Ketamine clinics gaining traction in North Texas while state explores broader psychedelic therapies
For many Texans, mental health care can feel slow, frustrating, or out of reach. In a state where access to treatment is limited, alternative options are gaining attention.
One of those options is ketamine, a drug with a complicated past that is now being explored as a potential treatment for people who haven't responded to traditional mental health therapy.
Reese Ormand, CEO of NeuroGlow, knows the struggle firsthand.
"One of the reasons I became so passionate about this space is my own experience with grief and trauma," Ormand said.
After losing both his father and sister, Ormand tried therapy and antidepressants, but nothing provided lasting relief. He eventually discovered a ketamine clinic, where treatments offered quick and meaningful results, inspiring him to expand access for others.
"I wanted to get involved," he said. "It now gives me more perspective and more understanding of some of the things our patients are going through."
NeuroGlow now operates ketamine clinics across the Dallas-Fort Worth area for patients deemed a good fit who have not responded to other treatments.
To receive treatment, you either need to be referred by a physician or undergo a health assessment first by the clinic.
If approved, ketamine is then administered legally in low doses through IV under close supervision.
Ormand said the drug works on the brain's glutamate system, helping form new neural pathways and providing relief.
"We're at about an 82% success rate with our patients," he said.
Even more interest in alternative therapies is growing beyond clinics. The state of Texas is investing $50 million in research on psychedelic therapies, including ibogaine, an extract from an African shrub, signaling a shift in how mental health care is being approached.
"People are becoming aware of how their mental health is impacting every aspect of their lives," Ormand said.
And as NeuroGlow continues to open new locations, Ormand hopes to expand use cases for ketamine for those who may be high performers at work who feel extreme pressure or stress to help them cope.
He says his own experience as a patient helped him understand the need for accessible, research-backed mental health options, and for people who have tried everything else, ketamine offers something many thought they had lost: hope.
And in Texas, he believes the conversation is only just beginning.