LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pacific Mind Health, a behavioral health care organization based in Southern California, today announced ketamine therapy for patients whose grief has developed into persistent depression.
Grief is a normal response to loss, and most people move through it with time and support. For some, it does not lift. Prolonged grief can bring on the same symptoms clinicians see in major depression: hopelessness, withdrawal, disrupted sleep and appetite, and difficulty functioning at work or at home.
LEARN MORE ABOUT KETAMINE THERAPY AT PACIFIC MIND HEALTH
“Grief is not a disorder, and we are careful never to treat it like one,” said Joshua Flatow, MD, founder, medical director, and chief psychiatrist at Pacific Mind Health. “But when someone tells us they’ve barely eaten or slept for weeks, or that they’re struggling to get through the day, that’s no longer something to simply wait out.”
Traditional approaches to depression that follow grief (psychotherapy, antidepressants, and time) are effective for many people, but often take months to bring relief. Ketamine works differently.
Rather than acting on serotonin like most antidepressants, it targets the brain’s glutamate system, which can produce a faster response. A 2021 systematic review of 83 published studies in BJPsych Open found that ketamine treatment can rapidly relieve symptoms of depression, often within hours or days.
“What draws us to ketamine is speed,” said Flatow. “When someone is that deep in it, waiting eight weeks to find out whether a medication works is not a neutral choice.”
Every patient considering ketamine begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation to determine whether it’s clinically appropriate. Treatment is administered in a monitored clinical setting and can be paired with psychotherapy, which research suggests may extend and deepen its benefits.
Ketamine is not right for everyone. When another approach is a better fit, Pacific Mind Health clinicians may recommend psychotherapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), or medication management instead.
To learn more, visit pacificmindhealth.com or call or text 310-356-9998.
MEDIA CONTACT
Name: Millicent Skiles
Title: Content Marketing Manager
Company Name: Pacific Mind Health
Email: marketing@pacificmindhealth.com
Website: https://pacificmindhealth.com
About Pacific Mind Health
Pacific Mind Health is a provider of outpatient psychiatry and interventional psychiatry services in California. The practice offers personalized, evidence-based care including psychiatry, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), ketamine, and Spravato® (esketamine). Pacific Mind Health provides both in-person and online appointments, with locations in Long Beach, West Los Angeles, Irvine, and throughout California.
SOURCE Pacific Mind Health