Frequently Asked Questions

We offer virtual visits and in-person appointments based on your personalized care plan, preferences and provider availability.  All in-person appointments are scheduled at our warm and welcoming space in New York City. We’re here to support you on your mental health journey–wherever that unfolds.

While we do offer virtual and in-person appointments for most of our services, ketamine infusion therapy and acupuncture are the two services that are only available in-person at our Lower Manhattan location.

We ask for you to fill out all of your intake forms at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment.  This will enable your provider to review your information prior to your visit. If you have any questions about filling out your forms, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at hello@beingheath.co and we would be happy to assist you.

We have a 24-hour notice cancellation policy.  You can easily reschedule or cancel your appointment up to 24 hours in advance by clicking on the link in your email or text message reminders or by logging into the patient portal.  Any requests to reschedule or cancel your appointment less than 24 hours in advance will be subject to the full appointment fee.

All services must be paid in full at the time of the appointment. Unless specified otherwise, your preferred form of payment will be automatically charged at the end of each visit.

We are not currently in network with any private insurance providers, Medicaid or Medicare, but we are currently working on it. If you have out-of-network benefits, we are happy to submit a superbill on your behalf to seek reimbursement. We recommend calling your insurance provider prior to your appointment to get detailed information on your individual coverage.

We accept Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) as well as American Express, MasterCard, Visa and Discover. For in-person services, we are able to accept cash payments. Additionally, we have partnered with Advance Care Card to offer financing for those who qualify.

Our Being Health psychiatrists are board-certified physicians specializing in the field of psychiatry. Our Being Health psychotherapists are doctoral-level psychologists, licensed clinical and master social workers and licensed mental health counselors. Our Being Health functional medicine physician is double board-certified in family medicine and integrative medicine. Our Being Health nutritionist is a certified nutrition specialist with advanced training in functional medicine and intuitive eating, and our Being Health acupuncturists are licensed healthcare professionals who are board certified in acupuncture. In addition, every clinician undergoes initial training in the Being Health model of care, receives ongoing supervision with clinical experts and attends integrative care rounds on a weekly basis.

When booking your first appointment, you will select the type of service you want to receive and we will pair you with one of our expert clinicians. Your provider will meet with you in person or virtually to conduct a comprehensive mental health assessment and develop a personalized care plan tailored to your needs and preferences.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who can conduct a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, develop a care plan for you and prescribe medications according to your unique needs. Our psychiatrists at Being Health are also trained in psychotherapy so you can be assured that during your visit, you may discuss all of the factors that contribute to your mental health outside of only discussing symptom management.

Psychotherapists on the other hand are licensed mental health providers who can provide psychotherapy but they are not medical doctors and can not prescribe medications. Psychotherapy can be provided by a series of different licensed clinicians at Being Health including Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Licensed Mental Health Counselors.

There are several routes of administration for ketamine, including intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), sublingual, oral and intranasal. Being Health uses ketamine infusion therapy (i.e., IV ketamine) because this form of ketamine treatment has the most robust scientific evidence supporting its use in treating mental health conditions, particularly treatment-resistant depression. In addition, IV ketamine provides certain other advantages, including being able to slow or stop an infusion during treatment if needed and its high bioavailability, meaning that we know very accurately the amount of the medicine that enters your bloodstream.

Ketamine therapy is generally very safe and well-tolerated, particularly when provided in a monitored and controlled setting. Most of ketamine’s side effects are mild and short-lived, including nausea, dizziness and blurry vision. Ketamine also causes dissociation (an out of body experience) at higher doses that can be distressing in a non-medically supervised setting, which is why we provide a safe and therapeutic environment for all treatment sessions. In addition, ketamine typically causes an elevation in heart rate and blood pressure, which can be dangerous for people with conditions such as severe heart disease, aneurysms or history of a stroke. For this reason, we do a thorough medical screening for these and other potentially problematic conditions when considering whether ketamine treatments are appropriate for a given individual.

Being Health’s safety standards and Ketamine Protocols were developed by our Psychiatry and Anesthesiology experts to create the highest safety standard of care for overall health and wellbeing. From our Ketamine consultations which are conducted by seasoned psychiatrists who assess risk from a medical, psychiatric and substance use perspective, to our KAP therapists who are highly trained to ensure the most optimal preparation and integration experience, to our CRNAs who are experts in infusion care, we promise an experience which is safe and reassuring for you and your loved ones.

KAP Preparation sessions are specialized psychotherapy sessions which occur prior to beginning ketamine infusion therapy and which are oriented toward identifying goals and intentions of treatment, establishing a therapeutic alliance with the KAP therapist, addressing questions or concerns about the ketamine treatment process, and becoming familiar with the details and logistics of ketamine infusions at Being Health. All of this is done with the intention of helping an individual feel the utmost sense of safety and comfort during each ketamine infusion, as well as optimizing the therapeutic benefit of the ketamine treatment process. 

KAP Integration sessions are specialized psychotherapy sessions which occur after an individual has received a ketamine infusion and which utilize the enhanced neuroplasticity offered by ketamine to integrate changes into one’s daily experience and practice. KAP integration sessions are highly personalized and may relate to the goals and intentions identified at the beginning of the treatment process, or may focus on unexpected emotions and experiences that come up during a ketamine infusion. For this reason, we ensure that individuals work with the same Being Health KAP therapist throughout the ketamine treatment process, and we encourage individuals to have their first KAP integration session the day after their initial ketamine infusion. After this, individuals and their KAP therapists may determine the optimal frequency and number of KAP integration sessions during the ketamine treatment series