How Ketamine and Spravato Work: Neuroplasticity, the “Snow globe,” and Why Your Intentions Matter
For decades, most medications used to treat depression and anxiety have focused on neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. For many people, those medications help—but they can also be slow, and not everyone responds. Ketamine and esketamine (Spravato) are different: they work through the brain’s glutamate system and can create faster shifts in mood and perspective for some patients.
At Inner Journey Healthcare, we offer IM ketamine (intramuscular injections) and Spravato (intranasal esketamine). IM ketamine is often used as a short-term, structured treatment with preparation and integration support; Spravato is administered in-office following a specific monitoring protocol.
The brain piece: neuroplasticity and “new connections”
One reason ketamine and Spravato are so interesting is their relationship to neuroplasticity—your brain’s ability to form and reorganize connections. This can be described as promoting neuroplasticity through synaptogenesis (the growth of new synaptic connections).
When the brain becomes more “plastic,” it can be easier to:
step out of rigid thought or emotional loops
create new pathways for coping, meaning-making, and behavior change
A simple way to understand neuroplasticity with ketamine or Spravato is the snow globe analogy. When you shake a snowglobe, the snow swirls and everything is loosened up and in motion. In a similar way, ketamine or Spravato can temporarily “shake up” rigid neural pathways and stuck patterns. Then, as the snow settles, it does not land in exactly the same way as before. After a session, there can be an opportunity for your mind to reset and find more flexibility—one reason many people describe the experience as a shift in perspective, sometimes subtle and sometimes significant.
Neuroplasticity is not the same thing as automatic change, which is why we also like a second metaphor: a car trip. In this analogy, you are the driver, ketamine is the car, music is the gasoline, and the therapist serves as the GPS. The point is simple but important: your agency stays at the center. The medicine may help open a window for change, but your choices and supports shape what happens next. For example, if your intention is to build more self-compassion, preparation might include practicing self-compassion skills, using guided meditations, or intentionally receiving support from someone safe—so your nervous system is already learning the “new road” you want to take. Our minds often run on familiar routes—like always turning right on the way home. Ketamine/Spravato can create a moment where a new option becomes available: you can “turn left” instead—toward a new perspective, new pattern, or new response. That is the heart of this work: the medicine may create the opening, and preparation + integration help you build what lasts.
Why we emphasize preparation and integration
Because your brain may be more change-ready during and after sessions, what you do around treatment matters. Ketamine and Spravato can act as a catalyst, but it is the intentional work in preparation and integration that helps create meaningful, lasting change. In other words, the session is not the whole treatment—it is a powerful part of a larger plan.
Ready to start?
If you are curious, you do not need to feel certain. Intake is designed for clarity. We will help you determine fit, safety, and what support will help you get the most from treatment.
Call Inner Journey Healthcare: 406-541-2012
Medical note: This blog is for education and is not medical advice. Ketamine and Spravato are not right for everyone, and treatment should always be guided by a qualified medical and behavioral health team.
