Kerson Don MD

I am a 35 year old female who went to 5 Psychiatrists and had just about given up, before I landed in the office of Dr K. I am so happy that I persevered and found this most amazing doctor and person. I don’t drink, smoke or engage in recreational drugs, but for 9 months had been hallucinating (no, not hearing voices, seeing things,) It had started to disrupt my personal and my professional life. I had 2 college degrees, a 6 figure high powered career, and genius IQ. I was not crazy. The others diagnosed me with schizophrenia, early onset dementia, severe depression, PTSD and the various syndromes that were popular that year. Doctor K was the first and the ONLY one who listened to me, his patient. He agreed, I was not crazy, I was merely poisoned, apparently I had built up a tolerance to my non-​narcotic pain medicine and it was causing the overflow of serotonin to flood my creative brain. He gently weaned me off of it and reset my baseline of serotonin. Bye bye seeing things. It was a simple and obvious diagnosis, that was missed by 5 others before him. The doctor saved my life in more ways than one, and I returned to the world of high –function without visits from apparitions that had caused all this disruption. I am, and will forever be grateful to the only doctor with 30 plus years experience and the common sense to see what is really askew.
Your trust in him, will not be misplaced. Thank you.

My name is Andrew I’m 58 years old, my experience with Dr kerson has been a life saving one for me, his gift to listen to my needs and his wisdom to guide me into a place of wellness has been my blessing. In my life i have experienced 3phyc wards, and i have never been diagnosed with add, each time the so called doctors, had me a cationic state of being. I met Dr kerson at a dark place in my life, my nephew 30 yrs old was diagnosed with ALS, my daughter had two brain surgeries„ i felt myself slipping into desperation once again. This doctor is compassionate, he’s s man of deep wisdom and patient, unlike I’ve experienced before. His ability to listen and respond has been my gift. I THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR THIS MAN OF KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE. TO THE HATERS OUT THERE MAYBE A OPEN MIND AND THE WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE MIGHT BE HRLPFUL, THE MAN IS NOT GOD NOR YOUR FATHER, HOWEVER HIS WISDOM WILL GIVE U THE CHANCE TO EMBRACE LIFE. AS IT IS MEANT TO B LIVED IN ABUNDENCE WITH WITH HOPE, GRATEFULLY ANDREW KALLINICOS

I came to Dr. Kerson to discuss my possible ADHD. I barely had a chance to speak before he agreed with my conclusion and started writing a prescription. If you’re a drug seeker, this is a godsend. If you are genuinely trying to get help, it’s shocking. I’ve been to psychiatrists before, they’re supposed to do an assessment in which they ask you questions about your symptoms, ask about your prior psychiatric history, family history, etc. Dr. Kerson gave me a two second opening to describe why I came to him, and then launched into his own fast paced monologue. Like everyone who comes to him get the exact same shpiel and treatment. I had to interject pertinent information like my family history and prior psychiatric history while he paused for air, because he didn’t ask me about them. He did not really get into any information I provided and ask me to elaborate. I felt like he was rushing me through my appointment, and honestly he was; he told me my session was 35 – 40 minutes long — we ended at around 25 minutes. When I’m paying $ 175, that is not acceptable. He did not make me comfortable and give me the space and time to open up and discuss my concerns, it was all very hurried. Sure, at the end, he threw in a «do you have anything else to add?» but at this point I was so uncomfortable I basically said no.
I repeat, he did NO ASSESSMENT. We barely discussed prior medications I had been on. I don’t understand, he wrote a whole book on ADD so I assume he takes this very seriously, but his actions suggest a man who is just interested in handing out prescriptions of Adderall to whoever pays. To top it off, he answered at least one email while talking to me. I AM PAYING $ 175 FOR YOUR FULL ATTENTION FOR FORTY MINUTES. I’m sure he’s as ADHD as he claims, but you know what? If you’re so distractable, then turn off your computer and take notes on a pad of paper. I deeply regret not opening my mouth during the session, but I just didn’t have it in me to confront him.
To his credit, I called him to tell him how disappointed I was in our session and he did apologize and offer me a free ‘do-​over’ session, but I rejected that and told him I would not be returning and would not be paying for our first session, and he did not give me a hard time.

If your struggling with depression and related attention issues he is great. Extremely willing to quickly come to a diagnosis and begin starting a course of treatment that involves medication as well as a look at more long term strategies and behaviors.

Dr. Kerson will likely diagnose you with adhd, regardless of your symptoms. As someone who does not drink caffeine, I am not suited for the stimulants he wanted to put me on. I gave him a decent chance, seeing him about five times over the course of two months. He put me on a terrible antidepressant, and when I complained he just wanted to add more medicine. There was no talk therapy, as was promised. During one appointment, he implied that he didn’t have time for talk therapy so he would just write me a prescription for another drug.
TLDR: You’ll get adderall if that’s what you want, but you won’t get long-​term treatment.

I started seeing Dr. Kerson when I was in a very vulnerable place about 7 – 8 years ago. He immediately diagnosed me with bipolar disorder (which I do not have) and ADHD, and prescribed me a combination of lithium and adderall. It seemed like once he made a diagnosis (in all of the first five seconds we met — which I suspect might have been a projection of his own issues) that was it. It was the final diagnosis, and when I continued to describe the common symptoms of major depression I had been experiencing, he would say that I was a *very* sick person — sometimes even suggesting that I was the sickest patient he had ever seen. He spoke to me in an extremely arrogant and condescending manner, and it got to the point where I would leave my sessions feeling judged, criticized, and even worse about myself and the condition I was in. I never got the help I needed, and eventually found myself in an even deeper state of hopelessness and despair that took years to come out of.
Some laughable moments which help illustrate Dr. Kerson’s style: when I was facing extreme setbacks and hardships in my life, his dismissive advice was that I should just get a boyfriend and I’d be fine… and he was completely serious. There were also several sessions when he was lying on the couch and I was siting in his chair. Other sessions, he might be eating his lunch/​afternoon snack with falafel sauce dripping down his face.
I am concerned that a man like this is continuing to practice because I know (from experience) that he has the potential to cause great damage to one’s psyche. Being a psychiatrist and prescribing mind-​altering medications is a huge responsibility to society — a responsibility which, in my opinion, Dr. Kerson is not equipped to handle. If you are looking to get better, I highly recommend that you look elsewhere. I’m not trying to hurt Dr. Kerson’s practice or take away from the knowledge that some people feel he has, but I found the way he treated me and handled my situation to be unconscionable.

I’ve worked with Dr. Kerson for 4 years and I can honestly say he has saved my life.
He has taught me mindfulness and how to provide for myself. With his help I have learned to love and support my family. He got me unstuck.
He is the real thing, not a nodding smiling shrink watching the clock. He will call your bullshit and challenge you to change.
He may piss you off and scare you away when you get the first real look at yourself. But if you stick it out you will, after a while, grow into something better.
I’d give him 6 stars if I could.

Wow my first review is not showing up on Unilocal.Great! I received therapy from Dr. Don. He is a sexist predator. He messed me up mentally, ironic from the guy who wrote «Getting Un-​Stuck». He will diagnose you upon meeting you, and assume a lot. He also told me «in confidence» but I WILL share it will the world, that he thinks all of his female clients want to sleep with him. Please do not let him delete my legitimate review, his other clients need to know this!

Dr. Kerson is very knowledgable about affective disorders and adhd. I see him for both talk therapy and medication and find him to be a very caring therapist. As with any therapist, it’s important to find someone whose style/​personality is a good fit.
Reading some of the other reviews, I would share that I find his approach to medication to be conservative, at least it has been in my case. While I’m sure Dr. Kerson is open to collaborating with patients in regard to their treatment options, if someone prefers a non-​Rx approach their needs could probably be better served by a psychologist. Kerson is a psychopharmacologist and has a high level of expertise in this area.

This man is a joke. Within 5 minutes of just meeting him, I was already given a diagnosis. He is so quick and so dismissive to draw conclusions, that you barely get a chance to even properly describe your issues. And yes, he’s very quick to prescribe you some serious meds.
I found him to be extremely insulting and degrading in the way he treats and talks to you as a patient. He obviously has no respect or actual interest in your problems, only in cashing in quick from your insurance& payments. If you’re truly looking for someone who knows how to do their job, I really suggest you look elsewhere.

Just wanted to add: I just read Mindy and another negative review re: the meds he gives out. I had already written out my long review, but he did the same thing to me that they describe regarding meds! He took 2 years of my life! This awful Dr.
I saw this doctor several years ago. It scares me to see these positive reviews about him on Unilocal as this man ruined my life for a couple years and he has terrible reviews stating the same from other former patients and family members on other websites. I saw Dr. Kerson for both therapy and medicine. He took advantage of my very vulnerable state at the time and told me, (not exact wording, but exact in what he said to me if that makes sense) «I am a psychiatrist so I have something to give to others in conversation etc., you are jobless and have nothing to give» He also stated «at least you still have your looks!».
He drugged me up to the point I was a zombie and could not function when I was formally a high functioning individual. I was just in a bad place and this awful doctor took advantage of me. Another psychiatrist when I went to see him said you are on way too many drugs and I can tell your lithium level is way too high. Thank goodness for my therapist and my best friend telling me the truth that I needed to get off the strong drugs I did not need that Dr. Kerson put me on. They told me I was a Zombie!
Not only did I not need these drugs, but they messed my brain up for a year even after I was off of them! He had me on anti-​psychiotics, all different types of terrible drugs that were just hurting me. A combination that could have been lethal. So, DO NOT see this doctor! He should not even be practicing! I have met two others whose lives he ruined for a few years as well. It scary that there are doctors like this that go into the profession for all the wrong reasons, that are sicker than most of their patients. This is one of them. Dr. Kerson.

In the unfiltered reviews of Dr Kerson we have here two older, negative, poorly written reviews, in which the users don’t fully describe or elaborate on their experience.
For a fuller picture be sure to read the filtered reviews, which are generally newer, use conventional grammar and punctuation, are more thoughtful and where positive reviews outnumber negative ones almost 4 to 1. It makes you wonder about the reliability of Unilocal’s filtering algorithm.
My family and I have seen ‘Dr Don’ since 1992 as all 3 children and both parents have ADD. Prior to finding Dr. Kerson we had seen MANY physicians, psychiatrists, therapists, who were generally not very helpful, as well as taking up a lot in terms of time and money. ADD is a difficult and annoying condition to deal with and frequently involves associated complaints like depression. We found Dr. Kerson to be very helpful in managing these problems with a combination of talk therapy and medication. He is extremely bright, insightful, & and I found his intuitive understanding and compassion to be such a relief.
The children are grown now, but my husband and I still see him occasionally when we go back to New York.

Dr. Kerson has helped me immeasurably over the last four years. First of all, I have found him an empathetic as a talk therapist. Second of all, he is extremely talented as a prescriber. In particular, he diagnosed my bipolar II disorder and put me on the right medications, and adjusted them when I was having a particularly rough episode. He has a wide knowledge of which medications will help each individual patients.
Thirdly, Dr. Kerson truly cares about his patients. He has answered my calls and emails during the off-​hours and on the weekend when I needed help. I am truly grateful that I found him.

A great doctor for ADD /​ADHD. Understands the mix of therapy and pharmaceuticals, teaching meditative techniques. Has written a very useful book that elucidates the techniques. Also offers many other readings.

This doctor will kill you and/​or serious mess you up. He doles out very serious/​dangerous medications after only speaking with you for a few minutes. DO NOT GO TO HIM!

I feel like I might be breaking new ground here by reviewing mental health services on Unilocal,and I hope that I can do my part to ease up the stigma around using mental health services. We, America, are the most drugged nation on the planet, so why keep quiet about it? Why NOT review psychiatrists on Unilocal?
Anyway, the reason this place gets five stars is because Dr. Kerson, unlike many psychiatrists, tries to help you make choices rather than just handing out prescriptions. He asks you a lot of questions and he educates you. When I went to see him, he gave me his book «Getting Unstuck.» I only saw him twice, as we determined after those visits that I did not need medication, but I still consult his book frequently.
The wait time was also surprisingly low both times I visited.
The building in which it is located is somewhat confusing and last time I was there it was undergoing renovation. That’s not really a complaint against the place, but be prepared for it.

this doctor almost killed me. he prescribed me a horrible drug which led me to call 911, going to ER and left me with 2000 $ bill