Ember Health - Upper East Side | IV Ketamine Treatment for Depression NYC

“At Union Square Practice, we have been referring patients to Ember Health for years and have always had a wonderful experience with their team. It can be hard to find a ketamine IV therapy practice that you truly trust, and Ember has consistently been a reliable resource for us. Their team is thoughtful, responsive, and takes great care of the patients we send their way. We’re very grateful to have them as a trusted referral partner and feel confident recommending them. - Union Square Practice”

“TLDR: I found Ember too rigid with their protocol and ill equipped to provide care from a mental health perspective. I had a terrible experience during my second booster that felt like it was waiting to happen because of the intensity of Ember’s infusions. During the session, I had a panic attack and the nurse did not turn the infusion rate down or stop it. I was saying things like "It doesn't feel right", "I'm scared", "Do I need to go to the hospital”. Even though I was not lucid enough to give precise instruction, I was told later that I needed to verbalize instructions myself in order for them to turn the infusion down or off. What is the purpose of continuous observation if they'll let you twist when clearly something is very wrong? Due to them letting me ride out this terrible experience, I was gripped by fear and a residual hypervigilance, anxiety, and insomnia that lasted for more than a month. I had previously explained several times that I best tolerated a longer, gentler infusion, but repeatedly came up against their protocol and the same refrain about the clinical data supporting it. Research also supports the efficacy of slower infusions and more importantly, I already had substantial experience with IV ketamine and knew what I tolerated best. At Ember, their protocol takes precedence over patients' psychological experience. Before one of my sessions, I overheard the doctor describe me as “very sensitive” as she whispered to the nurse outside my room. This is problematic from a mental health perspective, as hearing something like this immediately before a session can affect the experience itself and undermine the sense of safety and trust. But it also indicates they knew I was at risk for an adverse experience but did nothing to intervene when it did happen. In general, I felt my concerns were explained away rather than taken seriously as they continuously pointed back to research supporting their preferred protocol, told me that a negative experience could ultimately be a positive one, and suggested that it was okay to push through. After spending a ton of money trying to heal from this experience, I found a ketamine clinic upstate in Kerhonkson, called Catskill Healing Journeys that completely turned my situation around. I would not recommend Ember. Please vet these clinics carefully.”

“Changed my life! Which might sound hyperbolic, but is actually true. Ember Health provides such a great service, in a warm and friendly, soothing, environment. From the front desk to the nurses, doctors and the owners, I feel so taken care of. The staff listens and genuinely cares. 10/10 would recommend!”

“It was great under Sarah B. Very good progress. After she left it began to feel unsafe and finally destructive. It took several months to regain my equilibrium. The support team is great.”