Pre-Screening
Speak with an expert member of our care team to see if IM ketamine is right for you.
Office visit
1-hour mental health evaluation with provider covered by insurance, creating a personalized treatment plan
Treatment
Alleviation of depressive, PTSD, anxiety, bipolar depression symptoms within the first few weeks!
NOT JUST ANOTHER PILL: IM Ketamine FOR TREATMENT RESISTANT DEPrESSION
Backed by science and most major health insurances cover consultation with our mental health provider
*IM Ketamine injections are starting from $500 per treatment
How IM Ketamine at Bright Horizons Psychiatry Works
Why IM Ketamine?
After treatment:
Once you’re stable and alert enough, you’ll be discharged to go home with your designated ride. You may feel tired or mentally foggy for the rest of the day, so it’s best to take it easy and avoid working, driving, or making major decisions. IM ketamine is typically given 1–2 times per week to start, with frequency adjusted as symptoms improve.
What is IM ketamine?
IM ketamine is a fast-acting treatment that involves administering ketamine via intramuscular injection. It’s used to treat certain types of depression—especially when other medications failed. It also helps with several diagnoses like depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar depression and more. Unlike traditional antidepressants that can take weeks to work, IM ketamine often begins to relieve symptoms within hours or days. All our treatments are supervised by mental health providers.
Before treatment:
You’ll meet with one of our providers to see if IM ketamine is the right option for you. If approved, we’ll help coordinate your treatment plan and schedule your sessions. To prepare, don’t eat for 2 hours or drink for 30 minutes before your appointment. Since you won’t be able to drive afterward, please arrange a ride home.
During treatment:
Your session will take place in a private, spa-like room at our clinic. A trained provider will administer the injection, and you’ll remain in the room while we monitor you for about 1 to 2 hours. It’s normal to feel relaxed, detached, or lightheaded during and after the treatment—these effects are usually temporary.
Dr. Amir Etesam, MD
Dr. Amir Etesam, MD, is a Johns Hopkins-trained Psychiatrist at Bright Horizons Psychiatry in North Bethesda, Maryland. After receiving his medical degree, Dr. Etesam chose to focus his career on mood and anxiety disorders. He is a member of the well-respected Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), the only medical honor society in the world. Diagnostic clarification and appropriately treating psychiatric disorders are the fundamentals of Dr. Etesam’s practice and his promise to his patients. His particular interests include complex psychopharmacology, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and Intranasal Ketamine Esketamine (Spravato®) treatment. Dr. Etesam is a National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) certified TMS provider. At present, he sees and treats patients with mild to moderate depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, and ADHD, including severe and treatment-resistant cases. He warmly welcomes all patients into Bright Horizons Psychiatry, and he looks forward to caring for them.
MEET THE TEAM
Fast relief with minimal side effects
Many patients notice an improvement in mood within days, not weeks. Side effects are typically mild and short-lived, such as a relaxed feeling or a light, dreamy sensation.
No insurance hassles
As a cash-based treatment, IM ketamine bypasses the delays and denials that often come with insurance. Our team will walk you through costs, expectations, and a personalized care plan.
Clinically proven and
provider-supervised
IM ketamine is helping people nationwide find relief from treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar depression. Administered under the guidance of licensed mental health professionals, this treatment takes place in a peaceful, spa-like room designed for your comfort and safety.
TESTIMONIALS
What Our Patients Are Saying About Bright Horizons Psychiatry
Disclaimer on FDA Status, Off-Label Use, and Evidence Base for Ketamine in Psychiatry
Important Notice
Intramuscular (IM) ketamine treatment for depression and other mental health conditions is an off-label use. While ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic, its use for psychiatric disorders—such as treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and anxiety—is not FDA-approved.
However, off-label prescribing is both legal and common in psychiatry, especially when supported by peer-reviewed evidence and clinical expertise. Our IM ketamine protocols are informed by the growing body of psychiatric research and are delivered under close medical supervision.
Ketamine has been extensively studied in psychiatry and consistently shown to be safe and effective in controlled settings when administered appropriately:
Ahuja et al. discusses that IM ketamine is being utilized to treat psychiatric outpatients with multiple mental illnesses not limited to depression. Average depression and anxiety levels significantly improve throughout IM ketamine treatment and do not regress to baseline during patients’ maintenance treatment phase.
Hietamies et al. discusses Patients treated with ketamine exhibited significant and concordant reduction in both anxiety and depression symptoms after induction. patients experienced a significantly greater reduction in depression symptoms at eight weeks.
These and many subsequent studies have shown that when administered in controlled, medically supervised environments, ketamine is well-tolerated and safe for psychiatric use. IM ketamine, like IV, is used to harness these effects through a different route of administration.
Our clinic follows best-practice safety protocols, including medical screening, informed consent, and structured monitoring. Treatment is individualized and monitored closely for efficacy and tolerability.
References:
1-Ahuja S, Brendle M, Smart L, Moore C, Thielking P, Robison R. Real-world depression, anxiety and safety outcomes of intramuscular ketamine treatment: a retrospective descriptive cohort study. BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Oct 3;22(1):634. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-04268-5. PMID: 36192794; PMCID: PMC9528178.
2-Hietamies TM, McInnes LA, Klise AJ, Worley MJ, Qian JJ, Williams LM, Heifets BD, Levine SP. The effects of ketamine on symptoms of depression and anxiety in real-world care settings: A retrospective controlled analysis. J Affect Disord. 2023 Aug 15;335:484-492. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.141. Epub 2023 May 16. PMID: 37201900.
