For Patients
Do You Have:
Major Depressive Disorder or
Treatment Resistant Depression
Ketamine treatments could help.
More information.
For Health Professionals
Do you have a patient with a treatment-resistant mental health condition?
Construction notice
Renovations during February
Construction will be taking place in the clinic building in February. We are still taking referrals and conducting psychiatric assessments, however treatment start dates may be delayed slightly.
If you have questions, please contact us.
How can ketamine help and what should I expect from treatments?
What it is and how it works
It is a legal anesthetic. In breakthrough research, it was also found to provide fast-acting and potentially life-saving relief for many patients who have major depression resistant to treatment, or suicidal thoughts. Research is also showing promise for other mood disorders and mental health conditions that have not been helped by traditional treatments when administered under clinical, controlled settings. Ketamine is used illegally and in higher doses as a recreational drug, which can cause dissociation with hallucinations.
Researchers continue to study how ketamine works to reverse severe depression and other conditions. It appears to act on the neurotransmitter glutamate (as opposed to current medications, which act on other neurotransmitters and take longer to work, if at all). Ketamine is thought to stimulate regrowth of neural connections in the brain that are lost under stress, which includes major mood disorders.
Is it right for me?
If you suffer from major depression and have tried treatments that have not helped you, Toronto Ketamine Clinic will offer a free assessment to determine whether you are a good candidate to try ketamine treatments.
What to expect from treatments:
Before you can start treatments, we need a doctor’s referral and an assessment by a TKC psychiatrist. If you are a good candidate for Spravato treatment, you will book 2 sessions per week for a total of 4 weeks. Sessions last about 2 hours.
Spravato is a nasal spray that must be taken in a clinic setting. Patients are monitored by trained health-care professionals. The whole process, including monitoring after treatment, takes about 2 hours in the clinic. Patients must arrange to be picked up by an adult at the end of their procedure.
There is more information on our FAQ page.
Our Medical Team
We Understand Depression.
Toronto Ketamine Clinic is the brain-child of leading industry experts with experience treating patients with Treatment-Resistant Depression across North America. We are committed to being leaders in the field of treating depression.
Read more about our incredible, knowledable team members.
Dr. Alim Ladha
Chief Anesthesiologist
Dr. Jack Barkin
Senior Medical Advisor
Dr. Paul Garfinkel
Psychiatrist and Former CEO, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, professor in Psychiatry at University of Toronto Advisor