Illumma

Illumma is a ketamine infusion clinic in central Austin, Texas, founded in 2018 by Dr Ken Adolph and Alli Waddell. Clients choose self-guided IV infusions or ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) with a licensed therapist. It also offers coaching, couples and group programmes, and Spravato.

Approach

Self-guided sessions take place in a private room with a paramedic: a short guided meditation, then an hour of IV ketamine. A nurse practitioner reviews each one, and the dose rises across the series. In a two-hour KAT session, about an hour of ketamine sits between preparation and processing with the therapist, who stays throughout. Dr Adolph, the medical director, is a board-certified cardiac anaesthesiologist.

Who it is for

Its list of conditions covers depression, including treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder and fibromyalgia. It steers people who already have a mental health team towards self-guided infusions, and those with more severe symptoms towards KAT. It does not infuse anyone with diagnosed or suspected schizophrenia, uncontrolled high blood pressure, unstable heart disease, untreated thyroid disease, or active mania, delusions or hallucinations.

Practical details

The usual course is six infusions over four to six weeks, with boosters later if needed. Appointments are booked for two hours, and clients need a ride home. A phone consultation costs $100, a self-guided infusion $630 or $3,150 for six, and a KAT session $800 after onboarding talks at $360 each. Insurance does not cover ketamine, but HSA and FSA accounts and CareCredit are accepted.

Care and safety

Intake forms and a clinical phone consultation come first, and KAT adds a psychiatric assessment and at least two preparation sessions. Clients must keep seeing their own doctor or therapist throughout. Medical staff remain in the room rather than monitoring remotely, and a free weekly integration group meets on Zoom.