The TRANSFORM-2 study found patients receiving Spravato were 70% more likely to achieve remission than those on a newly initiated oral antidepressant plus placebo
Spravato Treatment in Richmond, TX: FDA-Approved Relief for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Find the best Spravato treatment clinic serving Richmond, TX at Catalyst Health & Wellness — a REMS-certified Houston provider of the only FDA-approved nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression. Led by Dr. Ho, board-certified anesthesiologist and former pediatrician. Three Houston locations open Monday–Sunday, 5am–9pm.
Break Free with Spravato Treatment Richmond
Richmond carries more than two centuries of Texas history — one of the oldest communities in the state, incorporated under the Republic of Texas itself, and the county seat of Fort Bend County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation. That deep sense of place and continuity is part of what makes Richmond distinctive. But history and community identity don’t protect people from treatment-resistant depression, and when antidepressants fail — not once, but repeatedly — the weight of that condition can quietly erode even the most well-rooted life.
If you’ve tried multiple medications without finding meaningful, lasting relief, the problem isn’t your commitment to treatment. It’s that your depression needs a different neurological approach than the ones you’ve been offered. At Catalyst Health & Wellness, we serve Richmond residents — and patients from Rosenberg, Sugar Land, Missouri City, and the greater Fort Bend corridor — as a fully REMS-certified Spravato provider. Spravato (esketamine) is the only FDA-approved nasal spray designed for treatment-resistant depression. It’s now approved in 77 countries and administered to more than 140,000 patients worldwide — and it works through a mechanism that no prior antidepressant has ever accessed. With Dr. Ho’s clinical expertise, hands-on insurance support, and hours that actually work around your life, Catalyst brings that global breakthrough to Richmond patients who are ready for it.
What is Spravato Therapy?
Spravato (esketamine) received FDA breakthrough therapy designation before earning full approval in 2019 — the first new antidepressant mechanism introduced in over three decades. In 2020, the FDA expanded the approval to include adults with major depressive disorder and active suicidal ideation or behaviors. Then in January 2025, the FDA granted Spravato a third approval milestone: authorization as a standalone monotherapy for TRD — meaning qualifying patients can now receive Spravato without a simultaneously prescribed oral antidepressant if clinically appropriate. That expansion reflects both the strength of the accumulated evidence and the real-world experience gathered from years of clinical use.
Research consistently shows powerful results:
What Our Patients Say
Take the First Step Toward Healing
Book Appointment
Conditions We Treat with Spravato Therapy in Richmond
Spravato carries FDA approval for specific, well-documented clinical indications — every qualifying Richmond patient receives a treatment with a thoroughly established safety and efficacy record. At Catalyst Health & Wellness, we offer Spravato for:
Your Spravato Therapy Journey at Catalyst Health & Wellness
Every step of the Spravato process at Catalyst has been structured to be transparent, supported, and accessible to Richmond patients managing demanding lives. Here's exactly what to expect.
Step 1: Free Phone Consultation
Your first call to our team costs nothing. A clinical team member will discuss your depression history, medication background, and what daily life looks like for you now. You’ll receive an honest assessment of whether Spravato is the right fit — and if it isn’t, we’ll say so directly rather than push you toward something unnecessary.
Step 2: Insurance Verification & Prior Authorization
Spravato is often covered by insurance for qualifying patients, but prior authorization is nearly always required. Our team handles that process entirely: verifying benefits, preparing documentation, submitting the authorization, and following up until approval is secured. You decide whether to move forward; we handle the insurance bureaucracy.
Step 3: Before Your First Visit
Before your appointment, we’ll cover everything you need: dietary guidelines, what to bring, how to arrange transportation, and timing notes for existing medications. Nothing about your first session will be unclear before you arrive.
Step 4: Day of Treatment
Plan for approximately two to two-and-a-half hours per visit. You’ll need a designated driver or pre-arranged rideshare — driving on treatment days is not permitted. Come comfortable and ready to rest. That’s the full scope of preparation required.
Step 5: Your Treatment Session
You’ll settle into a private, purpose-built treatment room — reclinable chair, soft adjustable lighting, warm blankets, noise-cancelling headphones if you want them. Spravato is self-administered as a nasal spray under direct clinical supervision from Dr. Ho’s team, who monitor your vital signs, blood pressure, and overall response throughout. Temporary effects — mild dissociation, light-headedness — are expected and typically resolve within the two-hour observation window.
Step 6: Recovery & Aftercare
After monitoring concludes, you’ll leave with your driver. Driving should wait until the morning following a full night’s sleep. Our team follows up between sessions to track your response and adjust anything before your next visit.
Step 7: Treatment Schedule & Maintenance
The protocol begins with twice-weekly sessions during weeks one through four, steps to once weekly in weeks five through eight, then transitions to individualized maintenance — weekly, every two weeks, or monthly — based entirely on how you’re responding. Your progress guides the schedule.
The Science Behind Spravato for Treatment-Resistant Depression
Spravato’s FDA approval rests on a robust clinical evidence base anchored by two pivotal phase 3 randomized controlled trials, validated by the European Medicines Agency, and now expanded by a decade of accumulating real-world data.
The TRANSFORM-2 study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, enrolled patients with confirmed treatment-resistant depression in a double-blind comparison of flexibly-dosed Spravato plus a newly initiated oral antidepressant versus antidepressant plus placebo. Patients receiving Spravato were 70% more likely to achieve remission. Statistically significant improvement was measurable within 24 hours of the first dose — a reflection of how quickly glutamate-driven synaptogenesis can begin producing antidepressant effects when monoamine systems aren’t the mechanism being engaged.
The SUSTAIN-1 trial, published in JAMA Psychiatry, addressed long-term durability. Patients who achieved stable remission or response were randomized to continue Spravato or transition to placebo. The European Medicines Agency’s review of the long-term data shows that the relapse rate for patients who continued Spravato was 27% versus 45% for the placebo group — a 40% reduction in relative relapse risk. Maintenance treatment doesn’t just help sustain remission; it provides a meaningful structural advantage against the depression returning.
Key research findings:
- Spravato triggers rapid synaptogenesis in mood-regulating brain regions, with neuroplasticity effects beginning within hours of the first dose
- The ASPIRE I and II trials confirmed statistically significant depressive symptom reduction within 24 hours in patients with MDD and active suicidal ideation — the first FDA-approved fast-acting pharmacological option for that clinical population
- Approved by both the FDA and European Medicines Agency, and authorized in 77 countries, Spravato reflects a global regulatory consensus built on reproducible clinical evidence
- The January 2025 FDA approval of esketamine as monotherapy for TRD marks the most recent expansion of an evidence base that has been growing for over a decade
Why Choose Catalyst Health & Wellness for Spravato Treatment in Richmond
01
REMS-Certified Provider
The FDA requires all Spravato administrations to occur in a certified healthcare setting under its Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. Catalyst Health & Wellness holds full REMS certification across all three Houston locations. Richmond patients receive treatment that meets every federal safety standard, every session, without exception.
02
Led by Dr. Ho – Expert Medical Care
Dr. Ho brings precisely the credentials that safe Spravato treatment requires. His board certification in anesthesiology means deep, hands-on expertise in esketamine pharmacology, clinical dosing, and the physician-level monitoring that administering a dissociative NMDA antagonist demands. His background as a former pediatrician shapes the entire clinic culture — patient-centered, unhurried, and genuinely attentive to how treatment feels from your perspective rather than just how it tracks on a metric. Richmond patients deserve that standard of care.
03
Insurance Navigation Support
Spravato is distinctive because major commercial insurance plans and Medicare frequently cover it for qualifying patients. Prior authorization is nearly always required, and that process can feel like an insurmountable barrier when you’re already managing the weight of treatment-resistant depression. Our team handles it entirely: benefit verification, prior auth submission, insurer communication, and appeals when needed. We’ve navigated this for patients across dozens of plans. You should be focused on healing, not paperwork.
04
Whole-Person Approach
From the first call, we engage with you as a complete person — your full treatment history, your current circumstances, your goals, and what your life is supposed to look like when depression isn’t running it. Treatment plans are built around that picture and updated as your response evolves. What this means for you:
- Plans shaped by your specific history and present situation
- Ongoing adjustments based on real response data, not a fixed protocol
- Active coordination with your existing psychiatrist or prescribing physician
- Long-term engagement that extends well beyond the induction phase
05
Extended Hours & Flexible Scheduling
Each Spravato session requires two or more hours in clinic. For Richmond residents managing commutes to Houston, family schedules, and the demands of life in one of Fort Bend County’s most historic communities, fitting a standard weekday clinical window into the schedule is often genuinely difficult. Our 5am to 9pm hours, seven days a week at all three Houston locations, were designed to solve that problem. Pre-dawn appointments, evening sessions, weekend treatment — all available. If scheduling has been the reason treatment has been delayed, we’ve removed that obstacle.
06
Comprehensive Treatment Options
Spravato is a powerful tool, but it’s not the only one. When your clinical picture benefits from a multi-modal approach, Catalyst offers complementary evidence-based treatments under the same roof:
Ketamine Therapy
Broader applications including anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, OCD, and bipolar depression
TMS Therapy
Non-invasive magnetic brain stimulation for depression and OCD
Stellate Ganglion Block
Targeted nerve block treatment for PTSD and anxiety
Our goal is to find the right combination of treatments for your unique situation — not to fit you into a one-size-fits-all protocol.
07
Safe, Comfortable Environment
Our treatment rooms were built for the Spravato experience, not repurposed from other clinical uses. Each is private, quiet, and purpose-designed: reclinable chairs, soft adjustable lighting, warm blankets, noise-cancelling headphones. Dr. Ho’s clinical team is present and monitoring throughout every session. You’re observed, supported, and never alone during treatment.
Getting Started with Spravato Treatment in Richmond
Richmond’s roots as one of Texas’s original incorporated cities reflect a community that’s built to last — and that has always found ways forward through difficult chapters. If treatment-resistant depression is your current difficult chapter, Spravato offers a clinically proven, globally validated, FDA-approved path forward that’s available right now.
Call us at 800-772-1242 for your free, no-obligation phone consultation. We’ll discuss your history honestly, answer every question, and give you a clear picture of whether Spravato is the right fit for your situation. No charge, no pressure, complete confidentiality.
Three Houston locations serve Richmond patients, and our 5am to 9pm hours every day of the week mean treatment fits around your life rather than displacing it. Dr. Ho and the entire Catalyst team are ready when you are.
Monday-Sunday, 6am-9pm
Free consultation
Insurance assistance
Three Houston locations
REMS-certified provider
Commonly Asked Questions
Get Help NowHow quickly does Spravato therapy work?
Many patients notice improvements within hours or days of their first treatment. The TRANSFORM-2 study showed significant improvement compared to placebo within 24 hours. This rapid action is one of Spravato’s most remarkable qualities, especially compared to traditional antidepressants that can take 4 to 8 weeks to work.
Is Spravato therapy safe?
Yes, when administered by trained medical professionals in a REMS-certified setting. Spravato underwent extensive clinical trials before FDA approval. Common side effects like dissociation, dizziness, and temporary blood pressure increases typically resolve within 1-2 hours. We monitor your vital signs throughout treatment to ensure your safety.
How many treatments will I need?
During the first month, you’ll receive Spravato twice weekly. In the second month, treatment typically decreases to once weekly. After that, most patients continue with maintenance treatments once weekly or every two weeks. The exact frequency depends on your individual response. We’ll work with you to find the schedule that keeps you feeling your best.
What does Spravato treatment feel like?
Experiences vary from person to person. Many patients describe feeling relaxed, calm, or somewhat disconnected from their surroundings. Some people experience mild visual or sensory changes. These effects are temporary and typically resolve within 1-2 hours after treatment ends. Most patients find the experience manageable and therapeutic.
Can I drive after a Spravato treatment?
No, you cannot drive yourself home after Spravato treatment, and you should not drive until the next day after a restful night’s sleep. You’ll need to arrange transportation both to and from your appointment. By the time you leave our facility after the 2-hour observation period, you’ll feel much clearer, but driving remains unsafe until the following day.
Will my insurance cover Spravato?
Many insurance plans cover Spravato for qualifying patients since it’s FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression. Coverage varies by plan and typically requires prior authorization. Our team handles the insurance process for you, including benefits verification and prior authorization submissions.
Can I continue my current medications?
Spravato is always used alongside an oral antidepressant, so you’ll continue taking your prescribed antidepressant medication. We’ll coordinate with your prescribing physician to ensure your overall treatment plan is optimized. Some medications may require adjustment before starting Spravato, which we’ll discuss during your consultation.
Do I need a referral from my doctor?
No, you don’t need a referral to begin Spravato therapy at Catalyst Health & Wellness. However, coordination with your current prescribing physician is important since Spravato must be used alongside an oral antidepressant. We encourage communication between all members of your healthcare team.
Our Locations
Blog & insight
Insights on Healing, Growth, and Mental Wellness
June 13, 2026
FAQ: Common Questions About Ketamine Treatment Answered
If you've been researching ketamine therapy in Houston, chances are you've come across a lot of conflicting information. One article calls it a miracle cure. Another paints it as a risky party drug. Somewhere in between sits the truth, and you deserve straightforward answers before making any decision about your mental health or chronic pain…
June 10, 2026
Can Ketamine Therapy Help with Both Depression and Anxiety?
If you've spent years battling depression only to find anxiety creeping in alongside it (or vice versa), you're not imagining the connection. These two conditions show up together far more often than people realize, and the overlap can make recovery feel like trying to untangle a knot that keeps tightening. Traditional antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications…
June 7, 2026
Neuropathic Pain and Ketamine: Relief When Nerve Pain Won’t Quit
If you live with neuropathic pain, you already know it doesn't behave like ordinary pain. It burns when nothing touched you. It shocks down your leg while you're sitting still. It turns the brush of a bedsheet into something sharp. And the medications your doctor prescribed, the gabapentin, the duloxetine, maybe even opioids, take the…
Make an Appointment
Our mission is to empower individuals to overcome life’s challenges through professional psychological support.