For patients managing treatment-resistant depression or severe anxiety, getting to a clinic can be its own obstacle to care. The energy required to travel, navigate an unfamiliar medical environment, and arrange transportation home — on one of the most significant days of your treatment — can feel like too much before you’ve even started. At Nomad Therapeutics, we built our model around a different premise: that you should be able to receive the full standard of ketamine-assisted care without leaving the place where you feel most at ease.
What At-Home Ketamine Treatment Actually Looks Like
At-home ketamine treatment through Nomad Therapeutics is not self-administered medication. A registered nurse from our clinical team comes to your home or your therapist’s office, administers ketamine via intramuscular (IM) injection, and monitors your vital signs throughout the session. A licensed MD oversees every treatment. If any concern arises during your session, our clinical team is on standby.
The session itself typically lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. Your nurse checks your baseline vitals before administering the injection, monitors you periodically throughout the experience, and confirms your vitals have returned to baseline before wrapping up. The acute effects of the medication typically fade within 20 to 30 minutes, and you remain under observation until you’re stable and safe to rest.
What travels with our nurses isn’t just medication — it’s the same monitoring equipment, sterile technique, and emergency protocols you’d encounter in a clinical setting. The standard of care doesn’t change because the location does. Our at-home ketamine therapy page provides a full overview of what this service model includes.
The Clinical Case for IM Ketamine at Home
One of the most common questions patients ask is whether at-home treatment is as effective as clinic-based infusions. The answer lies in the administration method. We use intramuscular injections, which deliver ketamine with 90 to 95 percent bioavailability — meaning nearly the full dose reaches its intended target in the brain. That’s comparable to intravenous administration and significantly higher than oral formulations like troches, which typically deliver only 15 to 25 percent.
Research confirms that ketamine produces rapid and significant antidepressant effects in clinical studies, with many patients experiencing improvement within hours (Nature). The delivery route matters less than achieving the right therapeutic dose, and IM injections allow our clinical team to do exactly that — consistently, for each patient, at every session.
Side effects at therapeutic doses are mild and brief (National Institutes of Health). Common temporary effects include nausea, dizziness, or a dreamlike sense of dissociation during the session. These are expected, manageable, and typically resolve as the acute effects of the medication fade. Our nurses are trained to support you through them.
Who Benefits Most from At-Home Treatment
The practical advantages of at-home administration are most meaningful for specific groups of patients. Those managing severe depression often describe the energy required to leave the house as genuinely prohibitive — not an excuse, but a real symptom. Anxiety about medical settings can compound existing symptoms and undermine the therapeutic environment before a session even begins. Transportation barriers or physical limitations can make consistent clinic attendance difficult to sustain across a six-session protocol.
At-home treatment removes all of these barriers while maintaining full clinical effectiveness. You control the environment — the lighting, the temperature, what music plays, what’s nearby. That sense of safety and familiarity isn’t incidental. It can meaningfully shape how you engage with the treatment experience. For a full picture of who we work with, see our conditions we treat page.
Beyond accessibility, privacy matters to many patients. There’s no waiting room, no other patients, no need to explain your presence at a ketamine clinic. You receive the same evidence-informed treatment in a setting that’s entirely your own.
At-home ketamine treatment is not the right fit for everyone. Patients are required to have an established therapeutic relationship with a KAP-trained therapist by the end of their induction series. A clinical evaluation is required before treatment begins. We encourage all prospective patients to discuss their full medical and treatment history with our clinicians and to explore their options before starting. Results vary by individual.
Our Standard Treatment Protocol
A standard course at Nomad Therapeutics involves six ketamine sessions over three weeks, administered twice per week. This regimen has the most supporting clinical evidence for treatment-resistant conditions. Sessions are structured within our three-phase ketamine-assisted psychotherapy model: preparation before each session, the medication session itself, and integration therapy afterward to help you process what emerged and carry insights into daily life.
If you already work with a therapist who is trained in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, we coordinate directly with them. If you don’t have a therapist or your current provider isn’t KAP-trained, our Nomad Network connects you with specialized therapists in Seattle who can provide that support.
We serve patients throughout Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Edmonds, Burien, and surrounding areas in the greater Puget Sound region.
FAQ
Is at-home ketamine treatment safe without a clinic nearby?
Yes. Every session is administered by a registered nurse and overseen by a licensed MD. Our nurses bring monitoring equipment and emergency protocols to every location. The safety standards are identical to what you’d receive in a clinical setting — they travel with us.
What if I have a reaction during the session?
Your nurse monitors your vitals throughout the session and is trained to respond to any physical or psychological concerns. Our clinical team remains on standby during every session. For life-threatening emergencies, call 911 immediately.
Do I need a driver after the session?
Yes. You should not drive, cycle, or operate machinery for at least eight hours after a ketamine session. Plan to rest for the remainder of the day. We’ll cover all aftercare instructions during your clinical preparation.
Can I use my existing therapist?
Yes, if they have training in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. If your therapist isn’t KAP-trained, we can connect you with a KAP-specialized provider through our Nomad Network. A therapeutic relationship is a required part of our treatment model, not an optional add-on.
How do I get started?
The first step is a free consultation with a Nomad Therapeutics representative. From there, you’ll complete a clinical evaluation with one of our clinicians to determine whether at-home ketamine treatment is appropriate for your situation.
Key Takeaways
- At-home ketamine treatment through Nomad Therapeutics is nurse-administered, not self-administered — a registered nurse comes to you and provides full clinical monitoring throughout every session.
- Intramuscular injection delivers 90 to 95 percent bioavailability, comparable to IV administration and significantly higher than oral formulations.
- Research supports ketamine’s rapid antidepressant effects, with side effects confirmed as mild and brief at therapeutic doses.
- At-home delivery is particularly beneficial for patients whose depression, anxiety, or logistical barriers make consistent clinic attendance difficult.
- A standard course involves six sessions over three weeks, structured within a complete ketamine-assisted psychotherapy model that includes preparation and integration therapy.
At-home treatment exists because the hardest part of getting better shouldn’t be getting there. If you’re in the Seattle area and want to understand whether this model is right for your situation, reach out to Nomad Therapeutics for a free consultation. A member of our team will answer your questions and help you take the next step.
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References
- Nature. Ketamine’s effectiveness for depression. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-021-01327-5
- National Institutes of Health. Side effects of ketamine at therapeutic doses. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/side-effects-mild-brief-single-antidepressant-dose-intravenous-ketamine
- National Institutes of Health. Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9207256/
Medical Disclaimer
The information in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. At-home ketamine treatment should only be pursued under the supervision of a licensed clinical provider familiar with your full medical and psychiatric history. Results vary by individual. Only a qualified provider can determine whether this treatment is appropriate for your specific situation. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of self-harm, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.