Two Physicians.
One Shared Belief.
Read More
OUR STORY
The story of Shōka Health began over dinner in 2021, when two anesthesiologists discovered they shared more than a specialty — a shared obsession in neuroscience, a love of music, and a growing pull toward the future of mental health care.
In 2023, Dr. E encouraged us to attend the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) conference. That experience brought everything into focus. We connected with clinicians doing this work at the highest level and saw firsthand the momentum building around psychedelic and interventional therapies. Coming from providing care in operating rooms and intensive care units, we understood ketamine through a different lens — one grounded in precision, patient safety, and real-time clinical judgment. And we knew we wanted to be at the forefront of this revolution in how mental health care is delivered.
So we set out to deliberately build something transformative here in Georgia. Through extensive conversations with colleagues, visits to practices across the country, and training alongside therapists and physicians in ketamine-assisted care, we took the time to understand not just how to do this work — but how to do it thoughtfully.
In 2026, Shōka Health was officially born. It is the result of that process and the beginning of something we are committed to building with the same intention and integrity that brought us here.
The physicians
behind Shōka.
Sonny Sabhlok, MD
Co-Founder • Anesthesiologist
Dr. Sonny's path to psychedelic medicine is shaped by both science and personal experience. He lost his mother to breast cancer at a young age and later his father during medical school — experiences that deeply informed his understanding of grief, resilience, and the limits of conventional care. The demands of medical training and years in high-acuity environments shaped his belief that medicine must do more for patients and families navigating complex, persistent suffering. These beliefs ultimately led to the creation of Shōka Health.
Open
Elrond Teo, MD
Co-Founder • Anesthesiologist
Dr. E's path to psychedelic medicine grew out of a deep interest in the brain, consciousness, and the careful use of ketamine across different clinical settings. After graduating from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry in England, he moved to Vermont for anesthesiology residency, where he developed a strong interest in critical care and cardiac anesthesia.
Open
What is Shōka?
Shōka is the Japanese word for sublimation, the process by which a solid transforms directly into a gas. Something rigid becomes fluid and free, without ever passing through an in-between state.
It is the name we chose because it captures what drew us to psychedelic medicine. The mind can become fixed in patterns shaped by trauma, grief, depression, or years of lived experience. When delivered thoughtfully and responsibly, psychedelic therapies have the potential to loosen those patterns, creating space for new perspectives and ways of relating to ourselves. Over the course of treatment, you return as the same person with a deeper awareness that something fundamental has shifted.
Shōka is also a reflection of the Japanese philosophy and aesthetics that inspire how we think about care — intentional, considered, and quietly transformative.
This philosophy extends beyond the therapies we offer today. As the science of psychedelic medicine continues to evolve, we are committed to bringing new, evidence-based treatments to our patients as they become available — always with the same intentionality and care that define Shōka. We see it as our responsibility to advocate for our patients and help build a thoughtful, responsible future for psychedelic medicine here in Atlanta.
Start with a conversation.
There's no obligation, no pressure, and nothing to prepare. Just a chance to see if we're the right fit for what you're navigating.