If you’re considering ketamine therapy for the first time, you may be wondering “How does this all work?” or “What is the experience like?”

There are some differences and nuances between other program’s models, such as intravenous infusions/intramuscular injections (IV/IM), or sprays. Mindbloom’s treatment model uses ketamine tablets for oral administration.

Below is a look at a week-by-week overview of the typical ketamine therapy protocol here at Mindbloom, with a specific focus on Mindbloom’s virtual introductory program (or first course of treatment): the Basics.

Ketamine Therapy: Week By Week

Week 0: Fit, Guide & Clinician Introductions, and Medical Evaluation

You’ve completed the pre-candidate survey which has identified that you may possibly be a good candidate for treatment, you have made the decision to move forward in our process to find out if ketamine treatment may be a good fit for you, and your deposit is paid. We’re excited for you!

Your next step is to schedule and attend clinical consultation: the first meeting with your licensed Mindbloom clinician. You can think of this meeting as a psychiatric evaluation, with a specific focus on identifying if this treatment is right for you, and if so what are the important things you need to know before proceeding. Be prepared to discuss how you’re feeling, what your goals are, and an in-depth medical and psychiatric history.

At the end, if the clinician identifies that you are a good fit for ketamine treatment, the first dose will be ordered, and your “Bloombox” —important items related to your experience including a blood pressure cuff, eye mask, and journal— is sent out for delivery.

Once you are approved for treatment, and you have booked your first virtual visit (the first time you take the medicine), you are introduced to your “Guide.” Your Guide will help you prepare, process, and integrate your experience throughout the entire program. The guide does not function in a clinical role. They are not licensed therapists. However, they are trained in a coaching model and the integration of psychedelic medicines and well suited to guide you through your Mindbloom journey with ketamine. 

Initially, they are there to ensure you receive your Bloombox, have prepared your space for the journey, support you in setting intentions, have your Peer Monitor (a loved one or close friend) available, and are feeling comfortable starting your sessions.

Week 1: First session and integration guidance

It’s time for your first session! 

You have your first dose of medication, your essential supplies are by your side, and your Peer Monitor is standing by. You will jump on video and be joined by your Guide to ensure everything is set up to support a valuable and safe experience.

After re-visiting your intentions and taking time to connect with yourself, you and your Guide discuss safety protocols, take blood pressure readings, confirm dosages, and intentions, and make space to address any questions or concerns.

With your Guide available and your Peer Monitor present, you take the medicine and embark on your first session. You may experience a range of emotions, insights, or sensations: From dissociation, to cathartic emotional release, reliving past memories, or novel (new) feelings or sensations. Everyone’s experience with the medicine differs, and how you’ll feel during the experience varies. 

After taking some time to process the experience and doing some integrative journaling, you reunite with your Guide and your clinician on video. You’ll discuss how the experience was, what arose for you, and how you felt about the medicine and your dosage. Based on this, your clinician will adjust the dosage if necessary, and submit the remaining prescription for your next 5 sessions.

Taking some time to reflect and process your session, and to take initial action for integration, will help the rest of the program unfold as smoothly as possible.

Your Guide continues to help you unpack and make sense of the experience in the first week, and will set up some integration activities for the next week. They’ll work with you to get the next session scheduled about 1-2 weeks from the first session date.

Week 2: Second session and initial results / insights

During the week leading up to your second session, you will continue to integrate, and may have a few questions for, or conversations with, your Guide. You’re free to use their expertise and insight to help you make sense of and reflect on the experiences you are having. 

Changes in mood or outlook may occur. You may experience mood elevations, a sense of calm, new relationships or associations with triggers and an openness to new experiences throughout the following days.

It is generally recommended, particularly for the first program, to space the sessions one week apart. This allows space for one treatment to settle and for you to reflect, the benefits to compound, and allows the biological and neurochemical changes to take place, all while hopefully making progress forward with each step along the way.

In Week 2, you return for your second session. You discuss and prepare with your Guide just as you did in the first round, sharing any insights or experiences that have transpired over the past few days. With the medical checks in place and your Peer Monitor present, you head into your second ketamine therapy session.

Once again, you are reunited with your Guide after your experience to reflect on your journaling, share about your experiences, and begin to make sense of anything that has come up for you. Your Guide can help to further unpack the experience, suggest some next steps and integration activities, and hold space for any challenging emotions or memories that arose throughout the experience.

Now at the halfway point of the first treatment program, you have a digital Medical Team Check-In, so that our clinical team can chart your progress, track your experiences, and make any necessary adjustments or interventions that are required.

The next few days are time spent being gentle with yourself, in reflection, and acting on any lessons or experiences that surfaced.

Weeks 3-5: Choosing a guided or self-guided treatment path

In the time leading up to the third session, you may notice positive shifts in mood. You may also receive comments from others about changes they are noticing in you. You might notice new opportunities or ways of thinking about certain areas in your life.

The more you dedicate yourself to the integration time in between sessions, the deeper the lessons settle in, and the more durable the experience and the benefits become in the long-term.

With more experience and a deeper relationship with the medicine, the third session gives you the opportunity to continue with your guide for video supported treatment preparation and debriefing or self-guided (using the medicine on your own at home, with Peer Monitor present), at the discretion of your clinician. The ability to steward your own healing process can provide a sense of autonomy, confidence, and be an important shift in your healing process.

If you choose self-guided sessions, the structure remains the same. Your Peer Monitor is present throughout each dosing session. You can curate your own soundscape for the experience, as you’re familiar with set and setting preparation recommendations, or use the ones that are provided for you. You will leverage your learnings around preparing your mindset by revisiting your intentions, trusting and letting go, and journaling post treatment in support of integration.

You continue to remain in contact with your Guide, who is there to answer questions, offer advice, or simply listen if there is something that needs to be expressed. The option to add on more dedicated integration coaching sessions is also available, promoting ample space to deeply explore the themes emerging and ensure they contribute to lasting change.

Week 6: Final session and check-ins

Following the weekly treatment schedule, you have a few days for reflection and integration before embarking on the sixth and final session of your introductory program. As always, you can refer to the personalized and curated preparation and integration materials provided in your account, or work closer with your Guide to navigate anything still uncertain.

The sixth treatment session marks the end of the introductory program and first course of treatment., and some clients have seen considerable change by this point. This is typically marked by noted elevations in mood and outlook, powerful insights that have helped resolve past challenges or future worries, or a new relationship with yourself and how you see your role in the world —or in your own life.

There is a final medical check-in from the clinical team to monitor progress, and ensure that your care is at the level you need and want. The final step is to schedule a check-in with your Guide to wrap-up the first program.

Week 7: Next steps

This is the final check-in with your Guide for the introductory program. You’ll discuss how you’re feeling, make a plan for ongoing integration, and take a look at what next steps are available.

It’s important that each program has a ‘closing.’ It’s a time to reflect on where you were when you started, and where you are today. You’ll consider what work remains to be done and how to continue to integrate the experiences. Ultimately, you’ll look towards the future and determine what the right next step is for you.

There are 3 paths clients often take at this point:

1. Parting Ways: Some clients have done the work they needed to do, and choose to return to their lives and the world with the knowledge they’ve gained.
2. Taking Time to Integrate: Some of our clients complete an initial course of treatment and feel better at that point. Some may opt to take a few weeks to integrate the themes/lessons/experiences that unfolded. We may then see them a month or two later as the growth has solidified and they hope to find deeper healing or they have identified that their mood has shifted back a bit and it may be time for a treatment booster to bring them back to their new elevated baseline mood.
3. Starting a New Program: Some clients feel like they have built substantial momentum, and are starting to delve into important territory. They want to continue treatment, and move onto another curated 6-session treatment program to continue exploring these themes and making progress to their mental health goals. The process begins again with a check-in with the clinician who works with the client to develop an individualized plan for continuing care.

FAQ about Mindbloom’s Psychedelic Therapy Programs

IF you had any further questions after reading the above, here are some questions that are frequently asked about our introductory program: The Basics.

What does each program look like?

Mindbloom’s programs are structured as a pack of 6 treatment sessions. Each treatment session takes about 2-2.5 hours, depending on the involvement of a Guide or not. Each program—think of this as a digital guide or workbook—has a particular theme, with all preparation and integration content supporting the exploration of this theme. 

How many sessions are there?

Mindbloom programs have 6 sessions. Some IV/IM ketamine clinics may sell single-session options, or larger packs of 5-6. This will vary based on the provider.

What do I need to do?

Although considered a rapid-acting antidepressant (RAAD), Ketamine treatment and therapy isn’t a “magic pill,” Doing the preparation work before following instructions and guidance by your clinician,, and continuing the integration work after sessions is important.

Being willing to make changes, begin new habits, and have important conversations, all deeply assist the effects of the medicine itself.

What’s the time commitment?

The sessions themselves are 2-2.5 hours long, generally spaced 1 week apart during the first course of treatment. A full program will take about 6-8 weeks to complete, and depending on time spent reflecting and integrating, will be about 2-6 hours of work each week.

Can I stretch the program out longer?

To maximize the biological effectiveness of ketamine treatments, it’s helpful to keep each dosing session 1-2 weeks apart, however, this is a conversation that should be had with your clinician as everyone’s treatment is individualized based on their needs.

It is possible to increase the length of time between each individual dosing session, though particularly for the first introductory programs, this is not recommended. There are biological and neurochemical benefits to ketamine as a medicine, which work best when compounded.

Why are there 6 sessions?

Each individual dosing session provides both biological and psychological benefits. By stacking a series of sessions closer together in a shorter amount of time, you can maximize the potential effects of the treatment. Mindbloom has developed our protocol to include an initial course of six treatments to build up a solid foundation of the medicine in your system and help you hopefully achieve a new baseline.

Ketamine treatment is an investment. It’s an investment in yourself, in your future, in your wellbeing, and in your relationships with others.

Like any investment worthy of consideration, you might be wondering if the cost of ketamine therapy is worth the benefits you’ll receive. Additionally, you might have quite a few questions about the process:  What exactly are the benefits? How long do they last? What is the total investment to move forward with these treatments?

There are a number of approaches to ketamine therapy: intravenous infusions and intramuscular injections (IV/IM), sublingual tablets, and intranasal sprays. Each treatment methodology comes with different total costs, program structures, potential benefits, and both time and emotional investments. 

Below you’ll find details on the high-level benefits and features that make ketamine treatment a worthwhile, long-lasting, and potentially life-changing investment in yourself.

How Much Does Ketamine Therapy Cost?

Depending on the treatment approach you take, you will encounter different costs per program or session. IV/IM solutions can begin at around $1200 for a single dosing session. A one-month supply of intranasal spray can be around $800. At Mindbloom, an initial three month program consisting of six sessions using ketamine tablets begins at $89 a week, and an additional three month program of four treatments decreases to $59 a week. 

Beyond the absolute cost of the programs, it’s helpful to consider the relative cost. For some, these program costs aren’t a major concern. For others, these programs can represent a significant portion of monthly income or current savings. This relative cost per session/program is important to consider for yourself, to maximize the value you receive from each treatment modality, based upon your unique needs and situation.

In some cases, the resources committed to a program or treatment can impact our relationship and commitment to it. Some value things higher if more time, energy, and financial resources are invested. On the inverse, sometimes we can harbor resentment or other subconscious barriers to treatments or programs if we feel like the resource commitment doesn’t match the reward or outcomes.

The selection of a program should be done with self awareness around your association between investment and outcomes: leverage this to increase your commitment to the process or to prevent any barriers toward enduring the course.

Are Ketamine Treatment Costs One-Time, or Recurring?

Cost is based on a number of factors: the treatment program selected (route of administration, are you taking the medicine alone or coupled with therapy or integration support), your commitment to following recommended plan of care and doing the work around the medicine, and factors specific to your individual mental health neads.

With all treatment approaches, there can be one-time expenses (one course of treatment), or the need for ongoing clinical treatment. It is important to have open and honest dialogue with your clinician to convey your mental health journey up to that point, what your intentions are, how you are feeling, and what progress you see along the way.

Some individuals can see incredible and long-lasting results after an initial course of treatment. Others may require a consistent schedule of maintenance treatment, or booster treatments when they feel their symptoms re-emerging. As you continue with treatment, it is vital to stay tuned into your mental health to identify shifts early on and communicate these with your provider to maintain growth made and your wellness.

Treatment plans are highly specific to each person: what is the severity of symptoms, what other treatment or conditions are occurring concurrently, what degree of integration is happening, what life events occur, and how does the person respond to the treatment?

Ketamine’s Intangible/Secondary Costs

Beyond the financial investment that ketamine therapy takes, it is also important to consider the intangible, or secondary costs associated with ketamine therapy. This is something not discussed as often, but is important to note in order to make an informed decision.

Part of what helps ketamine therapy provide long-lasting transformation is the integration process —the work done to bring the lessons and insights into your day-to-day life— outside of the treatment sessions. 

The sessions themselves can take anywhere from 1-5 hours of your time, which can be a significant time investment, based on your schedule. There are emotional investments as well. Working through depression or anxiety, bringing deeply rooted emotions or memories to the surface to process, is not an easy task.

Despite having rapid-acting antidepressant (RAAD) qualities and effects, ketamine is not a “magic pill.” Long-term change will require time and emotional investments from you, through this type of treatment, we are getting back our personal agency in our healing process.

In sum, not only is there financial cost that you should consider, you also invest time, energy, and emotional work into this process. In order to get the most from the treatment, you should consider the personal investments it takes.

Is Ketamine Therapy Covered by Insurance?

Other than Spavato for its FDA approved indications, ketamine therapy is not currently covered by health insurance plans. However, it is best to consult with your insurance provider to determine which treatment options may be available to you, how much (or for which portion of the treatment) they will reimburse for, and what specific prior authorizations may be needed. Many health practitioners and organizations providing ketamine treatments are working hard to change this, including Mindbloom. Increasing accessibility and affordability to those in need, regardless of financial resources is vital.

Given the promising results of clinical trials and client outcome data, and the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of ketamine as a medicine, the outlook is hopeful that ketamine treatment will be covered by insurance in the future.

Though this can’t be guaranteed as there are rigorous clinical data, regulatory requirements and logistical constraints to navigate, many ketamine practitioners and advocates for psychedelic medicines recognize the value this treatment modality will provide and are actively seeking to get ketamine covered by insurers and reducer barriers to accessing care.

Are Refunds Available?

Like any other business or product, policies for things such as refunds are usually pre-set and vary based on the company and their protocols. It’s important to look into this before making your decision to move forward with treatment.

As with other forms of treatment, you have the right to choose what you put into your body. At Mindbloom, we work with you to decide if this treatment may work for you both prior to starting and along the way. 

Although you can stop at any time, there is variability from one clinic/practitioner to the next regarding what stopping mid treatment protocol may mean for the money you have paid upfront. Its best to ask about this policy specifically before you begin.

Are the Costs and Benefits the Same for Everyone?

The simple answer is no: the costs and benefits are different for everyone.

As they should be! Each person is unique, with a different life story, different goals and aspirations, and different challenges they are working to overcome. As a result, each individual’s experiences and involvement in ketamine treatment programs will be different as well.

Some individuals may only use a single course of treatment (which can vary based on clinic) to work with their intentions, while others may work with a practitioner on a multi-month program arc. Some may only use ketamine therapy once, while others may return to it every so often.

Some individuals experience boosts in mood or gain new insights through deep reflective experiences, while others may have substantial changes in how they interact with and perceive their world internally and externally. Some individuals may devote a lot of time and focus toward integration at hopes of maximizing potential for long lasting change, while others may show up seeking relief from the rapid antidepressant qualities of the treatment.

Some individuals work on general anxiety, others work on processing deeply rooted emotional trauma, while others focus on gaining clarity for their future or rekindling a love for themselves and the world. 

All of these factors make each person’s overall experience, treatment program and treatment session unique. As a result, the costs, benefits, and experiences will be different for everyone.

Is Ketamine Treatment Available in my State?

The ability to receive ketamine therapy depends on the presence of licensed practitioners in your state. Ketamine is a nationally legal medication that is prescribed both on and off label for different indications. However, like other controlled substances, you must see a clinician that is licensed in the state in which you are being treated.

There are ketamine practitioners in most states.  You can look for IV/IM clinics near you, practitioners who will prescribe Spravato, or you can see if you’re eligible for virtual treatment with oral tablets with Mindbloom.

Mindbloom is currently accepting clients in the following states:

• New York
• California
• Texas
• Florida
• New Jersey
• Virginia
• Pennsylvania
• Michigan
• Nevada
• Arizona
• Colorado
• Utah

What are the Benefits of Ketamine Therapy?

There are a number of factors to explore when understanding direct and indirect benefits of ketamine therapy.

From its safety profile, to its rapid-acting antidepressant effects, to the efficacy as a treatment, ketamine has a host of benefits and decades of supporting research and clinical data.

A few potential benefits from ketamine therapy include:

• Rapid-acting antidepressant effects (within hours)
• Healing parts of our brain damaged from long term exposure to depression and stress (neurogenesis + neural pathway repair)
• New insights, physical sensations, emotions, connections
• Psychological healing through the act of dissociation
• Durability of shifts in insights and mental flexibility

What is not often mentioned are the indirect benefits that can come with certain ketamine therapy or ketamine treatment programs.

For example: the act of investing in yourself, of taking a courageous leap for your health and healing, can set off a cascade of benefits and behavior changes leading to downstream effects on mood. When we start showing up for ourselves we are validating our worth and our ability to change. 

Working directly with a “guide” can greatly assist with integration. This can help the lessons you learn through the experiences resonate and stick allowing for comprehensive behavior change and longer-lasting changes in mood and general outlook.

Life-Long Work

A very important consideration to make when determining whether to invest in ketamine therapy or not, is to remember that ketamine treatment has the potential to change your life.

Sometimes clients experience an elevation in mood, or gain some breathing room from the anxiety and stressors of life. Others are transformed, finding themselves in remission from depression, with new insights and attitudes that they can use to alter the course of the rest of their lives.

When considering the financial, emotional, and time investments required for ketamine treatment, remember that for some, the benefits can be long-lasting: for weeks, months, or years.

The investment is considerable, but so are the potential results. And when this relates to your engagement and enjoyment of life itself, it can be worth consideration. We encourage you to speak with your provider to get an understanding of what realistic outcomes may look like, based on your specific needs and situation.

As a remarkably challenging year begins to close out, many are starting to look towards the New Year. It’s common to reflect on the kind of person you want to be and how you want to be present in what has become a “new normal” —for yourself, for others, and for the world.

As a hallmark of the beauty of humanity, many individuals are firm in their resolve to continue their paths of growth, healing, and contribution to the world. Firm in their resolution to grow, many turn to the traditional setting of New Year’s resolutions.

There’s one complication with this approach: Despite the beauty of positive intention in resolution setting, over 90% of New Year resolutions are unmet within the first few months.

If this is the case, the question becomes “How can I create lasting change in my life?”

How to Set Resolutions or Goals That Create Lasting Change

There are a number of reasons resolutions are unmet, or trail off. Fortunately, once you know what these reasons are, you can take action to ensure their success. This helps you build and carry momentum far beyond the New Year, and contributes to the building of the “new you” you may be seeking.

A few of the reasons New Year’s resolutions are unmet are:

• Too much focus on the ‘how’ instead of the ‘why’
• The resolution is too great of a change to manage, preventing it from becoming a habit
• Missing a few days is seen as “failure,” and the attempt stops there
• It doesn’t fit into your existing personality, identity, and core beliefs

Let’s explore these blockers and triggers in further detail.

Have a Distinct “Why?”

If you focus on nothing else in making long-lasting resolutions, focus on the “why?” 

Your “why?” is the core reason for bringing change into your life. Without this core, your goal or resolution starts with a weaker foundation to rest on. Often, when a bit of resistance from life appears —an unexpected event, increased pressure from work, or something similar— the new habit or practice slowly crumbles, and your resolution will remain unmet. This is why foundation is important.

Ask yourself why you are doing this. Ask what purpose it serves in your life. The deeper down the practice can settle into your identity and goals and core beliefs, the easier it will be to continue it through struggle or obstacles that arise along the way.

Additionally, if you have a “why?,” it is much easier to pick a goal or resolution back up, because it’s a much sturdier foundation to build the rest of your life upon. The work required to start or continue this new practice won’t seem like so much of a chore.

As philosopher Frederich Nietzsche said, “He who has a why can bear almost any how.”

‍Start with your ‘why?’ Make it powerful. The deeper, and the more foundational to you, the better.

Select a less disruptive resolution or goal

Some individuals choose massive resolutions at the beginning of the year. These can be leaps and bounds ahead of the state they are at presently. Going from no exercise to two hours a day in the gym is a common one, for example.

A change this large, this quickly, and this disruptive to your schedule and your existing capacity can seem like a monumental hill to climb. It becomes too draining, too exhausting, too much of a time commitment, and fails to integrate properly into your life.

The approach here is to start small, to make subtle but distinct steps forward in the direction of your resolution. After all, you have all year to cultivate it! 

Many of your resolutions are powerful habitual or behavioral changes, those that can be beneficial over the course of your entire life. If it takes a few weeks or months of small but consistent effort to make it a regular practice, a long-term approach is definitely worth it.

Pick a clear action, one which is easily manageable, doesn’t require too much energy or a change to your existing routine, and resolve to do it daily. Over time, it integrates into your routine and becomes a natural part of your life.

Recognize there is no failure, only temporary setback

There are always obstacles in your way, and there will be a few days missed here and there. You shouldn’t expect perfection from yourself when starting something new. For some, after a few weeks of daily practice, just one or two missed sessions is seen as complete failure. The resolution is dropped on the spot. 

This doesn’t have to be the case. All you need to do is start again. Play the long game —after all, this is something that has the potential to benefit the rest of your life. A few missed days or sessions along the way won’t even be noticeable after years of consistently showing up to meet your resolutions or goals.

Just start again. It’s not about perfect, it’s about consistent small steps and systems that become naturally embedded into your routine. 

This is where the first two points above are helpful: Have a meaningful “why?” and make the activity very small, so it’s actually easier to do regularly and build momentum in. If it’s important enough to you, if it has the power of an existential ‘why’ behind it, it is much easier to pick resolutions back up if you drop or pause on them for some time.

Consider that all change is identity change

If you’re practicing writing, you’re becoming a writer. If you’re running more, you’re becoming and embodying a runner. All change is identity change — it changes who you are, how you see yourself, and how you relate to yourself.

This is both an important obstacle and your most powerful asset. This can be an important part of the ‘why?’ —these small habits and changes impact who you are and who you’re becoming. 

Ensure that you are setting resolutions and goals for yourself. These should be focused on your own benefit, growth, and healing, not the expectations of others.

Changing your identity is not as always easy, but it is always happening. You can begin to work with these forces, to surrender and open up to the process, and become the person you’ve always wanted to be by recognizing this.

Make Change Stick with Embodied Experiences through Psychedelic Therapy

There are tools and systems you can use that help to address all of these potential obstacles, and help you create long-lasting systems of change and growth in your life.

Doing this work through psychedelic therapy, like the programs provided here at Mindbloom, helps you address lasting change in safe and structured therapeutic environments. You can cultivate your “why?,” become more fluid for identity-level changes, identify manageable next steps, and build momentum and energy that will carry you through these changes.

If you’d like to learn more about how ketamine treatments and psychedelic therapy can help skyrocket your growth and healing, and solidify your New Year’s resolutions— see if you’re a candidate, and let’s talk!

Though ketamine is currently the only clinician-prescribed psychedelic medicine available, that does not mean it’s the only one being researched and studied in a variety of treatment areas.

There are a number of psychedelic compounds and treatment methodologies moving through the psychedelic pipeline right now, including some additional novel and off-label uses for ketamine.

For those who feel like they may benefit from the therapeutic uses of compounds currently limited to research, the only avenue currently available to participate in these experiences is through volunteering for psychedelic research studies.

What Medicines Are Used in Psychedelic Research Studies?

There are a number of different medicines being tested and researched right now, and all are at various steps of the clinical trial process. These do not include active studies on cannabis and the cannabinoid system.

MDMA

MDMA therapy is currently being spearheaded by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) as a novel treatment for treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

It is currently entering Phase 3 clinical trials under a ‘Breakthrough Therapy’ designation from the FDA. This means that the results indicate the treatment likely offers substantial improvement over currently available therapy, that the FDA is contributing additional resources to help expedite the process of Phase 3 clinical trials, which can require great financial and time investments.

Psilocybin

Psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in mushrooms with psychedelic properties, is also moving through a range of studies for various uses. This includes treatment-resistant depression, managing end-of-life anxiety in cancer patients, alcohol-related substance use disorder (SUD), and more.

Select psilocybin studies from COMPASS Pathways and Usona Institute have also received “Breakthrough Therapy” designation from the FDA — granting further resources to help the clinical trial process move forward faster. Early results have been significantly promising when compared to existing medical interventions.

Ketamine

Ketamine is often prescribed off-label in the treatment of depression and anxiety as its utility in this capacity is widely supported by research. It is FDA approved for treatment resistant depression and  major depressive disorder with acute suicidal ideation or behavior, 

Clinical trials are underway to further demonstrate efficacy, safety, and novel uses for ketamine.

Some areas of application being studied further are for treatment-resistant depression, suicidal ideation, and in the treatment of PTSD.

Additional Compounds

MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ketamine are among the most heavily invested in and studied medicines undergoing clinical trials. There are additional compounds that are actively being researched for potential use cases, safety profiles, and efficacy.

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), Ibogaine, and Ayahuasca all have potential clinical and therapeutic use-cases. Due to factors such as the nature of the experiences, the length of duration, and the variability in preparation or isolation of the compound, these medicines are more difficult to arrange clinical trials for. However, early evidence for these compounds is pointing to their valid medical or mental health applications, including PTSD, smoking cessation, and other substance use disorders.

Who Runs Psychedelic Research Studies?

Given that a majority of the medicines undergoing clinical research studies are Schedule 1 controlled substances by the DEA, only select authoritative and accredited universities, companies, or organizations are able to work with these compounds. This is done under strict regulatory and safety guidelines.

If you are interested in participating in one of these studies, you will have to register and be found eligible through the organizations themselves. There are a number of groups running trials, and a number of trials available at each location. Psychedelic.Support, a home for psychedelic therapists and resources, offers a comprehensive list of the various trials available for each medicine.

Universities

As the bastions of continuing education and research, scientists at many universities are running studies on various use-cases for different psychedelic compounds. Universities like Johns Hopkins, NYU, and more, have opened dedicated research arms for psychedelic studies, pioneering research for potential applications.

Private companies

There are a few private companies who are developing these compounds and medicines, while initiating or facilitating complimentary research studies. Companies like COMPASS Pathways, ATAI Life Sciences, and others have research studies available through their websites.

Non-profit organizations & institutes

There are a number of non-profit organizations or psychedelic institutions that are pioneering research and clinical trials in psychedelic medicines. This includes esteemed groups like MAPS, the Heffter Institute, Usona, the Beckley Foundation, and more.

Referring to ongoing studies on their websites can help locate available opportunity and eligibility criteria.

ClinicalTrials.Gov is also a fantastic resource for anyone looking for condition or compound-specific studies currently underway and actively recruiting new participants.

Am I Eligible for Psychedelic Research Studies?

An important point of consideration when looking into psychedelic research studies is eligibility. Because these studies are focused on very specific conditions or medical use-cases, most of the studies are looking to enroll very specific client profiles.

Eligibility criteria can include:

• Specific age ranges
• Specific medical/clinical diagnosis
• Contraindications
• Location and availability
• Gender
• Treatment-resistant designations

If you have found a research study that looks like it’s right for you, make sure you check for the specific eligibility criteria. Given the specific focus on the studies, organizations are unlikely to be lenient with these criteria.

What Conditions Are Being Studied?

There are a wide variety of conditions being studied and explored currently. The majority of studies focus on the management and resolution of treatment-resistant cases of mental health conditions. Some of the conditions being researched include:

• PTSD
• End-of-life anxiety
• Treatment-resistant depression
• Major Depressive Disorder
• Suicidal ideation
• Substance Use Disorders
• Eating disorders

These will change depending on the organization and the research group conducting the studies, but those studies that are largest and furthest along tend to address one of the above conditions.

Risks & Considerations in Psychedelic Research

As with any ongoing research or studies, these medicines and applications are actively being researched. They are being researched for efficacy, safety, and overall results based on specific variables. Given this, there are a number of considerations to take into account before enrolling in a research study.

• Safety: Given that most clinical trials open to public participation are in Phase 2 or Phase 3 (they have passed the basic safety trials), there are still unknown variables. Your unique health and safety needs should be considered before enrolling and discussed with researchers.
• Efficacy: The goal of these studies is often to determine efficacy and use cases, so there are no guarantees that the condition you are suffering from will be resolved or improved. It even has the potential to get worse, which depending on your condition, is worth extra consideration.
• Investment: You often don’t need to pay to participate in these studies, but there will be a level of emotional and time investment in these studies. Psychedelic therapy protocols can involve therapy sessions, and can extend for weeks or even months. Depending on the study design, there is also the chance that you will get a placebo and not the desired treatment which is important when factoring in time investment and your healing journey.

What Countries Have Psychedelic Research Studies?

The countries that are available to you when considering enrolling in psychedelic research studies are limited across two factors: the legal status/availability of the medicines, and the location of the organizations running the studies ie., where they have their clinical sites set up.

Going from the list of organizations mentioned above, most of these studies are available in the US, UK, Canada, or Israel.

The early results from psychedelic research and ongoing ketamine treatments show promising indications to the efficacy of these treatments. Multiple compounds in trials have received Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations from the FDA.

Participating in clinical research trials have the potential to not only receive assistance and medication to improve your own health and wellbeing, but also contribute to ground-breaking research and help push these medicines towards public accessibility for those who need them most.

Looking for Help Now?

If you’re seeking help through a psychedelic therapy experience that is immediately available, consider Mindbloom. Our ketamine-assisted treatment is led by licensed clinicians, and supported by guides, all who have your best interests and therapy goals in mind.

See if Mindbloom is a fit for you today.

The decision to embark on any therapeutic program is a big one, and deserves appropriate consideration. After all, this is life-work. It affects your inner and outer worlds, and it’s not always easy. You want to make an informed decision.

You’ve come to the point of considering psychedelic therapy as the next step in your healing and growth journey. How do you know it’s the right step? Are there ways to determine when the time is right for you?

To help you get a sense of how you’re feeling, there are a number of questions you can ask yourself that will help to provide some clarity.

Am I eligible for ketamine treatment?

Right now, ketamine therapy is the only legal avenue (not including clinical research trials) for someone to receive psychedelic therapy. Common reasons to seek this treatment are to help work through depression and anxiety.

Before exploring the possibilities much further, let’s make sure you’re eligible for treatment. When considering treatment options, whether psychological, or pharmacological, there can be contraindications to consider. Contraindications are specific circumstances that could make someone ineligible to move forward with the treatment.

Ketamine, due to some of its effects both physically and psychologically — has its own set of contraindications. All medical considerations are discussed in your consultation with a licensed clinician.

If you’d like to check your eligibility, you can try our survey here.

Am I informed about psychedelic therapy?

When making a decision about psychedelic therapy, you should explore all aspects of the medicine, experience, and treatment program. This helps determine whether this is the right next step for you at this time, given what you may be coping with, what you’d like to work on, and what results or outcomes you’d like to achieve.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself to help better understand the process:

• Do I know what medicine I’m working with?
• Do I know the team and practitioners that I’ll be working with?
• What does the treatment program look like? 
• What are common outcomes with this treatment, and what outcomes should I expect?
• What additional support is available to me during or after psychedelic therapy?

There are number of vectors and categories one can look at to get as much information as possible, here are some categories worth exploring for any psychedelic therapy treatment:

• The medicines or compounds involved in treatment
• Details about the full treatment protocols
• Available peer-reviewed research on psychedelic therapy and its outcomes
• Dosing protocols, subjective (or psychedelic) effects, and potential side-effects

Getting more information on each of these categories will give you an overview, and hopefully the confidence, to make an informed decision. This way, you prioritize safety and act in your own best interest. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.

Do I have a clear intention or goal for treatment?  

If the clinician has determined that you’re eligible, and you’ve made an informed decision to move forward with this method of treatment, have you thought about what you’d like to address or work on?

Having a clear, focused intention is vital to successful outcomes. Knowing what you want to work on, your desired outcome, how you’d like to feel, what you’d like your life to look like —all these factors shape how you show up for the treatment. This helps ensure everyone involved —the clinicians, the staff, yourself— are working in unison to support the treatment and results you’re looking for.

Do I want to change, grow, or heal?

For some, this question can seem obvious, but it’s worth a level of reflection and honesty with yourself before committing to the plan. Change and personal growth can be difficult, particularly when you’re working with long-established habits and ways of being.

Sometimes change and healing can require large commitments from you: getting out of relationships that don’t serve you, making career changes, asserting firm boundaries with friends and family, or using your voice and being more forward. These can be unnatural decisions or behaviors at first, uncomfortable even. If you feel a resistance toward making these changes, or a resistance to leaning into the process, acknowledging and working with this resistance will likely be vital to allowing space to cultivate your healing process.

The commitment to your journey of growth and healing is essential when embarking on a psychedelic therapy program.

Am I willing to do the work?

For many, psychedelic medicine is not a “magic pill” that suddenly makes everything better. This is why the use of psychedelics is often supported by some form of therapy or psychedelic integration.

The cycle of diving into the medicinal experience, then integration, and back, can ask a lot of you. It challenges you to analyze parts of yourself that you may have packed down deep inside, either consciously or unconsciously, for your own safety. It can bring things to the surface you haven’t confronted in a while and open you up to having uncomfortable conversations with yourself and others. This work can challenge you to make behavioral changes that are more inline with your personal values and how you want to live your life based on insights gained.

The work starts the moment you commit to this healing process by taking time to evaluate yourself, setting your intentions, and preparations around preparing your mindset and treatment setting. When the afterglow wears off, the goal is that the work you have done with integration has helped you land with your feet firmly planted further ahead on your path of healing.

When you embark on a psychedelic psychotherapeutic process, you’re there for lasting, positive change. This requires you to be present for the process. Some lessons can take weeks, even months to fully integrate, but the potential for decades of benefit is well worth the initial investment.

Fortunately, you don’t have to do this by yourself. Throughout your healing journey you’ll have support from licensed clinicians and guides, and often the support of family or close friends who are invested in you reaching your full potential. 

Am I ready?

If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to all of these questions, you’re likely ready to begin a psychedelic therapy program. Check in with yourself, making sure it is a deep and clear “yes.”

If you’re ready to potentially change your life with psychedelic therapy, Mindbloom is here to assist. You can start your journey here.