A Client's Guide to Returning to Your Mindbloom Programming

Medically reviewed by

Chelsea Tersavich, PA-C

Published on

October 18, 2022

Updated on

Life moves quickly and is always unpredictable. For whatever reason, you may find yourself a few weeks or a few months out from your last dosing session and want to continue.

If you’re considering returning to working with Mindbloom and ketamine treatment for your mental health, here are a few key considerations to make, and a step-by-step process to get you up and running again.

If you are beginning a new program, a Clinical Consult is the first step in that process. You can begin this by registering for your new program. If it has been greater than 3 months since your last session in an existing program, there are a few recommended steps to take.

What to know

We design all of our programming and protocols to help ensure safe, effective, and healing sessions. As we’re operating in mental health and wellness, it’s important that we put these considerations first.

A lot can happen in a few weeks, let alone a few months. As a result, we have different recommendations in place to begin a secondary program or continue with an existing treatment plan if you are more or less than 3 months beyond your last medicine session.

This applies both to starting a new program if you want to come back to Mindbloom treatment, or if for whatever reason you have not completed a previous program and are more than 12 weeks beyond your last dosing session.

More than 3 months since the last session

Whether obvious or subtle, you can have considerable mental health changes, lifestyle developments, or changes to your circumstances in the course of 12 weeks/3 months.

Due to this, we ask that anyone looking to continue their work with Mindbloom for more than 3 months since the last dosing session has a check-in call with one of our Clinicians before continuing. This check-in is meant to confirm your physical/mental health, address any questions or concerns that you may have, and make sure you still have access to an appropriate set & setting, Peer Treatment Monitor, and the medication that you require.

The direct way to coordinate with your Care Team is to contact our Support team, who will direct you to the right person.

Less than 3 months since the last session

If you are less than 12 weeks/3 months out from your last dosing session, you generally do not need to check in with a Clinician before continuing your programming. Check-ins are recommended if you've had any major changes to mental or physical health or major life changes like a major move, job change/loss, death of a loved one, etc

Of course, if for any reason you want to reconnect with your Guide or a Clinician, do not hesitate to do so. We are here to support you throughout your healing process. As above, feel free to message your Guide or reach out to our Experience Team.

If you are enrolled in an existing program and looking to complete it: schedule your next session through the app, contact your Peer Treatment Monitor, confirm your medication/dosage for the session, and you have everything you need.

If you are less than 3 months since your last session and want to look at starting a new secondary program – you will be able to do so from your Mindbloom account online or within the app. Head here, and you will have the option to select and enroll in your next program. Once enrolled, you will have a Clinical Consult to discuss your mental health currently, any changes seen with the previous set of sessions and intentions, and receive your new prescription.

If you’d like to read more about secondary programs, check out this article.

Considerations when coming back to treatment

While all of this can be discussed with your Mindbloom Care Team, there are a few considerations you can make beforehand to help you gauge where you are in life, how you’re doing, and what you want next out of continuing your Mindbloom treatment programs.

1. Major mental/lifestyle shifts

Has your life changed considerably over the past few weeks? Positive or challenging changes both apply here. Do you feel like ketamine treatment is the next step for what you’re looking for out of life right now?

Lifestyle changes are also important. Do you still have access to a Peer Treatment Monitor? Do you have a safe and supportive space where you are comfortable having your next dosing session?

2. What is your intention?

Intentionality is paramount when working with ketamine treatment and psychedelic therapy. What is driving the interest in coming back to working with ketamine treatment? Is this an embrace of your mental health, or seeking an escape from the circumstances of life at the moment? All of these factors are worth considering.

If you have a clear intention for continuing your treatment, you’re off to a good start. This also applies to completing an in-process treatment program, as there may be a good reason why you didn’t complete it on schedule in the first place. Exploring this can be a valuable process before continuing.

3. Do you need help with anything?

Is there a question that you’re stuck on? Do you wish you had additional resources or information for a specific aspect of your life? Is there a different program or protocol you are interested in exploring?

If you have these questions, you’re not alone. You can reach out to our team at any time with any of these questions, comments, or concerns. Feel free to get in touch as early as you want in the process, and we’ll help you every step of the way.

Key takeaways

Making the decision to continue your journey of healing and wholeness is a beautiful one. Congratulations on reading this far and taking your decisions seriously.

It is important to check in to see how long it has been since your last medicine session. If it is over 3 months, you will need to schedule a quick Clinical Check-in for your safety. Reach out to our team or your Guide to start this. If it’s been less than 3 months, make sure you have everything you need to follow your program protocols, check your intention, read through these considerations, and you should be ready to go. But remember, if any major changes have happened, a Check-in is recommended.

As always, if you need any support throughout this process or have any questions, big or small, please contact your Mindbloom Guide or our Care team.

Eric Brown

Eric Brown is a content writer and program creator at Mindbloom, and the Director of Apotheosis Retreats. As a facilitator, coach, guide, and creator, he combines cognitive science, psychedelic medicines, and healing modalities to create powerful spaces for personal growth and development.

Chelsea Tersavich, PA-C

Chelsea Tersavich, PA-C, is a psychiatric clinician who has conducted psychiatric evaluations and facilitated ketamine therapy sessions for over 250 Mindbloom clients. Chelsea obtained a master’s degree from the Interservice PA Program and has extensive mental health and primary care experience from her army career, where she treated thousands of Soldiers as a Battalion PA and a clinic Medical Director.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. If you are in a life-threatening situation, call the National Suicide Prevention Line at +1 (800) 273-8255, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room.

Safety Information

Important FDA Safety Information

Ketamine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of depression or anxiety. Learn more about off-label uses here.

Side effects of ketamine treatment may include: altered sense of time, anxiety, blurred vision, diminished ability to see/hear/feel, dry mouth, elevated blood pressure or heart rate, elevated intraocular or intracranial pressure, excitability, loss of appetite, mental confusion, nausea/vomiting, nystagmus (rapid eye movements), restlessness, slurred speech, synesthesia (a mingling of the senses).

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 reported to produce issues including, but not limited to, those listed below. However, lasting adverse side-effects are rare when medical protocols are carefully followed.

While ketamine has not been shown to be physically addictive, it has been shown to cause moderate psychological dependency in some recreational 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 MindBloom^® 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
Avoid hangovers or alcohol intake
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 monitor present to ensure your safety