Founders

Dr. Steven L. Mandel

Founder & President

Dr. Steven L. Mandel, Founder & President, is an internationally recognized expert and pioneer in the use of ketamine infusion therapy to treat mental health disorders and chronic pain. (…)

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Sam Mandel

Cofounder & Chief Operating Officer

Sam Mandel, Cofounder & Chief Operating Officer, is a lifelong mental health advocate and entrepreneur. Mandel started Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles with his father, Dr. Steven Mandel (…)

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Executives

Angel

Director of Operations

Angel, Director of Operations is a graduate of San Jose State University, where she received her bachelor's degree in Radio, Television and Film, and a minor in Public Relations and Marketing. Angel also has an associate’s degree in Mass Communications. With over 12 years of business management experience in the retail industry, and 8 years of administrative management in the medical field working for USC, Angel proved to be the perfect fit for Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles. A motivated and energetic individual, she excels in leadership, branding, patient care workflows, writing, promoting, establishing company standards, maximizing productivity, and overall training and development. Angel joined our team in the Fall of 2016 and is a true operational expert, leading daily with passion and integrity.

Angel is most proud of her diverse education and work experience, as well as her ability to juggle a variety of tasks. She grew up with a strong work ethic, assisting with the family business at 13 years old. She recalls her love for PR began in junior high when she was the Publicity Director for her private k-8 grade school. While in film school, she was offered extra credit to train and develop the staff of the radio department on teamwork and good workplace relations.

Originally from Northern California, Angel believes the best move she ever made was coming to Los Angeles. When not at KCLA, she spends her time at the beach, going on playdates with her family and friends, and traveling to as many places as she can with her boyfriend of 20 years. LEARN MORE

Medical Team

Conor

Physician Assistant

Conor, Physician Assistant, received his bachelor’s degree from Boston University, graduating cum laude with a double-major in Neuroscience and Psychology, and his master’s degree from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY. Conor has always been fascinated by the mind and brain, and his undergraduate path afforded him the opportunity to gather some truly unique experiences; he collected EEG samples from infants in London, performed brain surgery on a living rodent, and ran an experiment studying the use of tDCS (transcranial direct-current stimulation, a constant and low electrical current applied to the head) to control eating behavior in patients who underwent bariatric surgery. As a junior, Conor volunteered with the Student Support Network, a suicide prevention organization at the university. Between his degrees, Conor worked as a 1-on-1 mentor for children and teens with various mental health diagnoses and as an In-Home Therapy Assistant for families struggling to function at home.

Conor joined Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles in the spring of 2019, and is a fully licensed medical provider. Since day one Conor partnered with Dr. Mandel to oversee infusions and lead the clinical care team. He quickly mastered providing this treatment in the unique way that Dr. Mandel does. He is empathic by nature and known for being a good listener. What he truly appreciates is the personal connection he forms with patients over the course of ketamine therapy. He is grateful that he gets to care for his patients through all stages of treatment: intake, during treatment, completion, and follow-up care.

Conor is originally from Boston, MA, and he made his way to Los Angeles soon after finishing graduate school in New York City. While he deeply misses his friends and family on the East Coast, Conor is immensely excited and grateful to be living in Los Angeles, which was a lifelong dream of his. In his spare time, Conor can be found weightlifting, relaxing at the beach, playing volleyball, attending concerts, and travelling. LEARN MORE

Stephanie

Registered Nurse

Stephanie, Registered Nurse, came to Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles in early 2019 with a multifaceted background in the medical field ranging from Cardiac Critical Care nursing, clerical and insurance billing, to marketing and communications. While in nursing school she worked as a Patient Experience Lead Coordinator and ran hospital-wide patient experience projects. She advocated for patients and mediated communication between hospital staff, administration, patients, and their families. Upon receiving her nursing degree as a Registered Nurse, Stephanie worked in the hospital and encountered a multitude of patients whose mental health was not well managed. She witnessed firsthand the lack of support available to them as well as the limited accessibility of quality treatment and medications. This shortcoming led Stephanie to dedicate her services to this community of patients.

Stephanie’s passion to provide help is deeply rooted in her upbringing. At the tender age of 7, she helped care for her bedridden grandfather who suffered from a stroke; 20 years later she cared for her grandmother who had a stroke while also attending nursing school. Stephanie attributes her nurturing and caring qualities to her mother who has been a nurse for over 40 years. Saving lives runs in the family; she is the 4th nurse among her siblings. Her keen interest in mental health started in middle school when her teacher recommended her to be a peer mediator. Impact-driven and purpose motivated, she strives to bring a sense of calm, comfort, healing, and balance to her patients and her team.

Stephanie was born and raised in the South Bay and when not in scrubs, she can be found traveling, eating her way through many cities, spending quality time with friends and family, and raising her daughter Milani Lae with her fiancé and love of her life, who she’s been with for 20 years. Stephanie loves dogs, is obsessed with coffee, and is a retired florist/event planner. She enjoys personal development, practices meditation, and Tai Chi. She hopes to continue to build a life structured from love and in service of helping others. LEARN MORE

Denisse

LVN

Denisse, LVN, completed her Licensed Vocational Nursing certification in 2014. After working in the medical field for 7 years as a Project Assistant at USC Cancer Center, she was eager to start her career as a full-time nurse at Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles. Her interest in becoming a nurse began when she was a little girl, inspired by her mom’s commitment to caring for the elderly. With such a great mentor, Denisse joined the KCLA team in early 2017, excited to bring her previous nursing experience and the spirit of her mom to our environment. Ketamine Therapy is of great personal interest to Denisse, as she had a dear friend whose life may have been saved if ketamine infusions were known and available at the time of their death.

Denisse has a natural way of caring for patients. She comes from a large family and helped raise her younger brothers, niece, and nephews. As a nurse she is calm, poised, and soft-spoken; always making patients her number-one priority. Patients love to chat with her as she too is a patient at KCLA and long-time benefiter of Ketamine Infusion Therapy; read her blog post about that. She is known for her gentle touch and as an IV start expert with a 98.5 percent success rate on her first try. Sound too exact a measurement? Ask Denisse, she keeps a record of every single IV start in her notebook and has since she started here.

A native of Los Angeles, Denisse grew up a city girl and is bilingual in Spanish and English. She was passionate about the arts in high school, dabbling in drama classes and tapping into her quirky personality. She adores her husband, who is a chef and makes her lunches daily to keep her well-nourished for our patients. In her spare time, she likes to cuddle with her dog Penny, read graphic novels, go to concerts, watch a good comedy or animated movie, and spend time with family and friends. LEARN MORE

Nicki

Registered Nurse

Nicki, Registered Nurse, has dedicated her focus on mental health since moving to Los Angeles in 2009. A graduate of the Northern Virginia Community College School of Nursing, Nicki brings skills and experience from a wide variety of clinical settings, including the ER, Telemetry, Oncology, and Psychiatric units of the esteemed INOVA Hospital network in the suburbs of Washington, DC.

Nicki joined Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles in the spring of 2019, and is still active in her first career as a professional musician, which she’s enjoyed for over 15 years. This creative community proved to be an observation ground for mental illness as many elite artists struggle with depression and addiction. Long trips, late nights, fast food, and a party-lifestyle only make things worse. The importance of effective treatment and healthy self-care became undeniable to Nicki and her experiences on the road were a formidable opening act for Nicki’s psychiatric nursing career. Because of this, she brings empathy, humor, and unshakable composure to her work, even with the most complex patients. Nicki has worked with hundreds of patients and their families in residential care, patient transport, interventions, and addiction recovery.

Nicki is also a world traveler. She has visited over 20 countries and still records vocals professionally in her own studio. She is the proud mom of a kind, clever, “geek-chic” son with Asperger’s Syndrome who works with the elderly as a CNA. Her favorite charities are Autism Speaks and The Innocence Project. She is currently building her dream home in Barcelona with her husband Angel and rides her Suzuki SV650 motorcycle to KCLA every day. LEARN MORE

Admin Team

Alyssa

Patient Care Manager

Alyssa, Patient Care Manager, graduated from California State University Long Beach, where she received a bachelor's degree in Human Development with a double minor in Psychology and Child Development. Throughout college, she was an honor student and a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Alyssa has always had a passion for helping others, which became apparent when she wrote a letter to the President asking if he’d end homelessness when she was just 5 years old. She has volunteered with Southern California Foster Family & Adoption Agency, completed her college internship working with emotionally disturbed middle-schoolers under the school psychologist, and continues to volunteer with countless other organizations. Alyssa discovered her passion for psychology when taking AP psychology in high school. Her fascination with how the mind works makes her an excellent fit for Ketamine Clinics of LA. She has been with KCLA since 2016, serving as Patient Care Manager since 2018, where she leads our front office in assisting patients from their first call to longer after they complete their initial series.

Alyssa brings compassion, enthusiasm, fresh ideas, comfort, and overall professionalism to our team. She manages all aspects of the front office, is a master scheduler, and knows how to make patient care the highest priority.

Originally from Palo Alto, Alyssa grew up very athletic; diving, dancing, and cheerleading in high school before settling on competitive gymnastics, which she did for 10 years. Alyssa enjoys her life in Santa Monica with her sister and her sister’s dog, Ika. When she isn’t busy at the clinic, she makes every effort to travel, hang out with friends, workout, read, watch movies, and attend concerts. LEARN MORE

Adam

Patient Care Coordinator

Adam, Patient Care Coordinator, is a graduate of Chapman University where he received a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and Advertising with a minor in Dance Performance. His interest in mental health came after completing several courses in psychology during his undergraduate studies. He was drawn to Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles after learning about ketamine's application as an alternative treatment for mood disorders. Prior to joining the KCLA team, Adam worked as an editorial assistant for Condé Nast Publications Vogue and Glamour, as well as on the agency side of celebrity fashion PR. He then decided to transition to something more intrinsically rewarding in medicine by taking a position with a small dermatopathology laboratory assisting clientele and organizing clinical research. Since joining KCLA in early 2020, Adam has grown a passion for reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. He remains excited to work at KCLA where he is surrounded by grateful patients, caring team members, and in a setting that delivers real, tangible results.

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Adam finds himself most at peace when he's outdoors, with family and friends, or relaxing at home. In addition to his work with KCLA Adam works as a copy editor for a small publishing house. When he's not occupied with tending to his houseplants, he enjoys nights out, weekend getaways, city drives, skincare, and Ayurveda. LEARN MORE

William

Administrative Assistant

William, Administrative Assistant, graduated from California State University Los Angeles (CSULA) with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a focus on Management. He completed his degree while working in several different industries including healthcare, service, and music. His experience in healthcare, and the time he spent working with the SEIU-UHW as a union shop steward, instilled in him a drive to help others. William came to Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles in 2020 with an excited, can-do attitude and eagerness to connect directly with patients.

Prior to transferring to CSULA, William attended Los Angeles Community College (LACC) where he became part of the first group to be awarded a spot in the President's Scholar program. He is also proud of the recognition he received at a film festival at CSULA for a music video he produced. A jack of all trades, William can be found helping KCLA patients with the check-in process, answering the phones, editing photos and videos for the clinic’s social media pages, and supporting many other behind-the-scenes projects that move KCLA’s mission forward.

Born and raised in California, William spends his free time working on video projects, cooking (he makes delicious cookies), drawing, and training his cats to stop staring at him while he is eating. He is always happy to learn new things and to answer any questions patients have about Ketamine Infusion Therapy and the treatment options at Ketamine Clinics LA. LEARN MORE

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