April Innerbloom Newsletter
Apr 08, 2025 12:01 pm
April 2025
April marks a season of growth and continued commitment—to our veterans, our community, and ourselves. This month, we’re expanding access to ketamine therapy, highlighting real stories from our patients, and sharing resources to support mental health.
🗞️ News
Eligible Veterans Can Now Receive FREE Ketamine Therapy
We’re honored to announce that Innerbloom now holds a Veterans Care Agreement (VCA) with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This means eligible veterans can receive IV ketamine therapy at our clinic—fully covered by the VA.
This is a powerful step forward in addressing depression and PTSD, which continue to impact far too many veterans. On average, 17 veterans die by suicide each day—a heartbreaking statistic we are dedicated to changing.
If you or someone you know is a veteran, check out our step-by-step guide to determine eligibility and discover how to get started.
Oprah and Michael Pollan, the author of the book How to Change Your Mind, speak with Bob Parsons, a veteran and founder of GoDaddy, who used psychedelics to treat his PTSD. Nearly 50 years after the war, he states, 'I finally came home.'
🧬 Science
Can AI Help with Mental Health? A New Study Says Yes.
Recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, this randomized clinical trial included 210 adults with symptoms of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or who were at high risk for eating disorders. Participants were assigned to receive either four weeks of daily interaction with a generative AI chatbot called Therabot or to a control group. Therabot is trained on over 100,000 hours of therapist-guided, evidence-based conversations, primarily using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
📊 Key Results:
- Depression: Participants experienced an average 51% reduction in symptoms.
- Anxiety: Those with GAD saw a 31% average reduction, often improving from moderate to mild or dropping below the clinical threshold entirely.
- Body Image: At-risk participants reported a 19% decrease in weight and body image concerns.
In my opinion, nothing can replace the depth of human connection and the therapeutic alliance formed with a real-life therapist; however, access to quality care remains limited for many. Tools like Therabot shouldn't be meant to replace traditional therapy, but may be a powerful adjunct or bridge to care when human support isn't immediately available. What are your thoughts? Would you ever try AI therapy?
🌸 A Patient's Experience at Innerbloom
"Once, I experienced the entire life cycle of a sunflower. I felt myself being pressed deep into the earth—I could smell the soil, almost taste it—as it closed in tightly around me. Being buried was frightening, but I tried not to resist it. Soon, I began to grow. I pushed upward through the dirt and into the sunlight, up and up. I could feel water sprinkling over my face as I stretched toward the sky, sensing my leaves unfurl and my petals bloom..." [Read more]
💡 Have a story to share from your time at Innerbloom? Reply to this email—your experience could inspire someone else to begin their own healing journey. Testimonials will always be posted anonymously unless otherwise specified.
🌈 Events
Cancer Patient and Survivor Wellness Fair
Join us on May 31 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Sierra Vista Hospital for the 3rd Annual Cancer Patient and Survivor Wellness Fair! We’ll have a booth alongside other health and wellness advocates. Guest speaker Dr. Heidi Lucas, ND and Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology, will present "Food as Medicine: Learn Ways to Boost Your Energy, Immune System, and Microbiome Health."
📖 On the Blog
6 Science-Backed Ways to Manage Your Mood and Soothe Anxiety
There are many helpful tools beyond medication and ketamine that can enhance mental health and alleviate anxiety. Here are several practices we incorporate into our daily routine; perhaps you may also find them beneficial.
Is it Time for a Ketamine Booster Infusion?
After completing the initial ketamine treatment series, some patients find it beneficial to transition to a maintenance plan, returning for single infusions as needed, called "boosters." Learn when it's time for a booster and how it can help you maintain the benefits, offering hope to remain symptom-free long-term.
Innerbloom Recommendations
📕 Book: Aflame by Pico Iyer
I really enjoyed this memoir, where the author reflects on attending over a hundred silent retreats at a monastery in Big Sur, California. His time in silence and solitude deeply transformed his perspective on life. What I loved most was how vividly he captures the Central Coast. I recognized his descriptions of the wildflowers, the foggy mornings, and the rugged coastline that’s so unique to our area. His observations are a powerful reminder of how fortunate we are to live in a place filled with stillness and natural wonder—and of the importance of slowing down and truly seeing the world around us.
🎬 Film: Flow
This heartwarming, Oscar-winning animated film is truly unlike anything I’ve seen. With no spoken words, the entire narrative unfolds through visuals, immersive sounds using real animal recordings, and beautiful storytelling. It follows the journey of a cat through a flooded world alongside an unlikely, ragtag group of animal companions. It’s not just for humans, either—our golden retriever, Eli, was absolutely glued to the screen from start to finish.
📢 Stay Connected
Did you miss a newsletter? Catch up here.
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Don’t forget to visit our Blog for the latest news, research, and events.
Thank You!
I appreciate your continued support and for taking the time to read! If you have questions, feedback, or topics you'd like to see covered, reply to this email. I would love to hear from you!
Warmly,
Ray Rivas, MD
Innerbloom Ketamine Therapy, PC
San Luis Obispo, CA
(805) 321-8471
