To mark the opening of our first location outside the Boston area, in Bethesda, Maryland — WUSA9, the CBS station in Washington DC, came to see it. Reporter John Doran sat down with our team to talk about something more people in the greater Washington DC and Maryland area deserve to know about. Ketamine treatment and esketamine (Spravato, FDA-approved) are real, evidence-based options for adults whose depression has not responded to conventional treatment. We were grateful for the visit, and grateful that the story made room for the clinical reality of what this work actually looks like.
You can watch the WUSA9 segment and read the companion article here. What follows is what we hoped every viewer would take away.
Why We Opened in Bethesda
Lumin Health has spent the last few years building a model of psychiatric care in the Boston Metro area. Bringing it to the greater Washington DC and Maryland area was a deliberate step. Speaking with WUSA9, our Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, Dr. Ben Yudkoff, explained what drives the work.
"I've not seen anything work in the way that these medicines do, not just in terms of efficacy, but in terms of how people relate to the medicines themselves."
— Dr. Ben Yudkoff, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, Lumin Health, speaking with WUSA9
For adults whose major depressive disorder has not responded to one antidepressant after another, that difference matters. Ketamine and esketamine (Spravato) appear to work through the glutamate system, and they are associated with what neuroscientists call neuroplasticity — the brain's capacity to form new connections. Your brain isn't broken. It may just be stuck. Used correctly, in a setting supervised by medical and psychiatric professionals, these treatments can open a window in which recovery becomes possible again.
Wondering if this could be a fit?
If you are in the greater Washington DC and Maryland area, or in Massachusetts, our team is here to help you sort through your options. Book a free 20-minute intro call. No commitment, no pressure.
Available in the greater Washington DC and Maryland area and in Massachusetts.
What Treatment Looks Like at Lumin Health Bethesda
WUSA9 also spoke with Lumin Health Physician Assistant Kiana Fussner, who walked through what esketamine treatment actually involves. The first thing many people are surprised to learn is how the medication is given.
"It's almost like a Flonase device, an insufflation device, so you spray it in your nose."
— Kiana Fussner, Physician Assistant, Lumin Health, speaking with WUSA9
Esketamine (Spravato) is a nasal spray. There are no IV drips. Patients self-administer the spray under supervision, then settle in for two hours or more of monitored observation, with vital signs like blood pressure and the oxygen saturation of the blood checked throughout. Off-label ketamine therapy, when clinically appropriate, is delivered intramuscularly within psychiatrist-led protocols.
The room itself is part of the treatment. Patients spend that time in spaces with comfortable seating and warm light, and Fussner described why that is intentional.
"The setting has almost everything to do with the treatment, and that's really what Lumin is trying to do — really try to bring people some peace that they haven't felt in years."
— Kiana Fussner, Physician Assistant, Lumin Health, speaking with WUSA9
A calm, private, carefully designed space is not an amenity. It is clinical design. The environment helps patients ground themselves, slow their breathing, and move through whatever a session brings, with a team beside them the entire time.
Risk, Honestly Managed
Dr. Yudkoff was direct with WUSA9 about something we tell every patient: this therapy is not perfect, and it does not have a 100% success rate. What it can have is a team that understands its risks and is prepared for them.
"There's risks to everything, but you can come to places that say we know what those risks are. We have the means to manage with any contingency plan that comes up, and suddenly you move from a risk-based proposition to a value-based proposition."
— Dr. Ben Yudkoff, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, Lumin Health, speaking with WUSA9
That is the difference between a medication and a setting for care. Side effects are real, and they are time-limited — most people feel a little tired, drowsy, or briefly dizzy after treatment. We monitor for them and talk patients through them. You cannot drive yourself home the day of treatment. None of this is a surprise to us, and it should not be a surprise to you. When treatment is supervised by medical and psychiatric professionals who have planned for each contingency, the question shifts from “is this safe enough to try” to “is this worth doing” — and that is a question a patient can answer with trust.
Who Ketamine Treatment and Spravato May Be For
Esketamine (Spravato, FDA-approved, sponsored by Janssen / Johnson & Johnson) is indicated for adults with treatment-resistant depression, and for adults with major depressive disorder who are experiencing acute suicidal ideation or behavior. If you have been on antidepressants and the treatment has not worked, that does not mean you have failed. It often means the treatment has failed the patient, and a different approach is worth considering.
One advantage these treatments can offer is speed. For its segment, WUSA9 also interviewed Carl Hart, a professor of psychology at Columbia University who is not affiliated with Lumin Health. He noted that conventional antidepressants typically take at least seven days, and often around fourteen, before any therapeutic effect appears — whereas with ketamine, beneficial effects can begin much sooner. He was also candid that how long those benefits last is still being studied, since this remains a relatively new treatment. We agree, and we say the same to our patients. We are careful not to overpromise, careful to screen eligibility, and honest about what we do and do not yet know.
Off-label ketamine therapy, delivered within a psychiatrist-led framework, is another evidence-informed option for adults whose depression has not responded to conventional medications. Eligibility is something we screen for carefully — your medical history, your mood history, and the medications you are already on. Some people are not a fit, and we tell them so.
Where We Are, And How To Begin
Asked what keeps him doing this work, Dr. Yudkoff told WUSA9 it comes down to one thing.
"It's the idea that someone's life could be saved. Someone who's suicidal one day may not feel suicidal the next week. The families are grateful."
— Dr. Ben Yudkoff, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder, Lumin Health, speaking with WUSA9
Lumin Health treated its first patient at our Bethesda location this month. It joins our four locations in the Boston Metro area — Newton, Cambridge, Brookline, and Woburn. Most major commercial insurers cover esketamine (Spravato) for its FDA-approved indications, and we verify benefits up front, so many patients pay a standard office-visit co-pay — typically $10 to $25 — rather than the sticker price. You can check your insurance here.
If WUSA9's story made you wonder whether this could be a fit for you, or for someone you love, we would be honored to talk. A consultation is free, takes about 20 minutes, and you leave with information, not pressure.
If you are in crisis, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Lumin Health on WUSA9 in Washington DC?
Yes. Lumin Health was featured on WUSA9, the CBS station serving Washington DC, in a segment reported by John Doran that aired on May 19, 2026. The story covered the opening of our Bethesda location and how ketamine treatment and esketamine (Spravato) are being used for depression that has not responded to conventional treatment.
Did Lumin Health open a location in Bethesda, Maryland?
Yes. Bethesda is Lumin Health's first location in the greater Washington DC and Maryland area, and we treated our first patient there this month. It joins our four locations in the Boston Metro area.
How is esketamine (Spravato) given?
Esketamine (Spravato) is a nasal spray. As our Physician Assistant Kiana Fussner described it to WUSA9, the device works much like a nasal-spray insufflation device — patients self-administer it under supervision. There are no IV drips. After administration, patients are monitored for two hours or more.
Does insurance cover treatment at Lumin Health Bethesda?
Most major commercial insurers cover esketamine (Spravato) for its FDA-approved indications. We verify your benefits up front so you understand your expected cost before you begin. You can check your insurance here.
Where is Lumin Health located?
Lumin Health has four locations in the Boston Metro area (Newton, Cambridge, Brookline, and Woburn) and one location in Bethesda, serving the greater Washington DC and Maryland area.
Take the first step today.
If you or someone you love is exhausted by depression that has not responded to conventional treatment, our team is ready to help you understand whether ketamine treatment or Spravato may be a fit. Book a free 20-minute consultation. There is no pressure, and the information is yours to keep.
Available in the greater Washington DC and Maryland area and in Massachusetts.
