr. O'Neill to explore today’s most advanced mental health treatment.
