An estimated 21 million U.S. adults experienced a major depressive episode in 2021
Depression Treatment in La Crosse, WI: When Antidepressants Haven't Been Enough
IV ketamine therapy and FDA-approved Spravato offer a faster, fundamentally different path to relief for people living with treatment-resistant depression. Medically supervised and personalized to you, right here in La Crosse.
You Haven't Run Out of Options. You've Just Run Out of the Old Ones.
Depression affects an estimated 21 million adults in the United States, and for roughly one in three of them, standard antidepressants don’t provide adequate relief. If you’ve tried medication after medication and still feel stuck, that experience has a name: treatment-resistant depression. And it has a treatment.
At Relevate Ketafusion, we specialize in exactly this. Our team offers IV ketamine therapy and FDA-approved Spravato (esketamine) for people whose depression hasn’t responded to conventional approaches. Both treatments work on the brain’s glutamate system rather than serotonin, producing relief on a completely different timeline. Many patients notice a meaningful shift within hours to days of their first session.
We’re the only clinic in the Coulee Region offering both IV ketamine and Spravato under one roof, with continuous medical supervision at every session.
Understanding Depression: More Than Just Feeling Sad
Depression isn’t a bad mood or a rough patch. It’s a clinical condition that changes how the brain functions, alters sleep and appetite, strips away motivation, and in its most severe forms, makes simply getting through the day feel impossible. It’s also one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.
For most people, depression develops through a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors. The brain’s neural circuitry changes in ways that make recovery harder over time, especially when treatment is delayed or ineffective. That’s exactly why rapid-acting treatments like ketamine and Spravato matter so much for people who’ve been struggling for years.
Hear from Those Who've Found Hope
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(608) 518-3915Address
2309 State Road La Crosse, WI 54601
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Mon-Thu: 7:30 am - 7:30 pm
Fri-Sat: 7:30 am - 12:30 pm
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Types of Depression We Treat
Depression isn't one-size-fits-all, and neither is our approach. Ketamine therapy and Spravato have shown meaningful results across several forms of depression. Here's where we've seen the greatest impact.
Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)
Defined as depression that hasn't responded to at least two adequate antidepressant trials, TRD affects millions of people who feel like they've exhausted every option. Both IV ketamine and Spravato were developed with this population in mind. Spravato carries an explicit FDA approval for TRD. IV ketamine has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects in multiple randomized controlled trials, often within 24 hours.
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Major depressive disorder involves persistent low mood, loss of interest in activities, changes in sleep and appetite, difficulty concentrating, and in severe cases, thoughts of death or suicide. For patients with MDD who haven't found relief with antidepressants, Spravato is FDA-approved and IV ketamine offers a rapidly effective alternative with a strong evidence base.
Major Depressive Disorder with Suicidal Ideation
When depression reaches a point where suicidal thoughts are present, waiting weeks for a medication to work isn't a safe option. Spravato holds a specific FDA approval for MDD with active suicidal ideation or behavior, making it the only medication of its kind indicated for this combination. IV ketamine has also demonstrated rapid anti-suicidal effects in clinical research.
Postpartum Depression (PPD)
Postpartum depression is more than the baby blues. It's a serious clinical condition that can make bonding with a newborn feel impossible and leave new mothers feeling isolated and overwhelmed. We offer safe, effective treatment options for PPD that work far faster than conventional antidepressants, helping mothers get back to themselves and their families.
Depression with Anxiety
Nearly half of people diagnosed with depression also experience significant anxiety. The two conditions feed each other, and treating only one often leaves patients still struggling. Ketamine therapy addresses both simultaneously by calming overactive neural circuits while rebuilding healthy neural connectivity.
Depression Related to PTSD or Trauma
Trauma rewires the brain in ways that often lead to persistent depression alongside PTSD symptoms. Standard antidepressants rarely address the underlying neural changes that trauma causes. Ketamine and Spravato both support neural healing and plasticity, making them particularly well-suited for depression rooted in traumatic experience.
Burnout-Related Depression
Chronic stress and burnout don't just exhaust you. Over time, they can wear grooves into the brain's circuitry that tip into clinical depression. When rest and lifestyle changes haven't been enough, ketamine therapy can help restore the neural pathways that burnout has depleted.
Your Depression Treatment Journey at Relevate Ketafusion
From your first conversation to your last session, we're with you at every step.
01
Initial Consultation
Your journey starts with a virtual consultation. We'll talk through your diagnosis, your treatment history, what's worked and what hasn't, and your goals. You'll receive a thorough mental health screening and medical clearance review, and we'll explain clearly whether IV ketamine, Spravato, or both make the most sense for your situation. No pressure, no commitment.
02
Personalized Treatment Plan
We build your treatment plan around your specific diagnosis, history, and goals. For IV ketamine, that typically means 6 to 8 infusions over 2 to 4 weeks. For Spravato, the induction phase runs twice-weekly sessions for four weeks before tapering to maintenance. We'll walk you through the full timeline, what to expect at each stage, and how we'll measure your progress.
03
Treatment Sessions
Every session takes place in a private, calm treatment room with ambient lighting and soothing music. Nothing clinical about it. Our medical team stays present throughout, monitoring your vitals and your comfort in real time. Most patients describe the experience as peaceful and introspective. Plan to have someone drive you home afterward.
04
Integration and Ongoing Monitoring
We track your response carefully and adjust your plan as needed. Integration support helps you process what's shifted during treatment and build on your progress between sessions. After your initial series, we'll develop a maintenance schedule, typically every 4 to 8 weeks for ketamine or monthly for Spravato, to protect the gains you've made.
Our Depression Treatments: IV Ketamine and Spravato
We offer two clinically validated, rapid-acting treatments for depression. Your provider will help determine which is the better fit based on your diagnosis, treatment history, and goals.
IV Ketamine Therapy
Administered directly into the bloodstream through a small IV line, ketamine infusions offer precise dosing and immediate bioavailability. Sessions typically last 40 to 60 minutes in a private, comfortable treatment room. IV ketamine is self-pay and not covered by insurance, but it's often the faster-acting and more precisely dosed of the two options. Most patients complete an initial series of 6 to 8 infusions over 2 to 4 weeks.
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Spravato (Esketamine) Therapy
FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression and MDD with suicidal ideation, Spravato is a nasal spray you self-administer in our clinic under direct medical supervision. Sessions last approximately two hours including the required monitoring period. Spravato is covered by most major insurance plans, making it the more accessible option for many patients. Your team handles insurance verification before your first visit.
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The Science Behind Ketamine and Spravato for Depression
Most antidepressants work by adjusting serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine levels in the brain. They’re effective for many people, but they take weeks to build up and they don’t work for everyone. Ketamine and Spravato take a completely different approach.
Both treatments block NMDA receptors and act on the glutamate system, the brain’s primary excitatory neurotransmitter pathway. This triggers a rapid cascade of neurobiological changes: new synaptic connections form, neural plasticity increases, and the entrenched thought patterns and mood dysregulation that define depression begin to shift. The changes can be felt within hours rather than weeks.
Think of it this way: depression carves grooves into the brain’s circuitry over time. Ketamine and Spravato don’t just numb those grooves. They help the brain grow new pathways around them.
Why Choose Relevate Ketafusion for Depression Treatment
01
The Only Clinic in the Coulee Region Offering Both IV Ketamine and Spravato
Relevate Ketafusion is the only provider in the La Crosse area offering both IV ketamine infusions and FDA-approved Spravato therapy under one roof. The nearest alternative is over two hours away. You don’t have to make that drive.
02
Spravato Covered by Insurance
Spravato is covered by most major insurance plans. Our team verifies your coverage before your first session and handles prior authorization so you’re not navigating it alone. For IV ketamine, we offer transparent self-pay pricing with HSA/FSA acceptance and CareCredit financing available.
03
A Medical Team That Understands Depression at Every Level
Dr. Howard Schumaker’s dual board certifications and chemical engineering background mean he understands ketamine and esketamine at the molecular level. Robyn Brown, our PMHNP, brings personal experience with anxiety and 20 years of nursing expertise. Our team doesn’t just administer treatment. They understand what you’re going through.
04
Continuous Medical Supervision at Every Session
You’re never alone during treatment. Our medical team monitors your vitals and your comfort throughout every session, adjusting in real time to ensure the safest, most effective experience possible.
05
Founded by Someone Who's Lived It
Tina Schumaker, our CEO and co-founder, experienced treatment-resistant depression and PTSD firsthand before ketamine therapy changed her life. She built Relevate so that people in La Crosse wouldn’t have to travel hours for the care that finally worked for her.
06
A Space That Feels Nothing Like a Clinic
Private treatment rooms, calming decor, ambient lighting, and soothing music create an environment designed to support healing rather than heighten anxiety. Our patients consistently say the atmosphere itself makes a difference.
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