The practice of addressing treatment-resistant depression with ketamine has risen significantly in recent years, as have the number of clinics offering such treatment.<\/p>\n
These treatment options have drawn excitement from the scientific community due to their fast-acting effects and potential as another option for those who have not had success with other medications.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, NeuroGlow opened its relocated Fort Worth clinic in a larger space in Alliance, the company\u2019s third clinic in North Texas.<\/p>\n
Ketamine and its derivative, esketamine, are thought to help the brain generate new connections between its cells, according to the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>. This can improve a patient\u2019s mood and reduce their depression symptoms.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time in 60 years, we have a new antidepressant therapy that isn\u2019t just a spinoff of existing drugs,\u201d psychiatrist Dr. Adam Kaplin said on the Johns Hopkins website<\/a>. \u201cFor some people, esketamine therapy is revolutionary, giving them the chance to experience life without depression for the first time in decades.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, some researchers remain cautious.<\/p>\n Declan McLoughlin, a professor at Trinity College Dublin, authored a study in which repeated IV infusions of ketamine did not have a significant positive effect.\u00a0<\/p>\n He suspects that participants\u2019 and researchers\u2019 ability to tell if they had received ketamine or a placebo during a trial \u2014 referred to in scientific research as unblinding \u2014 has inflated positive outcomes in other studies.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a major, often unacknowledged, problem with many recent trials in psychiatry evaluating ketamine, psychedelic, and brain stimulation therapies,\u201d he told PsyPost<\/a>.<\/p>\n There is still more research to be done, including on the long-term impacts<\/a> of ketamine treatments, according to the Mayo Clinic.<\/p>\n Reese Ormand, CEO of NeuroGlow, sees potential for growth in his business as research and acceptance of ketamine and psychedelic treatments grow, backed by recent support at the state and federal level.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look inside this Tarrant ketamine clinic and how it operates.<\/p>\n Treatments offered<\/p>\n Founded by a certified registered nurse anesthetist in 2021, NeuroGlow first offered IV ketamine therapy before expanding to the nasal spray Spravato. The company has locations in Fort Worth, McKinney and Flower Mound.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ormand became involved in the company after encountering it as a patient and finding the treatment \u201cincredibly transformative.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Ketamine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an anesthetic for decades, but use for depression is currently considered off-label, meaning it has not yet been FDA-approved for that use.\u00a0<\/p>\n Spravato is a nasal spray of esketamine, a derivative of ketamine. The nasal spray is approved by the FDA to treat major depressive disorder and depression that has not responded to other therapies. For some patients, the spray may be a more viable option than IV ketamine because it is covered by their insurance, Ormand said.<\/p>\n Before patients receive treatment at a NeuroGlow clinic, they undergo an evaluation by a nurse practitioner who determines if they are a candidate. Then, they meet with the clinic\u2019s integrative therapist.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do a second touch to make sure that they\u2019re kind of mentally aligned to be able to do this,\u201d Ormand said.<\/p>\n The integrative therapist then meets with the patient a third time to prepare and set intentions for their treatment.<\/p>\n The drugs affect patients in different ways. With IV ketamine, patients may feel as if they are in a dreamlike state, Ormand said. Spravato, on the other hand, was designed to be less dissociative, he noted, and patients may journal, read or listen to music in the time after they self-administer the nasal spray. During both treatments, patients\u2019 vital signs are monitored.<\/p>\n Research has shown that the effects of ketamine treatment last longer if paired with talk therapy, Ormand said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very strongly framed as, \u2018This is a tool,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201c\u2018It\u2019s going to open a door for you. You\u2019re going to have to put in the work and walk through that door.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The environment at the clinic is designed to be relaxing. The patient\u2019s mindset plays a critical role in how the treatment is experienced, Ormand said.<\/p>\n Patients sit in recliners in private rooms. They can use weighted blankets and eye masks. Music and lighting choices are intentional.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen patients come into our clinics, they\u2019re not coming into this sterile, gross medical office,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to do everything we can to get them in the best mindset possible.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n After the treatment, the patients are observed for a period of time and are required to have arranged for someone to drive them home.<\/p>\n Looking to the future<\/p>\n Other companies offer ketamine and esketamine treatments at their Fort Worth clinics, such as Nura Therapy and Vigeo Wellness. The ketamine market is expected to continue to grow.<\/p>\n Ormand plans to expand his company beyond ketamine into areas of psychedelic treatment, with psilocybin and MDMA-based products expected to receive FDA approval over the next couple years.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I\u2019m building is not a ketamine clinic chain,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m building a psychedelic therapy platform.\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed to state and federal support for further exploring the potential of psychedelics to treat mental health disorders and other conditions.<\/p>\n In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order<\/a> directing the FDA to give qualifying psychedelic medicines expedited consideration for approval and allocating $50 million to support efforts at the state level.<\/p>\n Texas also passed a law in 2025 that set aside $50 million in funding and formed a research consortium to develop a drug from ibogaine, a psychoactive compound that comes from an African shrub. Although currently illegal in the United States, ibogaine is available in Mexico and Canada to treat addiction and traumatic brain injuries.<\/p>\n On the operational side of Ormand\u2019s business, he is currently laying the groundwork to become a front-runner when those treatments do become available, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we are building at NeuroGlow will be a brand that is synonymous with psychedelic therapy that has multiple locations in North Texas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n McKinnon Rice is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Her position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n