Ketamine Therapy Clinics in California

Clinics across California work with patients who have treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, OCD, certain anxiety disorders, and some chronic pain conditions. The common thread is that these patients have typically tried other treatments without enough relief.

Whether ketamine is appropriate for a specific person depends on their full history and a proper evaluation. A licensed medical provider at the clinic will make that determination before any treatment begins.

IV ketamine is delivered through an intravenous line in a clinical setting and is used off-label for conditions like depression and PTSD. Spravato is an FDA-approved esketamine nasal spray administered at a certified clinic, and it is approved specifically for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder with suicidal ideation.

The two formats differ in how they are delivered, how long a session takes, and how insurance tends to approach them. Spravato is more likely to be covered by insurance than IV ketamine, though coverage still depends on the specific plan.

Los Angeles and San Francisco have the highest concentrations, followed by San Diego, Santa Monica, and Sacramento. That said, clinics are spread across a large number of cities throughout the state, including mid-size communities in the Central Valley, the Inland Empire, and the North Coast.

For most IV ketamine treatments, patients pay out of pocket. Spravato is the format where insurance coverage is most likely, since it holds FDA approval for specific diagnoses, but whether a given plan covers it depends on the insurer and the individual policy. It is worth calling both the clinic and your insurance company before scheduling.

California has more published pricing than many states, so you can often find per-session rates on clinic websites. What you pay depends on the format you choose and how many sessions make up your starter course. Self-pay is the norm for IV infusion, and costs add up quickly across a full course, so asking clinics for a total course estimate before committing is a smart step.

Before any session, the clinic will do a medical and psychiatric evaluation to confirm you are a candidate. At the appointment itself, you will typically be seated or reclined in a private or semi-private room while the treatment is administered and your blood pressure and heart rate are monitored by clinical staff.

Sessions usually last between 45 minutes and a few hours depending on the format. You will need someone to drive you home afterward, as the effects of ketamine persist for a period after the session ends.

Yes. While Los Angeles and the Bay Area have the largest concentrations, clinics are also found in cities like Fresno, Bakersfield, Redding, Chico, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, and South Lake Tahoe. The Spravato format in particular reaches a wide range of smaller cities across the state.

No. Every listing in this directory is an in-person clinic where treatment is administered on site. At-home and telehealth ketamine services are not included here.

Start with the basics: which treatment formats they offer, who supervises the sessions, and what the full cost of a starter course looks like. Then ask about their intake process, what monitoring happens during treatment, and what follow-up looks like after the initial course ends. A clinic that answers these questions clearly and without pressure is a good sign.

Yes. Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance under U.S. federal law and is legal for licensed clinicians to prescribe and administer off-label, including for treatment-resistant depression and other conditions. Spravato (esketamine), the FDA-approved nasal-spray form, is dispensed only in certified healthcare settings under a federal Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. That applies in California as it does nationwide. The standards for who may administer treatment are set by state regulators and by the clinicians themselves; you can look up the current licensing board for your state through the Federation of State Medical Boards directory at fsmb.org. This page is informational and not legal or medical advice. Consult a licensed medical provider before starting treatment.