Relief is here at the Lancaster Ketamine Institute

After recognizing a need to assist people suffering from the most severe cases of treatment-resistant PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, Les Carlson, Pam Carlson, and Dr. Ryan Kuehner founded the Lancaster Ketamine Institute.

As they researched the positive impacts of ketamine-based treatments and realized local medical practitioners were sending patients to Philadelphia and Baltimore to undergo the treatments, Ryan, Pam, and Les began dreaming of what it would look like to offer the service in Lancaster.

As a psychologist with a private practice in Lancaster, Dr. Kuehner sees firsthand the challenges these patients are facing.

“We saw people that struggled and suffered—people from all walks of life—and this treatment may be their only hope,” Dr. Kuehner said. “Ketamine changes people so they can more easily process pain.”

In addition to Ryan’s expertise, Les Carlson brings over 20 years of experience in healthcare commercialization, and Pam has an extensive history of business ownership and leadership as well as a diversified healthcare background.

“Pam really runs the entire business, and Ryan and I support things in the background,” Les said. “She is the customer-facing leader both with patients and the staff.”

Through the collaboration of their robust team of professionals, patients undergo six infusions over three weeks, followed by a booster protocol that the experts at the Lancaster Ketamine Institute determine.

“Our patients come to us broken, and most of them have tried so many different modalities and medications,” Pam shared. “By the end of their infusions, they walk out, and they are smiling. They tell me they feel like a happier, healthier version of themselves.”

Lancaster Ketamine Institute is designed to have a spa-like atmosphere. The comfortable recliners, serene lighting, and peaceful music create a calming environment that promotes long-term healing. In addition to the physical design of the space, the team intentionally removes sterility from all aspects of the clinic, including interactions between the staff and patients. The medical team goes to great lengths to ensure each patient is cared for and supported during their treatments, even checking in after the process concludes. They are the only practice in the region owned and managed by a mental health professional and physician.

“We want patients to know they’re not alone,” Pam stressed. “Hopefully, people do have a community around them, but that’s not always the case. So we build that for them, and give them the tools and education to navigate through this journey.”

Learn more about what they do at lancasterketamineinstitute.com.