Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute

Kadima Neuropsychiatry Institute is a psychiatric clinic in San Diego offering ketamine therapy, Spravato (esketamine), deep TMS and psychedelic-assisted therapy, and running FDA-regulated psychedelic clinical trials. The neuropsychiatrist Dr David Feifel founded it in 2017, after more than 20 years as a professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego.

Approach

Each patient starts with a consultation with Dr Feifel or another provider, who reviews symptoms and past treatments and builds a plan with the patient. Ketamine is given by IV infusion or intramuscular injection. A course usually opens with six treatments over two to three weeks, starting at a low dose that is raised step by step, with maintenance sessions afterwards as needed. If progress is limited, sessions with a therapist before and after treatment can be added. Rooms have reclining chairs, soft lighting, aromatherapy, and noise-cancelling headphones with playlists chosen for the sessions. The clinic says Dr Feifel set up the first ketamine programme for mental illness in 2008.

Who it is for

The clinic focuses on depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, PTSD, OCD and eating disorders, especially where conventional antidepressants and talk therapy have not helped enough. Its trials investigate LSD, psilocybin, DMT and 5-MeO-DMT for mood disorders including depression and anxiety, and pay eligible participants for their time and travel.

Practical details

Ketamine treatments start at $475 each and are not covered by insurance. Spravato often is, and the clinic handles the insurance check. The first assessment is free, and the clinic is open on weekdays from 9am to 5pm.

Care and safety

Treatment happens under medical supervision, with physicians monitoring each patient closely. The clinic lists possible short-term effects, among them drowsiness, nausea, dizziness, raised blood pressure and heart rate, and dissociation.