Physician-led ketamine therapy creates rapid neuroplasticity while metabolic psychiatry addresses the root biological causes of your depression — inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, and nutrient deficiencies. Most patients feel a meaningful shift within their first week.
Depression isn’t a character flaw. Emerging research from Harvard’s Dr. Christopher Palmer and Stanford’s Dr. Shebani Sethi reveals that depression is often a metabolic disorder — your brain’s mitochondria aren’t producing enough energy, inflammation is disrupting neural circuits, and your neuroplasticity has ground to a halt. No amount of willpower can override broken biology.
You’ve tried SSRIs, SNRIs, maybe even augmentation strategies. The STAR*D trial found that after four rounds of medication trials, only about one-third of patients achieve remission. Meanwhile, side effects accumulate: weight gain, sexual dysfunction, emotional blunting. There’s a reason you feel stuck — the standard approach is treating symptoms while ignoring the biological machinery driving them.
Your depression may be driven by insulin resistance (affecting up to 40% of depressed patients), chronic inflammation (elevated hs-CRP and IL-6), thyroid dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, vitamin D or B12 deficiency, magnesium depletion, or mitochondrial dysfunction. These aren’t fringe theories — they’re published in the world’s leading psychiatric journals. Yet most providers never test for them.
Most conventional depression treatment focuses narrowly on symptom suppression. While SSRIs can be helpful for some patients, they represent just one small piece of a much larger biological puzzle.
Ketamine Therapy (IV, IM, or Spravato) creates rapid neuroplasticity, breaking the rigid neural patterns of depression within hours to days rather than weeks to months.
Metabolic Psychiatry Assessment through Seaside Longevity: comprehensive lab work evaluating inflammation, hormones, gut health, mitochondrial function, nutrient status, insulin resistance, pharmacogenomics, and metabolomic profiling.
Integration therapies to leverage the neuroplastic window created by ketamine and address psychological root causes.
Lifestyle medicine and ongoing support to build a life that sustains recovery.
Speak directly with our team to determine if ketamine therapy is appropriate for your depression. No pressure, just clarity.
In-depth history, symptom assessment, safety screening, and treatment planning with Dr. Gillin. Metabolic lab orders placed through Seaside Longevity.
Your plan may include IV ketamine, IM ketamine, or Spravato plus metabolic optimization, psychotherapy integration, and lifestyle medicine — tailored to your specific biology and goals.
Each session is conducted in our calm, oceanfront setting with continuous medical monitoring. Integration support between sessions helps you process and apply what emerges.
Regular symptom tracking, lab monitoring, medication adjustments, relapse prevention planning, and transition to maintenance protocols.
A: Ketamine works primarily through the glutamate system and NMDA receptor modulation, triggering rapid increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and promoting synaptogenesis — the formation of new neural connections. This creates a window of enhanced neuroplasticity that allows the brain to break free from entrenched depressive patterns. Unlike SSRIs, which take weeks to build up, ketamine can produce noticeable changes within hours to days.
A: Yes. Multiple meta-analyses show approximately 70% response rates in treatment-resistant depression. Ketamine has been extensively studied in patients who have failed multiple antidepressant trials. At Seaside Ketamine, we combine ketamine with metabolic psychiatry to address underlying biological factors, which may improve outcomes further.
A: Metabolic psychiatry, pioneered by researchers at Harvard and Stanford, recognizes that depression is often driven by metabolic dysfunction — including mitochondrial impairment, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and nutrient deficiencies. Through Seaside Longevity, we test for these root causes and address them alongside ketamine therapy. The Danan et al. (2022) study showed 44% of treatment-refractory psychiatric inpatients achieved clinical remission using ketogenic metabolic therapy.
A: Many patients notice a meaningful shift in mood, energy, or perspective within the first few sessions. Some experience changes within hours of their first infusion. However, lasting transformation requires integration work and addressing root causes. Our 4-phase Seaside Method is designed to create rapid relief while building the foundation for sustained recovery.
A: Spravato (esketamine) is often covered by insurance for treatment-resistant depression. IV and IM ketamine are typically self-pay. Our team can help you understand your coverage options. Through Seaside Longevity, many of the metabolic lab tests may also be covered by insurance.
A: Yes. Most patients begin ketamine therapy while continuing their existing medications. When clinically appropriate and desired by the patient, we can support a gradual, safe medication taper as part of the treatment plan. Any changes are made slowly and carefully with close monitoring.
A: Most ketamine clinics provide isolated infusions without metabolic assessment, psychotherapy integration, or lifestyle medicine. We combine ketamine therapy with comprehensive metabolic psychiatry (testing for inflammation, insulin resistance, hormones, gut health, nutrient status), pharmacogenomic testing for medication optimization, integration therapies like KAP and Compassionate Inquiry, and lifestyle medicine. This root-cause approach addresses why you’re depressed, not just the symptoms.
A: During treatment, patients may experience temporary dissociation, mild changes in perception, light-headedness, or nausea. These effects typically resolve within 1-2 hours after the session. All treatments are medically supervised with continuous monitoring. Ketamine has a well-established safety profile when administered in a controlled clinical setting.
A: Treatment plans are individualized. Many patients begin with a series of 6 infusions over 2-3 weeks for the initial relief phase, followed by maintenance sessions as needed. The frequency and duration depend on your response, goals, and how well root-cause factors are being addressed through metabolic optimization and lifestyle changes.
A: Substantial evidence supports the metabolic roots of depression. Stanford’s Dr. Shebani Sethi’s pilot trial (2024) showed that a ketogenic diet reversed metabolic syndrome and improved psychiatric symptoms in patients with serious mental illness. Harvard’s Dr. Christopher Palmer’s Brain Energy theory provides a framework for understanding how mitochondrial dysfunction drives depression. Through Seaside Longevity, we assess metabolic factors and may recommend dietary interventions as part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
If you’ve tried medications and therapy without lasting relief, there’s a better path forward. The first step is a free 15-minute call with our team.
No pressure. No obligation. Just a conversation about what’s possible.
