Mindbloom, Joyous, and Nue Life are telemedicine platforms offering psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAP) with ketamine, the only psychedelic medication that can be legally prescribed for depression and anxiety in the U.S.
While all of these platforms can be a convenient solution for individuals with treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and more, they differ in treatment process, available resources, and pricing. Mindbloom is ideal for individuals who want to customize their treatment program, while Joyous offers the most affordable online psychedelic therapy. Nue Life stands out for its holistic approach and ongoing support.
Also known as ketamine-assisted psychotherapy or psychedelic therapy, this treatment is backed by promising clinical studies that have found a 91% improvement in symptoms of generalized anxiety and a 79% improvement in symptoms of depression. However, more research is still needed.
In this article, we’ll closely compare Mindbloom, Joyous, and Nue Life to help you determine which PAP telemedicine platform may work for you. Keep in mind that it’s always best to speak with your healthcare provider and/or mental health clinician prior to beginning this type of treatment.
Our Top Picks
- Best for Customizable Ketamine Program: Mindbloom | Jump to Review
- Best for Self-Guided and Affordable Treatment: Joyous | Jump to Review
- Best for Holistic Approach and Support: Nue Life | Jump to Review
Mindbloom vs. Joyous vs. Nue Life | Mindbloom | Joyous | Nue Life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $1158/3-months ($386/month) | $129/month | $1399/6-weeks |
| Add-ons | $59 per 1:1 integration coaching | ❌ | $49/month or $199/month for additional integration and coaching sessions |
| Dosage | Personalized: 10 to 800 mg | Personalized: 10 to 120 mg | 🟡 Not given |
| Number of ketamine treatments | 6 pack | 30-day daily supply of low-dose medication | 6 treatments |
| Number of integration sessions | Unlimited group sessions | ❌ Not offered | 4 one-on-one sessions Unlimited group sessions |
| Number of clinician consults | 2 | Once every 21-35 days | 2 |
| Number of coaching sessions | 3 | 🟡 Not given | 2 |
| 24/7 access to care team? | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Ongoing dose adjustment and care? | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Requires trip sitters? | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Associated app? | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| FSA/HSA eligible? | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Where are they available? | AZ, CA, CO, DE,D.C., FL, IL, IN, IA, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MS, NE,NV, NM, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, GA, WA,WV, WI, WY | AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, IA, IL, MA, ME, MO, MT, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, VT, WA, WI, WY | AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, MA, MI, NJ, NY, TN, TX, WA, WI |
| Website |
Mindbloom vs. Joyous
While Joyous offers low-dose ketamine therapy that doesn’t require a trip sitter, Mindbloom offers higher-dose ketamine therapy starting at 400mg. Mindbloom doesn’t offer microdosing services because it has determined that full ketamine dosages have led to better long-term outcomes for its users. While higher dosages may be more likely to cause side effects and require downtime, Mindbloom is our winner for this match-up because of its greater breadth of treatment options.
Mindbloom vs. Nue Life
With an initial 45-minute medical consultation, health coaching sessions, and integrative specialist check-ins, Nue Life offers more comprehensive patient care than Mindbloom. However, message response times through Nue Life may be longer than through Mindbloom. Additionally, Mindbloom is more widely available across the U.S. than Nue Life, which is currently only available in 15 states, making it our top pick in this lineup.
Joyous vs. Nue Life
While Joyous takes pride in its low-dose approach to ketamine therapy, Nue Life doesn’t disclose its dosage range. However, while Joyous primarily follows up with its users through online messaging, Nue Life provides 4 one-on-one sessions and unlimited group sessions for ongoing support. This makes Nue Life our winner when directly comparing these platforms.
Mindbloom Review
Overview
- Cost: $1,158 for 3 months ($386 per month)
- How it’s taken: Oral tablet
- Ketamine dose range: 10mg to 800mg
- Support offered: Unlimited group sessions, 2 clinician consults, 3 coaching sessions
- Add-on options: Additional coaching sessions
- Trip sitter: Required
- Locations: AZ, CA, CO, DE, D.C., FL, IL, IN, IA, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MS, NE, NV, NM, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, GA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Since 2018, Mindbloom has become a leading online provider of ketamine-assisted therapy. The platform’s highly personalized approach and comprehensive app make it a top choice for a range of mental health conditions and concerns.
To get started with Mindbloom, you’ll take an online assessment with personalized questions to ensure that you’re a good candidate for the program. Next, you’ll be paired with one of Mindbloom’s clinicians, who are licensed medical experts in psychiatry and ketamine therapy, for a consultation and evaluation. If appropriate, you can sign up for the 3-month program, receive your Bloombox and medication, and get paired with your medical guide.
The Bloombox is delivered right to your door and contains everything required for your at-home ketamine treatment (your medication with a customized dose is delivered separately). Your guide will help you prep, conduct, and reflect on your sessions. Throughout this process, you can use the Mindbloom app to access other resources and further customize your treatment plan.
Mindbloom Pros & Cons
Pros
- 7 unique treatment paths to treat anxiety, depression, grief, and other mental health concerns
- Unlimited peer group sessions for support, reflection, and healing
- Includes blood pressure monitor, eye mask, and journal to enhance your ketamine therapy experience
Cons
- High dosages through Mindbloom are more likely to cause side effects than low-dose ketamine therapy
How Well Does Mindbloom Work?
In a study of 1,200 Mindbloom users, 89% reported improvements in their anxiety or depression, and less than 5% reported side effects. These participants underwent the same at-home ketamine-assisted therapy that Mindbloom offers today.
What Do They Help Treat?
Mindbloom’s PAP program can be customized to help treat conditions or concerns other than anxiety and depression, including:
- Grief
- Habits
- Self-love
These concerns can be addressed through Mindbloom’s distinct treatment pathways, which are available to all clients.
Dosage
Mindbloom clinicians provide customized ketamine dosages ranging from 10mg to 800mg. For the first session, the clinicians typically prescribe a light to moderate dose, which can be gradually increased for subsequent sessions. Other factors that help determine your dose include your age, medical history, physical health, and treatment goals.
Most people start to feel the effects of ketamine within 5 to 10 minutes, with effects that last from 1 to 3 hours. The peak experience generally lasts for 30 to 45 minutes.
Monitoring, Support, and Integration Sessions
Your Mindbloom Guide will be your primary source for ongoing monitoring and support during the 3-month treatment plan. Your Guide will monitor your sessions via video or text and provide coaching sessions to help you reflect on the experience, set goals, and navigate your PAP journey. You can message your Guide at any time during your treatment plan.
Mindbloom also offers unlimited peer group sessions, called Integration Circles. These are virtual sessions facilitated by a Mindbloom Guide for support, reflection, and healing. As an existing client, you can register for Integration Circles in the Mindbloom portal.
Along with an eye mask and journal, each Bloombox contains a blood pressure monitor. Your guide will ask for blood pressure readings before and after your initial session to reduce your risk of adverse effects from ketamine-assisted therapy. You’ll need to check your own readings before and after self-led sessions.
App Features
Mindbloom’s app is a comprehensive resource that you can access throughout your treatment journey. It includes an extensive range of features, including:
- A Learning and Integration Library with original and third-party content about a wide range of topics, including anxiety, self-love, trauma, and more
- A Music Library featuring 24 hours of specialized music to complement at-home ketamine-assisted therapy
- The ability to choose from 7 unique treatment pathways (and detailed information about each pathway)
- A library of journaling prompts to dive deeper into your ketamine experience
- Intention-setting prompts for upcoming sessions
Joyous Ketamine Review
Overview
- Cost: $129 per month
- How it’s taken: Oral troches
- Ketamine dose range: 10mg to 120mg
- Support offered: Daily texts, daily surveys, and monthly check-ins
- Add-on options: None offered
- Trip sitter: None
- Locations: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, IA, IL, MA, ME, MO, MT, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, SD, TN, TX, VT, WA, WI, WY
Joyous uses a proprietary low-dose ketamine protocol that can be taken from home with no downtime or trip sitters. It’s intended for individuals experiencing depression or anxiety who haven’t experienced relief from conventional therapy or medications.
To get started with Joyous, you’ll take an online survey to determine if you qualify for the treatment. Next, you’ll schedule a telehealth appointment for a complete evaluation from a Joyous clinician, who will determine your ideal treatment plan and dosage (10mg to 120mg).
Joyous works with a network of specialty compounding pharmacies to ship 30 daily doses of your medication to your doorstep within 2 to 3 days. You can also choose to have the medication filled through your preferred pharmacy. Upon receiving your medication, your clinician will message you about how to begin treatment, and you’ll receive daily texts and surveys for guidance and adjustments as needed.
Joyous Pros & Cons
Pros
- Daily, low-dose ketamine therapy is better for people who don’t want psychedelic effects
- No need for downtime or a trip sitter, providing greater convenience for people with busy schedules
- Daily check-ins and surveys provide ongoing support
Cons
- No app with educational resources, which can be a valuable tool for ketamine-assisted therapy
- No group sessions available – users would have to seek this out from another source
How Well Does Joyous Work?
Joyous is thought to work for anxiety and depression by establishing new neural pathways and stimulating neuronal growth.
What Do They Help Treat?
Joyous helps treat anxiety and depression through ketamine microdosing. Daily low-dose ketamine has shown promise for these mental health conditions in clinical studies. One study found that daily oral ketamine significantly improved depressive symptoms by day 14 and anxiety symptoms by day 3 in hospice care patients. In this study, side effects were rare.
Dosage
Joyous provides ketamine doses between 10mg to 120mg based on your answers to the initial questionnaire. The effects of the dose can last for up to 3 hours, with some people feeling lightheaded or “out of it” for 30 to 45 minutes. But, with a microdosing approach, ketamine from Joyous won’t produce a dissociative or psychedelic effect, like full ketamine doses.
Within 3 to 5 days, you may start to experience the neuroplasticity of low-dose ketamine therapy. This is the term used for your brain’s ability to heal by forming new connections, and you may experience it as a sense of wholeness or less self-judgment. Clinic research has confirmed ketamine’s ability to re-establish and strengthen neural connections.
Monitoring, Support, and Integration Sessions
Joyous users are monitored through daily check-ins to evaluate any side effects. Each week, users are prompted to complete a PHQ-9 and GAD-7. Each month, Joyous reaches out to evaluate bladder health, substance use, and BMI. You can also message the Joyous team at every check-in with questions or concerns.
App Features
Joyous doesn’t have an app yet. Soon, this platform will adopt the Joyous Portal, which you can use to access personal progress, update your subscription, and ask for assistance from the care team.
Nue Life Ketamine Review
Overview
- Cost: $1399 for 6 weeks
- How it’s taken: Oral tablets
- Ketamine dose range: Not disclosed
- Support offered: Preparation and integration sessions, health coaching
- Add-on options: Additional integration and coaching sessions
- Trip sitter: Required
- Locations: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, MA, MI, NJ, NY, TN, TX, WA, WI
Nue Life offers a holistic approach to ketamine-assisted therapy. The program aims to support people with depression and anxiety who prefer not to use lifetime medication, instead providing a short-term intervention with ketamine treatments and ongoing support.
The first step in getting started with Nue Life is to schedule a discovery call with a Welcome Team Member. During this call, you can ask any questions that you have about the program, and the team member will ask you pre-qualifying medical questions to determine if you’re a candidate.
Next, you’ll undergo an initial 45-minute medical consultation, which dives deeper into your medical history and determines the optimal dose for your first experience. Your medication is shipped to your home two to three days after the consultation, and you’ll be assigned a Client Success Manager to help you through the program, including your ketamine therapy sessions. Throughout this treatment process, you can access a broad range of resources within the Nue Life app.
Nue Life Pros & Cons
Pros
- Holistic approach promotes overall wellness in individuals with anxiety, depression, or who are recovering from trauma
- Health coaching and integrative specialist sessions help you make the most of each ketamine experience
- Extensive app features provide comprehensive patient education and resources
Cons
- Message response wait times may be longer than other platforms
- More expensive than other ketamine-assisted therapy platforms
How Well Does Nue Life Work?
Nue Life provides at-home oral ketamine therapy with ongoing support and a comprehensive companion app.
What Do They Help Treat?
Nue Life treats depression, anxiety, and trauma with at-home oral ketamine therapy. The program is intended to replace ketamine IV infusions, which are pricier and more time-consuming than at-home therapy.
Dosage
Nue Life doesn’t disclose its dosage range. Your clinician will determine the best dose for you based on your medical history, age, physical condition, and treatment goals during the initial consultation.
Monitoring, Support, and Integration Sessions
Your Client Success Manager will guide you throughout your treatment program with Nue Life, and you can contact them at any point through the app. The Nue Reset plan also includes 2 45-minute health coaching sessions to hone your wellness goals and 4 integration specialist check-ins to dive deeper into your experiences.
You can access unlimited preparation and integration sessions with Nue Reset, which are expert-facilitated group sessions to promote lasting changes.
App Features
The Nue Life app is fundamental to the platform’s ketamine-assisted therapy programs. Along with a chat feature for unlimited support from the Nue Life Care team, the app offers:
- Mood tracking and voice notes to record your journey
- Nue Score, a proprietary tracking system that creates a holistic summary of your progress
- A collection of mental wellness assessments to evaluate progress
- Playlists designed by musicologists to complement therapy sessions
- Health and wellness news for patient education
Ketamine Therapy Safety and Side Effects
Ketamine therapy, under proper guidance, is generally considered safe, however, it’s important to discuss the pros and cons with your healthcare provider and/or mental health clinician before beginning treatment.
The most common side effects include:
Repeated low-dose ketamine IV fusions may have addictive potential, although further research is required to confirm this. If you have a personal or family history of substance use disorder, speak with a physician about this risk before starting ketamine-assisted therapy.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy generally isn’t appropriate for individuals who:
- Have symptoms of psychosis or schizophrenia
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Are teenagers
- Have symptoms of dementia
Seek emergency medical care while using ketamine-assisted psychotherapy if any of the side effects listed above become severe, or if you experience:
- Difficulty breathing
- Seizures
- Amnesia
- Reduced level of consciousness
- Periods of stopped breathing (known as apnea)
- Cardiac arrest
The Verdict: Which Is the Best At-Home Ketamine Treatment?
Overall, Mindbloom, Joyous, and Nue Life are all legitimate telehealth platforms for at-home ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.
Mindbloom is best for those who want a customizable ketamine therapy program.
Mindbloom is the best option for people who want to experience the psychedelic effects of ketamine therapy for anxiety, depression, or grief. With 7 unique treatment paths, Mindbloom provides a high degree of personalization. Keep in mind that with high dosages, side effects from ketamine are more likely.
Joyous is best for those looking for a self-guided and more affordable ketamine therapy program.
Joyous is the best option for people interested in low-dose ketamine-assisted therapy who are also seeking a more affordable treatment option. Microdosing doesn’t require a trip sitter or downtime, which can provide greater convenience. However, Joyous doesn’t offer the wealth of supplemental resources or integrative group sessions available from Mindbloom and Nue Life.
Nue Life is best for those looking for a holistic approach to ketamine therapy.
Nue Life is the best option for people seeking a holistic approach to psychedelic-assisted therapy for anxiety, depression, or trauma. With Health Coaching and Integrative Specialist sessions, Nue Life provides extensive patient care. However, message response time can be longer with Nue Life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does ketamine increase dopamine?
Ketamine bolsters connections between brain regions that contribute to dopamine production.
How long does it take for ketamine to work?
Ketamine can take between 5 and 30 minutes to start working.
How long does ketamine’s effects last?
Ketamine’s effects can last for up to 3 hours.
What drugs are used in psychedelic-assisted therapy?
Ketamine, psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA are drugs that may be used in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
How effective is psychedelic therapy?
Psychedelic therapy is effective in up to 91% of people with generalized anxiety and up to 79% of people with depression. However, more research is still needed and this treatment may not be appropriate for all individuals. Speak with your healthcare provider and/or your mental health clinician prior to beginning this type of treatment.
What is the difference between Spravato and IV?
Spravata is a nasal spray containing esketamine, while IV ketamine therapy is administered directly to the bloodstream.
Methodology
To find the best at-home psychedelic-assisted therapy platform, we started by searching the web for any that were specifically designed for anxiety and depression. Next, we narrowed our list down to only the highest-rated and most popular, safe, and effective options. We then evaluated various telehealth platforms based on the available features, reputation, customer service, and reviews. We also considered ease of use, effectiveness, patient care, additional costs, and range of treatment options. Finally, members of the team who qualified for treatment tested Mindbloom, Joyous, and Nue Life to see how safe, effective, and easy it was to use.
We ultimately made our decision based on the access to healthcare providers, range of treatment options, safety measures, and supplemental resources.
| Review Process | Key Metrics | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase online | – ease to complete intake form – affordability – upfront commitment or subscription required? – money back guarantee or refund policy? | 1 |
| Shipping + unboxing | – shipping cost – time from order to treatment delivery – sustainable packaging | 1 |
| Testing + journal for 1-3 months | – ease of use – transition into habitual use – taste / smell / feel / pain | 1.5 |
| Results after 3 months of use | – efficacy / results – ease of forming a health habit – requires additional purchae? – responsive customer support – willingness to recommend to a friend | 1.5 |
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