Did you know that a psychiatrist is licensed to prescribe the same medications and do the same procedures as an orthopedic surgeon, an emergency room physician, or even an anesthesiologist? However, just because a psychiatrist can treat an orthopedic condition, it doesn’t mean they should. The same principle applies to non-psychiatrists offering ketamine services. Here’s why you may want to consider pursuing these treatments with a trained mental health provider, rather than other types of specialists:
Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MDs) who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, meaning we understand the full spectrum of psychiatric conditions, such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, etc., and how ketamine fits into an individualized treatment plan.
Many non-psychiatric practices administering ketamine treatments are exclusively offering that service, but none of the other key components that go into a comprehensive treatment plan for patients with mental health disorders. Their foundational training is focused on their primary specialty, and they may not have the breadth and depth of knowledge to adequately treat complex psychiatric conditions. Can you imagine coming to a psychiatrist for a torn ACL or a broken hip? You should see an orthopedic surgeon for those. Similarly, you should see a psychiatrist to treat your mental health.
Mental health providers have extensive experience:
A psychiatric team understands how ketamine interacts with other psychiatric medications (SSRIs, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, etc.) and how to manage those interactions safely.
A non-psychiatric practice might not know that certain psychotropics blunt ketamine's effects, or that some psychotropics may work better than others when paired with ketamine to maximize a patient’s response.
Ketamine isn’t a standalone cure. Rather, it’s most effective when combined with psychotherapy and follow-up care. The team at Palo Alto Mind Body:
Non-psychiatric providers typically provide ketamine using a model of simple, symptom-focused treatment, not wrap-around, longitudinal mental health care.
Palo Alto Mind Body brings a behavioral health ethics framework to ketamine therapy, including:
While anesthesiologists may be skilled at administering the drug safely from a physiological standpoint, they may not be trained to assess or manage the psychological implications of ketamine sessions.
A center dedicated to ketamine treatment needs to be more than just adding another service. Offering ketamine in a number of forms requires a higher level of psychiatric care, including an infusion suite and additional safety policies and care for adverse responses. The center also needs to integrate coordinated supportive psychotherapy or integration therapy, helping patients process insights or emotions that arise during ketamine sessions.
While emergency medicine physicians and anesthesiologists are experts in safety and acute care, psychiatrists are experts in mental health. For ketamine treatments aimed at depression, PTSD, anxiety, or suicidality, the deep understanding of psychiatric conditions, medication interactions, and therapeutic integration makes psychiatrists, and specifically our team, the more complete, appropriate choice.
