Safe,
trusted care

Together with medical leaders, we have created a safety protocol with a proven track record across 300,000+ treatments.

Expert Approved

Our board of medical experts is committed to creating safe, science-backed experiences for every client.

Read important safety information
Important Safety Information

Mindbloom pairs individuals with licensed clinicians who are trained to diagnose and treat anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.  If one of the licensed clinicians, in their medical judgment, decides that ketamine is an appropriate treatment for an individual based on a clinical assessment, then the clinician may prescribe ketamine tablets that are compounded by pharmacies under Section 503A of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).  Drugs compounded under Section 503A do not require FDA approval, and as such the FDA has not determined that the compounded ketamine prescribed is safe and effective for anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions.  The use of ketamine for anxiety, depression, and many other mental health conditions, however, is supported by a body of scientific literature.  (Data on file).

Ketamine is a Schedule III controlled substance. Other drugs containing ketamine, which (unlike compounded drugs) are subject to FDA’s approval requirements, have been FDA-approved as an intravenous or intramuscular injection solution for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. However, those drugs have not been FDA-approved for anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions, and they have not been FDA-approved in tablet form. The approved label is available here.

Ketamine may cause serious side effects, including but not limited to risks of: sedation; dissociation; psychiatric events or worsening of psychiatric disorders, including problems in people with schizophrenia, severe personality disorders, or other serious mental disorders; dependence, abuse and misuse; anxiety; increases in blood pressure or heart rate; respiratory depression (breathing becomes slower and shallower and the lungs fail to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen efficiently); lower urinary tract and bladder symptoms, including frequency of urination, urinary incontinence, pain urinating, passing blood in the urine, or reduced bladder size; altered sense of time; dry mouth; elevated intraocular or intracranial pressure; loss of appetite; confusion; nausea/vomiting; blurred vision; and slurred speech.

The FDA has advised that at-home administration of compounded ketamine may present additional risks because a health care provider is not available onsite to monitor for adverse outcomes resulting from sedation and dissociation.

Mindbloom’s protocols and guidance have been designed to minimize the likelihood of experiencing these side effects or other adverse effects, and should be followed carefully. Ketamine should only be taken as directed by the treating clinician.

Do not proceed with ketamine treatment if any of the following apply to you:

  • Allergic to ketamine
  • Symptoms of psychosis or mania
  • Uncontrolled high blood pressure
  • CHF or other serious heart problem
  • Severe breathing problem
  • History of elevated intraocular or intracranial pressure
  • History of hyperthyroidism
  • Other serious medical illness
  • Pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant

Ketamine has been found to cause moderate psychological dependency in some users.

  • In rare cases, frequent, heavy users have reported increased frequency of urination, urinary incontinence, pain urinating, passing blood in the urine, or reduced bladder size
  • Ketamine may worsen problems in people with schizophrenia, severe personality disorders, or other serious mental disorders
  • Users with a personal or family history of psychosis should be cautious using any psychoactive substance, including ketamine, and discuss potential risks with your clinician before proceeding with treatment
  • The dissociative effects of ketamine may increase patient vulnerability and the risk of accidents

To promote positive outcomes and ensure safety, follow these ketamine treatment guidelines:

  • Do not operate a vehicle (e.g., car, motorcycle, bicycle) or heavy machinery following treatment until you’ve had a full night of sleep
  • Refrain from taking benzodiazepines or stimulants for 24 hours prior to treatment
  • Continue to take antihypertensive medication as prescribed
  • Do not take ketamine while hungover or with alcoholic beverages
  • Refrain from consuming solid foods within 3 hours prior to treatment and liquids within 1 hour prior to treatment
  • Ketamine treatment should never be conducted without a peer treatment monitor physically present

A peer-reviewed study of Mindbloom’s client treatment outcomes was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders in 2022, titled At-home, sublingual ketamine telehealth is a safe and effective treatment for moderate to severe anxiety and depression: Findings from a large, prospective, open-label effectiveness trial. The FDA has not evaluated head-to-head trials comparing the safety of ketamine to other medications that are FDA-approved for the treatment of depression, anxiety, or other psychiatric disorders. Although some clients report that they had more success with ketamine than with FDA-approved therapies, these outcomes may not be typical.

For more information about the informed consent that clients review and sign prior to treatment, please visit mindbloom.com/informed-consent.

Casey Paleos, MD

Casey Paleos, MD

Dr. Casey Paleos is a board certified psychiatrist with over a decade of experience working with ketamine and other psychedelic medicines in both research and clinical settings...

Dr. Casey Paleos is a board certified psychiatrist with over a decade of experience working with ketamine and other psychedelic medicines in both research and clinical settings. A Co-Principal Investigator for the NYU-Bellevue Ketamine for Depression Study, Dr. Paleos was one of the early researchers to identify ketamine as a breakthrough treatment for depression. As a clinician, he has been treating patients for depression and anxiety using ketamine therapy in his New York private practice since 2016.

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In addition to his work with ketamine, Dr. Paleos has helped advance research in other areas of psychedelic medicine. Today, he serves as a Co-Principal Investigator for the MAPS-sponsored MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD Phase 3 Clinical Trials. Previously, he was a Co-Principal Investigator for the MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Phase 2 Clinical Trials and a Study Therapist for the NYU Psilocybin Cancer Anxiety Study.

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Dr. Paleos received his M.D. from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed his residency training at NYU/Bellevue Medical Center. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Cornell University.

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Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD

Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD

Dr. Gazzaley is a neuroscientist, neurologist, inventor, and entrepreneur. He is the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center at UCSF engaged in technology creation and scientific research.

Dr. Gazzaley is a neuroscientist, neurologist, inventor, and entrepreneur.  He is the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.  He is also the Founder and Executive Director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center at UCSF engaged in technology creation and scientific research.  At Neuroscape, Dr. Gazzaley designs and develops novel brain assessment and optimization tools to impact education, wellness, and medicine practices.

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In addition to his work at UCSF, Dr. Gazzaley is Co-Founder and Chief Science Advisor of Akili Interactive, a company developing therapeutic video games, and is also the Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of JAZZ Venture Partners, a venture capital firm that invests in experiential technology to improve human performance.  Dr. Gazzaley has served as a scientific advisor to more than a dozen companies including Apple, GE, Nielsen, Deloitte, Janssen, and PepsiCo, as well as the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. He has been issued numerous patents, including for his invention of the first video game ever approved by the FDA.  Dr. Gazzaley is a frequent speaker and author on topics in science and mental health, and is a Trustee and Science Council Member and Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences.

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Dr. Gazzaley obtained an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  He completed a Neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, and postdoctoral training in cognitive neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley.

Teddy Akiki, MD

Teddy Akiki, MD

Dr. Teddy Akiki is a Psychiatrist at Stanford University and a foremost research specialist in the neuroscience of ketamine, the neural basis of stress-related and trauma-related psychiatric disorders, and glutamatergic Rapid-Acting Antidepressants (RAADs)...

Dr. Teddy Akiki is a Psychiatrist at Stanford University and a foremost research specialist in the neuroscience of ketamine, the neural basis of stress-related and trauma-related psychiatric disorders, and glutamatergic Rapid-Acting Antidepressants (RAADs). His research combines functional and structural neuroimaging, psychopharmacological trials, and computational and network neuroscience methodology.

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Prior to Stanford, Dr. Akiki conducted research at the Cleveland Clinic’s esteemed Neurological Institute. He started his neuroscience research as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Yale University Department of Psychiatry, where the antidepressant effects of ketamine were first described over two decades ago.

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Dr. Akiki received his M.D. from the American University of Beirut where his doctoral research consisted of developing novel biomarkers in the context of neuromodulation and treatment-resistant depression. Dr. Akiki served as editor for Elsevier’s Psychology and Psychiatry journal and has published over fifteen peer-reviewed articles in science journals including ScienceDirect and SAGE Chronic Stress journal.

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Kristin Arden, PMHNP-BC

Kristin Arden, PMHNP-BC

Kristin represents the voice of the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Mindbloom. She is a board-certified Psychiatric NP with over 15 years of experience working in mental health.

Kristin represents the voice of the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Mindbloom. She is a board-certified Psychiatric NP with over 15 years of experience working in mental health. She spent nearly a decade in the California state hospital system working with some of our nation’s most vulnerable. Driven by her passion to increase access to mental care, she’s been at the forefront of integrating technology into care delivery models with early roles at cutting edge health-tech start-ups including Oscar and Call9, and by bringing telemental health to the Brooklyn VA Hospital.

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As a clinician, Kristin is a proponent for alternative forms of treatment such as psychedelic medicines and treated the first cohort of clients at Mindbloom. Her approach to treatment is one that is client-centered driven by the ethos of harm reduction. In addition to her clinical practice, she is a guest lecturer at NYU-School of Nursing on topics such as psychedelic therapy and substance use disorders.

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Kristin graduated from NYU’s Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program and specialty track in substance use and addictions where she received the distinguished student award. She is currently pursuing her DNP at Rush University.

Benjamin Weinstein, MD

Benjamin Weinstein, MD

Dr. Benjamin Weinstein is the Chair of Psychiatry and Chief of Service at Houston Methodist Hospital, ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in Texas, and he is the C. James and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Centennial Clinical Academic Scholar in Behavioral Health...

Dr. Benjamin Weinstein is the Chair of Psychiatry and Chief of Service at Houston Methodist Hospital, ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 hospital in Texas, and he is the C. James and Carole Walter Looke Presidential Distinguished Centennial Clinical Academic Scholar in Behavioral Health. He is also a Clinical Professor at UT McGovern Medical School. 
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His life’s work has been to treat patients with complex and severe mental illness. Dr. Weinstein is passionate about increasing access to effective mental health treatments, and he believes Mindbloom can play a transformative role in psychiatry by safely providing industry-leading outcomes and increasing affordability of ketamine treatment to people anywhere in the country. Dr. Weinstein aspires to increase awareness of this promising treatment and accelerate insurance coverage. 
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Dr. Weinstein is board certified in Psychiatry and eligible Neurology with 23+ years of experience in the medical field. He graduated from the Medical University Of South Carolina medical school and later served on faculty, where he won multiple awards for teaching and clinical excellence. Prior to joining Houston Methodist, he served as Assessment Division Director at The Menninger Clinic and Associate Professor at Baylor College of Medicine.

Alok Madan, PHD, MPH

Alok Madan, PHD, MPH

Dr. Alok Madan is Vice Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and John S. Dunn Foundation Distinguished Centennial Clinical Academic Scholar in Behavioral Health at Houston Methodist. He is also Professor of Psychology in Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Academic Institute and Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Dr. Alok Madan is Vice Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and John S. Dunn Foundation Distinguished Centennial Clinical Academic Scholar in Behavioral Health at Houston Methodist. He is also Professor of Psychology in Neurosurgery at Houston Methodist Academic Institute and Professor of Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College.


He joined Mindbloom’s Medical Advisory Board after reviewing the remarkable clinical outcomes that our clients have experienced from remote ketamine therapy, and he is excited to co-author an upcoming clinical study using Mindbloom’s outcomes data to further advance research and increase access to this innovative mental health treatment.


Dr. Madan has extensive experience in the implementation and evaluation of programs to improve care quality. He has led efforts to improve the safety of inpatient psychiatric care, implement outcomes assessment systems, evaluate the effectiveness of integrated psychiatric treatment for individuals with severe neuropsychiatric illness as well as identify biomarkers of illness and response to treatment.


He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology and master of public health degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has been involved in formal training, direct patient care, clinic management and research to improve neuropsychiatric care for 15+ years. Prior to joining Houston Methodist, he was an Associate Professor at Medical University of South Carolina and Baylor College of Medicine and was a McNair Scholar and Senior Psychologist at The Menninger Clinic.

Leonardo Vando, MD

Leonardo Vando, MD

Dr. Leonardo Vando is a Board Certified Psychiatrist and Addiction Psychiatrist with over 15 years of experience in treating the full spectrum of psychiatric and addictive disorders...

Dr. Leonardo Vando is a Board Certified Psychiatrist and Addiction Psychiatrist with over 15 years of experience in treating the full spectrum of psychiatric and addictive disorders. He specializes in treating complex conditions requiring integration of genetic, metabolic, cultural and psychosocial data points in order to achieve reduction of symptoms and promote healing.


Dr. Vando has been at the forefront of ketamine use in clinical practice, developing intramuscular protocols to achieve rapid results and minimize adverse events for treatment-resistant depression and addictive disorders, with a focus on increasing access to treatment in low income communities. He is also contributing to the field of psychedelic medicine through his work and research on microdosing for mental illness.


He attended Sacred Heart University as a chemistry undergrad and received a medical degree from Ponce School of Medicine. He trained as a psychiatrist and addictionologist in NYC’s Beth Israel Medical Center. He currently resides in New York, where he has worked in private practice for over a decade.

At-Home Precautions

Our team helps you feel safe when completing ketamine therapy from the comfort of your home.

Supported by Research

In the largest ketamine therapy study to date, less than 1% of clients reported worsened symptoms of anxiety and depression as a result of ketamine therapy.

Experienced and Professional Team

Our program is prescribed by a team of licensed psychiatric clinicians who have facilitated over 300,000 sessions of ketamine therapy. We are always available to offer support or answer your questions.

Health Screening

Before beginning treatment, every client receives a live health screening to ensure that ketamine therapy can be safely introduced. (If you aren’t a fit, you will receive a full refund.)

Gentle Onset Tablets

While intravenous and intramuscular administration methods can be abrupt, Mindbloom provides tablets that are dissolved under the tongue and gently take effect over 10-15 minutes.

Intravenous
Intramuscular
Sublingual

Blood Pressure Monitor

Because ketamine can increase blood pressure, we provide every client with a blood pressure monitor to use under the direction of their clinician.

Peer Treatment Monitor

All clients must have a trusted adult at home or in the next room during their session. This “Peer Treatment Monitor” is in contact with the Mindbloom team and helps to ensure the treatment goes smoothly.

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