Mindbloom
| File:Mindbloom, Logo, 2024.svg | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telehealth |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Dylan Beynon |
Area served | United States (35 states, incl. Washington, D.C.) |
Key people |
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| Website | www |
Mindbloom is a U.S.-based telemedicine provider specializing in ketamine-assisted therapy for treating anxiety and depression. Established in 2018 by entrepreneur Dylan Beynon, the company has played a role in advancing research on ketamine's therapeutic potential for mental health disorders.
History
Dylan Beynon founded Mindbloom toward the end of 2018 and remains its CEO. Prior to this venture, Beynon co-founded Mighty, a startup focused on legal technology. His inspiration to launch Mindbloom arose from personal and familial encounters with mental health challenges and the beneficial effects observed from psychedelic treatments.
In September 2019, Mindbloom shifted to operate solely through virtual platforms. By March 2020, it inaugurated an in-person clinic on Fifth Avenue in New York City, recognized as the city’s inaugural upscale legal center for guided psychedelic therapy. Nevertheless, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to closure under New York’s PAUSE mandate, necessitating a full return to remote service delivery.
Amid the pandemic, Mindbloom experienced growth similar to other telehealth companies, aided by federal regulatory relaxations permitting telehealth services and mailing of controlled substances under a temporary waiver of the Ryan Haight Act. In 2022, the company engaged former House Representative Greg Walden to advocate for extending telehealth policies.
In November 2023, Mindbloom introduced its Mastermind Series—an episodic therapeutic program targeting distinct mental health concerns with each installment facilitated by specialized professionals.
Protocol
Prospective patients undergo evaluation by a psychiatric clinician authorized to prescribe ketamine. In 2021, approximately 35% of applicants were declined, commonly due to symptoms being either too mild or excessively severe for safe at-home treatment. Exclusion criteria also include diagnosed substance use disorder, psychosis, and uncontrolled hypertension. Initial treatment plans consist of six ketamine-assisted therapy sessions.
For home administration, patients receive dissolvable tablets, slow-release lozenges, or rapid-onset injectables, with a household member required to be present. The first dose is supervised remotely by a qualified mental health professional via video call. Alongside medication, patients are provided with a sleep mask, journal, and blood pressure monitor to track vital signs before and after sessions; these supplies arrive in a branded "Bloombox." Mindbloom also supplies a tailored soundtrack for use during sessions and grants access to clinicians plus interactive educational materials through its mobile application.
Furthermore, "psychedelic guides" conduct virtual meetings with patients before and after sessions to assist in integrating their experiences. While formal certification is not mandatory for guides, most possess backgrounds in mental health fields, life coaching, or crisis intervention.
Studies
In 2022, research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders evaluated the safety and effectiveness of at-home ketamine therapy for depression and anxiety, utilizing data from 1,247 patients treated by Mindbloom. This investigation represented the most extensive analysis of ketamine treatment outcomes at that time. Findings revealed that 62.8% of individuals with depression and 62.9% of those with anxiety experienced improvement within a four-week period, while fewer than 1% showed symptom worsening. Overall, 88.6% reported some level of symptom relief, including 9.3% who exhibited delayed therapeutic effects. However, the study did not include a control group and had limited longitudinal follow-up.
A subsequent study in 2024, also featured in the same journal, reviewed outcomes from 11,441 Mindbloom patients. It demonstrated that 56.4% of participants with depression improved, with 28.1% attaining remission after four treatment sessions. Among those with anxiety symptoms, 56.1% showed improvement and 28.8% reached remission status. Adverse reactions were reported in fewer than 5% of cases. Similar to the earlier research, this study lacked a control group and standardized dosing protocol, and follow-up data beyond four weeks were sparse. The authors noted that the "interlinked activation of depressed mood and anhedonia" played a role in ongoing depressive symptoms despite intervention.
Defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal
On June 2, 2025, Mindbloom initiated an $88 million defamation suit against Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), accusing a WSJ article of erroneously associating the firm with actor Matthew Perry’s death—despite Perry never being a client of Mindbloom. The company asserted that the article distorted client experiences, disregarded peer-reviewed evidence affirming the safety of at-home ketamine therapy, and involved questionable editorial decisions.
Representatives from WSJ dismissed the legal claim as "weak" and "without merit," defending the piece as part of their "award-winning health journalism."