Physician-Led Ketamine Therapy
in Victoria, BC
Ketamine Keys Medical Clinic provides Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for adults with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, severe anxiety, and certain chronic pain conditions. Care is provided by Dr. Jeff Dufresne, CCFP, MD at Synergy Health Centre on Quadra Street.
What Ketamine Keys offers
Ketamine Keys Medical Clinic provides Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, often shortened to KAP, for adults in the Victoria area. The medication is delivered in low, sub-anesthetic doses under medical supervision, paired with structured psychological support before, during, and after each session.
Ketamine has been used in medical practice since the 1960s and is well understood as a sedative and analgesic. Its application in mental health and chronic pain at lower doses is more recent. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC has issued interim guidance recognizing intramuscular ketamine therapy in regulated community-based clinics.
This is medical care delivered by a physician. The setting at Synergy Health Centre is clinical, private, and quiet. The model is built around careful preparation, safety during treatment, and integration of the experience afterward.
Clinical Scope & Eligibility
Ketamine Keys serves adults whose primary condition has not responded sufficiently to first-line treatment. We welcome self-referrals as well as referrals from physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and counsellors.
Who this is not for
Ketamine therapy is not a first-line treatment, and it is not appropriate for everyone.
- Active or untreated psychotic illness, including schizophrenia
- Pregnancy
- Significant uncontrolled cardiovascular conditions
- Current substance use that creates safety risk during treatment
- Situations where standard psychotherapy and psychiatric care have not been pursued
Your Care Pathway
Care at Ketamine Keys follows a four-step framework. Each step is described in more detail on the Ketamine Therapy page.
Consultation
A one-on-one assessment with Dr. Dufresne to review history, current treatment, prior medications, and goals. The consultation establishes whether ketamine therapy is appropriate. There is no fee to the patient for the consultation.
Preparation
For patients accepted into care, preparation may include sessions with a registered psychologist familiar with this work, along with a clear review of what to expect on treatment day.
Treatment
A typical course is approximately six sessions over several weeks. Each session lasts two to three hours. Treatments are delivered at Synergy Health Centre. A driver to take you home after the session is required.
Integration
Integration happens after treatment and is often coordinated with an existing therapist, counsellor, or psychiatrist. The clinic can refer patients to a psychologist with experience in this area who does not have an existing care team.
Consultation
A one-on-one assessment with Dr. Dufresne to review history, current treatment, prior medications, and goals. The consultation establishes whether ketamine therapy is appropriate. There is no fee to the patient for the consultation.
Preparation
For patients accepted into care, preparation may include sessions with a registered psychologist familiar with this work, along with a clear review of what to expect on treatment day.
Treatment
A typical course is approximately six sessions over several weeks. Each session lasts two to three hours. Treatments are delivered at Synergy Health Centre. A driver to take you home after the session is required.
Integration
Integration happens after treatment and is often coordinated with an existing therapist, counsellor, or psychiatrist. The clinic can refer patients to a psychologist with experience in this area who does not have an existing care team.
Lead Physician & Clinical Director
Dr. Jeff Dufresne, CCFP, MD
Dr. Jeff Dufresne, CCFP, MD, is a physician based in Victoria, BC. He brings six years of emergency medicine experience and has administered ketamine in clinical settings on more than one hundred occasions, giving him a deep working familiarity with the medication and its safety profile.
His interest in ketamine-assisted care grew out of seeing its impact firsthand in clinical practice and recognizing the gap between what current research supports and what is available to patients on Vancouver Island. He brings to this work a clinical training informed by his mentorship under Dr. Kristensen, formerly of Vancouver Island Ketamine Clinic, whose lineage of psychedelic-assisted care he is carrying forward in his own practice.
Our clinic in Victoria
3960 Quadra St #106, Victoria, BC V8X 4A3
Things to know about Ketamine Therapy
For Referring Professionals
Ketamine Keys works with physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors, and other mental health professionals across Vancouver Island who see patients who have not responded to standard care.
If you are a clinician and would like to discuss whether ketamine therapy may be appropriate for one of your patients, please get in touch.
Take the first step
The first step is a consultation with Dr. Dufresne. There is no fee to the patient for this assessment and no obligation to proceed. The purpose of the consultation is to determine whether ketamine therapy is appropriate for your situation.
