Combining Spravato with Therapy: Best Practices for Long-Term Recovery
When traditional treatments don’t relieve severe depressive symptoms, finding effective relief can sometimes feel impossible. For people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), Spravato (esketamine) offers a new treatment option and a potential path to hope.
Unlike antidepressant medications, Spravato therapy provides a quick improvement in a person’s depressive symptoms, sometimes within hours. But long-term recovery from depression involves more than medication or interventional services like Spravato. It requires counseling support, coping strategies, and ongoing recovery planning.
At Sanford Behavioral Health’s Spravato Clinic, patients receive integrated care that blends Spravato treatment with therapy, medication management, and holistic recovery support. This patient-centered approach gives individuals the tools to not only treat depressive symptoms but also address the underlying causes of depression for lasting results.
How Spravato® works
Spravato treatment for depression uses esketamine, a nasal spray derived from ketamine and approved by the FDA for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder (MDD) with acute suicidal ideation. Unlike oral antidepressants, which focus on serotonin, Spravato targets NMDA receptors in the brain. This unique mechanism helps create new pathways, offering relief when other medications have failed.
Key points about Spravato® treatment
- Provides rapid relief of depressive symptoms, often within hours or days
- Administered in outpatient healthcare settings under direct supervision
- Closely monitored by healthcare providers for potential side effects
- Effective as part of a broader mitigation strategy that includes counseling and recovery planning
While Spravato brings quick improvement, it’s not a stand-alone cure. Long-term recovery requires addressing deeper mental health needs, building resilience, and maintaining consistency in therapy sessions. That’s why Spravato treatment with therapy is so powerful—it balances rapid relief with lasting emotional growth.
Common side effects of Spravato® treatment
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- Nausea or vomiting
- Drowsiness or fatigue
- A temporary increase in blood pressure
- Headache (including sudden severe headache in rare cases)
- Dissociation, or feeling disconnected from surroundings
These effects usually improve within a few hours after treatment. Because sessions take place in outpatient healthcare settings, patients are observed by a healthcare provider until it’s safe to leave.
Because Spravato can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and temporary changes in perception, patients can’t drive themselves home after a session. The effects may last for several hours, even after leaving the clinic.
The role of therapy alongside Spravato®
While Spravato provides rapid symptom relief, therapy offers lasting strategies for managing depression. Modalities such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) complement the effects of esketamine treatment for depression by teaching patients how to challenge unhelpful thoughts, regulate emotions, and develop healthier behaviors.
Therapy with Spravato for depression also helps patients address root causes, such as trauma, chronic stress, or unresolved grief. Counseling creates a safe space to process experiences and learn new skills that strengthen recovery. This is where Spravato and counseling support truly work hand in hand. Medication alleviates depressive symptoms while therapy prepares patients for long-term wellness.
Benefits of combining Spravato® with therapy
Pairing Spravato medication with therapy creates a stronger, more comprehensive foundation for recovery.
Benefits include:
- Enhanced long-term outcomes: Treating depressive symptoms with both approaches leads to improved stability
- Relapse prevention: Therapy helps patients identify and manage triggers while Spravato addresses brain chemistry
- Greater engagement: Patients feel empowered when they actively participate in counseling alongside Spravato recovery support
- Improved emotional regulation: Therapy strengthens resilience, while Spravato provides immediate symptom relief
- Safety: Close monitoring by healthcare professionals helps reduce risks of serious adverse outcomes such as acute suicidal ideation
Together, Spravato and therapy form a whole-person approach to depression treatment that is both safe and sustainable.
What to expect at Sanford Behavioral Health’s Spravato® clinic
At Sanford Behavioral Health’s Spravato clinic, patients receive care in a safe, supportive environment. The program is structured around both medication and therapy, with a strong emphasis on patient safety and holistic care.
During treatment sessions, patients can expect:
- Careful monitoring by healthcare providers in outpatient healthcare settings
- Observation for a few hours after treatment to track blood pressure and side effects
- Integration of therapy during or following sessions to process emotions and reinforce coping strategies
- Collaboration with healthcare professionals to adjust medication as needed
Sanford Behavioral Health also focuses on long-term recovery. Patients receive Spravato medication management and therapy while having access to a full continuum of mental health services, including family therapy, group support, and education. This approach combines medical care with counseling support, making recovery more comprehensive.
Best practices for patients and families
Spravato and therapy work best when patients and families commit to an active recovery plan.
Best practices include:
- Consistency: Attend all Spravato treatment sessions and therapy appointments
- Realistic expectations: Recognize that while Spravato offers rapid improvement, long-term recovery takes time
- Family involvement: Loved ones can provide encouragement, attend family therapy, and help track progress
- Open communication: Patients should share concerns, mood changes, or side effects with healthcare professionals to optimize care
By following these best practices, patients and families strengthen the benefits of Spravato therapy and create a foundation for sustained mental health recovery.
Build lasting wellness at Sanford Behavioral Health
Spravato therapy offers a breakthrough for people who haven’t found relief with traditional oral antidepressants. When Spravato is combined with therapy, it becomes more than just a treatment. It becomes a pathway to long-term recovery, where patients not only see a rapid improvement in their depressive symptoms but also develop the coping skills, resilience, and family support needed for lasting wellness.
If you or someone you love is struggling with treatment-resistant depression, Sanford Behavioral Health is here to help. Our Spravato Clinic in Michigan combines innovative medication treatment with therapy and compassionate recovery support. Call Sanford Behavioral Health today at 616.202.3326 or reach out through our online contact form to begin your path toward long-term healing.
