Ketamine for Substance Use Disorder.
A dedicated protocol, separate from our mood pathways.
Ketamine for Substance Use Disorder is our standalone program for alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder, offered at our Bellevue location. Different infusion schedule, different integration protocol, different outcome goals.
A different mechanism, and a different protocol.
Substance use disorder is a learned, deeply consolidated neural pattern. Standard treatment (12-step, medication-assisted therapy, residential care) works for many patients but has high relapse rates. The emerging evidence on ketamine for SUD is among the most exciting in the field, particularly for alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder.
Our Ketamine for Substance Use Disorder program is structured differently from our mood and pain protocols. The series is timed around motivational windows, paired with KAP integration as standard (not optional), and built to extend the window of cognitive flexibility ketamine opens. Treatment is currently offered at our Bellevue clinic.
How IV ketamine works for substance use.
IV Ketamine is nearly 100% bioavailable to the brain, the gold-standard route, with the lowest effective dose and the most consistent therapeutic response. Spravato (esketimine) is FDA-approved nasal form, available through our Northwest Healing & Wellness partnership at $99 per visit out-of-network.
Memory reconsolidation
Ketamine appears to weaken the reconsolidation of substance-cue memories, the trigger-response pairings that drive craving. Timing the infusion around a cue exposure can amplify this.
Neuroplastic window
The 24–72-hour window after an infusion is a high-plasticity period for learning new responses. We pair that window with KAP and integration deliberately.
Reduces craving
Clinical trials in alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder show measurable reductions in craving scores and increases in days of abstinence over six-month follow-up.
Adjunct, not replacement
Our SUD protocol is designed to work alongside your existing treatment, MAT, 12-step, residential aftercare, individual therapy, not replace it.
What the research shows.
Peer-reviewed studies on ketamine for alcohol and opioid use disorder. Tap any card to read the full paper on PubMed.
Ketamine for Reduction of Alcoholic Self-Administration and Craving
A single ketamine infusion paired with memory retrieval significantly reduced drinking and craving at six-month follow-up.
A Randomized Trial of Ketamine Combined With Motivational Enhancement Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder
Repeated ketamine infusions combined with motivational therapy increased abstinence days versus placebo.
Ketamine Psychedelic Therapy for Heroin Addiction: Immediate Effects and Two-Year Follow-Up
Higher-dose ketamine combined with psychotherapy produced significantly higher abstinence rates than active control.
The Pacific Northwest's most experienced ketamine clinic.
Over 50,000 infusions delivered
Family-run since 2017, more IV ketamine experience than any other clinic in Washington State.
Three Washington locations
Seattle (First Hill), Bellevue (Eastside flagship), and Tacoma (South Sound). Patients can switch between clinics between sessions.
Whole-body continuum of care
Through our partnership with Northwest Healing & Wellness, Spravato, KAP, IV vitamin therapy, medication management, and supplements under one care plan.
ASKP3 & LegitScript certified
Recognized as a Seattle Met Top Doctors practice. Vetted by the national ketamine clinical standards body.
Trauma-informed, integration-ready
Our staff is trained in trauma-informed care, and KAP integration is available throughout your series.
Most patients start within a week
No referral required for adults. 30-minute intake call, $25 medical consult, then your first infusion.
Different from our mental health and pain programs.
The SUD program is structured around a fixed 4-week arc of seven coordinated touchpoints, one preparation visit, three ketamine infusions, and three psychotherapy integrations timed 24–48 hours after each infusion. The therapy is built into the protocol, not optional.
Preparation & intake
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90-minute preparation + intake call
With our SUD-trained therapist. Treatment goals, history, motivational windows, MAT coordination, and what to expect from the integration sessions.
First infusion + integration
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Standard ketamine infusion
In-clinic, monitored, ~40 minutes.
Second infusion + integration
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Standard ketamine infusion
In-clinic, monitored, ~40 minutes.
Third infusion + integration
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Standard ketamine infusion
In-clinic, monitored, ~40 minutes.
Currently offered at our Bellevue clinic only. We require an established relationship with a primary addiction-medicine provider before beginning the program.
Schedule an SUD intake →Talk to one of our nurse practitioners about substance use disorder.
A 30-minute intake call, no pressure, no waitlist. We will reach out right away to confirm candidacy and walk through pathway options.
Common questions about the SUD program.
Do I need to be sober before starting the program?
For alcohol use disorder we typically require a brief stabilization period, your intake nurse practitioner will discuss the specifics. For opioid use disorder we coordinate carefully with your MAT prescriber (buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone). We do not require complete abstinence to begin intake, but the timing of the first infusion is calibrated case-by-case.
Will ketamine itself become a substance I crave?
In a controlled, infrequent, medically supervised setting like ours, the abuse potential is very low. Ketamine's addictive risk is primarily associated with frequent, self-administered, recreational use, a profile fundamentally different from a structured clinical series. Our SUD protocol is specifically designed to use the medication's neuroplastic effects without exposure patterns that drive craving.
Can this replace my MAT (Suboxone, Vivitrol, methadone)?
No, and we don't recommend it. Our SUD program is designed to layer on top of MAT, not replace it. We work directly with your prescribing provider so your medication regimen continues uninterrupted.
Why is the SUD program only at Bellevue?
The protocol requires specific clinical staffing, longer integration appointments, and on-site coordination with addiction-medicine providers that we have built out at Bellevue first. We may extend to Seattle and Tacoma in the future.
Talk to a nurse practitioner, no pressure, no waitlist.
A 30-minute intake call whether IV ketamine, Spravato, or another pathway is the right fit for your substance use disorder. Most patients begin treatment within a week.
(206) 309-2299