Ketamine Therapy Across Boulder County: How the Logistics Actually Work
Quick Answer
Ketamine therapy and SPRAVATO® at TMS Boulder are in-person, monitored treatments at our downtown Boulder clinic, and the one rule that shapes everything for a Boulder County patient is the ride home: you cannot drive after a session, and not until the next day. Evaluations are done by video from anywhere in the county, insurance and eligibility are settled before the first visit, and sessions are planned around where you are coming from.
The ride-home rule, by town
From downtown or the Hill, a walk or a friend covers it. From Louisville, Lafayette, or Superior, a family member, a rideshare, or the regional bus to Downtown Boulder Station a block from the clinic. From Longmont, Lyons, or Nederland, plan the ride before the first appointment, not after — a session with no ride home gets rescheduled. We ask about it at the evaluation for exactly that reason.
Visit length
A ketamine therapy session runs roughly one to two hours including recovery; a SPRAVATO® visit is the spray plus about two hours of monitoring. Neither can be shortened, and both end only when the clinical team is satisfied you are ready to leave with your ride. For a patient driving in from Longmont, that is a half-day block — we say so plainly so you can plan it.
Evaluation first, and by video
The first step is a psychiatric evaluation, which can be done over a secure video link from anywhere in Colorado; see video visits for Longmont. It covers your history, prior treatments, medical conditions, and a standardized symptom score, and it is where eligibility is decided: uncontrolled blood pressure, certain heart conditions, a history of psychosis, active substance use disorder, and pregnancy require careful review and may rule ketamine-based treatment out.
Which pathway
SPRAVATO® (esketamine) is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression, often insurance-covered, and given in a certified setting; ketamine therapy is off-label and usually self-pay. Both are described on our ketamine therapy page and the SPRAVATO® page; the choice is made with your psychiatrist, and insurance is verified before the first trip downtown.
If the drive is the problem
Tell us. The clinic was put downtown so that Boulder County patients would not have to go to Denver; for patients far enough out that even Boulder is a project, the evaluation by video, the ride planning, and the scheduling of fewer, longer visits are the tools we have — and for depression that may be better served by TMS, accelerated iTBS scheduling reduces trips for eligible patients.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the bus home after a session?
Yes, with someone accompanying you or a plan confirmed at the evaluation; you cannot drive after a session and should not drive until the next day. Downtown Boulder Station is a short walk from the clinic.
Can the evaluation be done from Longmont?
Yes. Evaluations and follow-ups are by secure video anywhere in Colorado. Treatment sessions are in person at the downtown Boulder clinic.
How many trips will a course take?
It depends on the pathway and your response. SPRAVATO® is usually twice weekly during the first month and less often after; ketamine therapy sessions are individualized. Your psychiatrist gives you the expected rhythm before you start.
Is there parking?
City of Boulder garages and street parking are nearby, but remember the ride-home rule — a car left downtown is a car someone else drives home.
Start with a video evaluation from anywhere in Boulder County.
Request a consultationIf you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or go to the nearest emergency room.