Dr. Jonathan Leake is a Board Certified Emergency Department Physician and the Co-owner and CEO of Dérive Health, a clinic specializing in ketamine-assisted therapy for PTSD, depression, and other treatment-resistant mental health conditions. With over a decade of experience treating dehydration and illness with IV fluids and medications, Dr. Leake also co-founded Hydrate Medical, which administers IV vitamin infusions. He is certified in psychedelic-assisted therapy from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) and MAPS and holds a certification in ketamine therapy from the Living Medicine Institute.

Many physicians are burned out by the limitations of traditional medicine, especially when treating mental health crises in high-pressure environments like the ER. While they may feel called to do more, the pathway to practicing psychedelic therapy can seem unclear and overwhelming. How can medical professionals transition into ketamine-assisted care?

After noticing a lack of effective treatment for mental health conditions, emergency medicine physician and ketamine clinician Dr. Jonathan Leake transitioned from the ER to providing ketamine therapy. Ketamine therapy requires maintaining supportive care throughout each treatment session, so physicians must build patient rapport, assess and manage the environment’s energy, and recognize psychological vulnerability. When treating patients with complex trauma, Dr. Leake advises physicians to recognize the limits of their training and partner closely with licensed therapists who can guide a deeper therapeutic process.

In this episode of Living Medicine, Dr. Jonathan Leake, the Co-owner and CEO of Dérive Health, joins Dr. Sandy Newes to discuss how physicians can provide ketamine therapy. He highlights the importance of patient care during ketamine therapy sessions, insights from various psychedelic therapy conferences, and the role of training in physician performance.