30,000 Infusions Later: Clinical Insights from a Ketamine Pioneer
LISTEN ON:
Episode 301
Sam Mandel
In this episode of The Psychedelic Podcast, Paul F. Austin welcomes Sam Mandel, co-founder and CEO of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles (KCLA). Sam shares his journey co-founding KCLA with his father in 2014, pioneering ketamine infusion therapy when few were exploring its potential for mental health. From humble beginnings in a storage closet to becoming a leading mental health center with over 30,000 infusions administered, Sam discusses the challenges and triumphs of building a patient-centric practice. He explains the science behind ketamine's effectiveness compared to alternatives like Spravato, highlights the importance of individualized treatment, and offers a passionate critique of the current mental healthcare system while envisioning what meaningful reform could look like.
Co-founder & CEO of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles (KCLA), Sam Mandel has channeled his lifelong passion for healthcare advocacy into transforming mental health care. From volunteering at a teen-to-teen suicide prevention hotline at twelve to pioneering one of the foremost Ketamine Infusion Therapy clinics in 2014 alongside his father, Dr. Steven L. Mandel, Sam has been featured in Entrepreneur's Top 10 Inspiring Healthcare Entrepreneurs (2023) and earned two 2024 Stevie Awards. Under his leadership, KCLA has provided over 30,000 infusions to more than 6,000 patients with an 83% success rate, establishing gold-standard treatment protocols while expanding services to include General Psychiatry and TMS therapy.
Podcast Highlights
- The founding story of KCLA and early skepticism from the medical community
- Why IV ketamine outperforms nasal Spravato in efficacy and cost-efficiency
- Creating individualized ketamine protocols for optimal patient outcomes
- How insurance companies create barriers to effective mental healthcare
- KCLA's 83% success rate compared to 50-70% in controlled research settings
- Expanding from ketamine to TMS and general psychiatry
- Preparing for future psychedelic medicines like MDMA and psilocybin
- The critical flaws in America's mental healthcare system
Show Links
This episode is brought to you by The Intensive for Psychedelic Professionals by Third Wave's Psychedelic Coaching Institute. Join us June 25-30, 2025 at Brave Earth in Costa Rica for a transformative six-day immersion featuring workshops with Eric Kaufmann, optional psilocybin experiences, and connections with forward-thinking professionals. To learn more and secure your spot, click here.
