When people first hear about ketamine therapy for depression, it can sound surprising — even contradictory.
After all, ketamine has a reputation beyond medicine. So how can the same compound be used safely in a clinic to help people heal?
The answer lies in intent, purity, and context.
In the right setting, ketamine becomes a carefully controlled therapy — not an unregulated experience. At Lumin Health, we help patients understand that difference clearly, without judgment or bias.
The Role of Intent in Ketamine Use
Intent is the first — and perhaps most important — distinction.
Dr. Ben Yudkoff, Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder at Lumin Health, explains
“There are many substances that, in one context, represent therapy — and in another, represent misuse. What separates those worlds is intent, dosing, and oversight.”
At Lumin Health, ketamine is used to treat depression and related conditions in a safe, supervised environment. The goal isn’t to chase euphoria — it’s to restore function, reduce symptoms, and support long-term healing.
Each treatment is part of a broader care plan that includes psychiatric evaluation, follow-up, and collaboration with outside providers. As Dr. Yudkoff puts it:
“Ketamine can promote introspection and growth, but to have access to those potential benefits, safety, quality, and trust must be the platform.”
Safety in Clinical Settings
Where and how ketamine is used dramatically affects its safety and how patients come to experience the medicine.
In a Spravato clinic or a medical setting like Lumin Health, treatment takes place under direct supervision. Each patient’s vital signs — blood pressure and oxygen levels — are monitored continuously. Clinicians remain nearby throughout the session to manage side effects and provide reassurance.
If adjustments are needed, they happen immediately, we take your interests to heart in the moment, and safely with expert oversight from mental health practitioners with a psychiatrist (a doctor who is specially trained in mental health conditions) leading decision-making. That quality and flexibility — to titrate dose or intervene if discomfort arises — is what separates medical administration from unsupervised use.
Dr. Yudkoff explains:
“A clinic setting promotes the safe experience of the biological effects of ketamine. Physical consequences are monitored, side effects are treated, and hard moments in treatment are addressed directly and competently.”
How Medical Ketamine Fits Into a Broader Care Plan
At Lumin Health, ketamine therapy is never offered in isolation. It’s part of a broader approach that integrates psychiatric evaluation, behavioral support, and ongoing follow-up.
This continuity is what helps patients translate the neurochemical effects of ketamine — the short-term “neuroplasticity window” — into long-term relief.
Many describe their experience as subtle but meaningful: a quiet sense of clarity, or a renewed ability to engage with therapy or daily life. Those shifts happen not just because of the medicine, but because of the structure around it — clinical monitoring, skilled dosing, and compassionate care.
“It’s not just the ketamine that helps people feel better,” says Dr. Yudkoff. “It’s the environment, the monitoring, the trust, and the sense that this is part of a movement toward wellness.”
At Lumin Health, our focus is on using ketamine responsibly — with medical precision, professional oversight, and a deep respect for each patient’s journey toward recovery.
