Lucid Therapeutics, formerly Santa Barbara Ketamine Therapy, has opened a new location on Milpas Street, providing an alternative, albeit costly, option for trauma resolution, stress relief, chronic pain management, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Santa Barbara Ketamine Therapy, founded by Dr. Remi Drozd, had only two rooms and met capacity within only a few months, Drozd explained. It was his “first step” into psychedelic therapy, following a 15-year career as an emergency-room physician.
“We realized the future is much bigger than ketamine,” he said. “What we’re offering is clarity. It’s more than a psychedelic treatment; it’s therapy; it’s community; it’s a path to healing.”
The rebranded clinic — which had its grand opening on Saturday, November 11 — follows on the heels of a local and national charge to decriminalize psychedelics. The movement emphasizes the medicinal benefit of psychedelic substances such as ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic known for its use in both hospitals and veterinary clinics.
Ketamine is currently the only legally available psychedelic drug, but other substances, such as MDMA, are on track toward FDA approval.
Approved for hard-to-treat depression in 2019, ketamine therapy has been shown to result in significant decreases in depression, longer-term efficacy, and more immediate relief compared to antidepressants alone. Justin Sundgot-Smith, a licensed marriage and family therapist working in Goleta, said he endorses this treatment to some of his clients, and he’s not alone.
“In situations where it is clinically indicated, I have found ketamine therapy to be an extremely efficacious treatment that can yield transformative results,” Sundgot-Smith said. “And at the same time, it is not a silver bullet and requires an individual to continue to engage in a process of integration to produce the most substantial, long-lasting impact possible.”
Lucid’s front lobby greets guests with a moss wall, cream-colored couches, and a peek into a hallway lined with five private treatment rooms. Most rooms are fitted with plush furniture — there’s even an “integration lounge” featuring a zero-gravity chair — meant to create a comfortable, meditative atmosphere for clients.
Although there is a growing number of clinics offering ketamine therapy in Southern California, options are limited around the Central Coast. And it’s expensive. Lucid charges $745 for a single ketamine treatment (not including the price of any separate assessment, preparation, or integration sessions).
Drozd said that while it is pricey, patients receive the quality they pay for, including one-on-one attention from licensed therapists throughout the two-to-three-hour sessions. “We hold your hand,” he added. “And our providers fully show up, instead of booking multiple clients in a row.”
Lucid also offers payment plans for the hefty costs, but that is the best most patients can expect in terms of financial assistance —- insurance companies do not typically cover the treatments. But it’s not a standalone issue. Limited accessibility is one of the most common critiques pointed at emerging psychedelic clinics nationwide.
According to Lucid’s website, therapy sessions dedicate time to both the experience as well as integration in the latter half of the session. Each treatment is accompanied by “wraparound therapeutic support,” Drozd said, and the clinic offers couples therapy and integration circles in addition to individual sessions.
Former clients of Drozd attested to seemingly transformative experiences, saying that they felt stuck, sad, pained, anxious, or stressed before trying ketamine therapy, feelings that they claim were alleviated after treatment.
However, it’s not for everyone. Ketamine increases blood pressure and heart rate, alongside other possible long-term and short-term health effects, so it is not recommended for people with serious, preexisting health conditions that may be exacerbated by ketamine use.
It also has the potential for misuse, based on its euphoric and dissociative effects, which, although uncommon in the U.S., can lead to physical and psychological dependence, according to an article published by the American Addiction Centers. However, Drozd pointed out that they use an intramuscular administration method in the office, which includes “such small quantities that there have been no symptoms of dependence.”
Drozd added that the drug is still “comparatively low-risk,” side effects are often short-lived, and Lucid’s care team is “trained in crisis management and are prepared to deal with any and all peripheral effects of ketamine treatment.”
Still, anyone who may be interested in pursuing ketamine therapy is advised to research whether it’s appropriate for their individual needs. If they do decide to try it out, a growing number of California clinics are prepared to provide it.
Lucid Therapeutics, 331 N. Milpas St., Ste. 1B; (805) 365-4095; thelucid.life