Amber Vantze, MFT, LMHC

Amber Vantze is a licensed mental health counsellor and marriage and family therapist on Maui, where she directs psychedelic services at Illuminate Wellness, a group practice in Kahului. She offers ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and Psychedelic Somatic Interactional Psychotherapy (PSIP) alongside trauma therapy.

Approach

She studied psychology at the University of Central Florida (BS) and marriage and family therapy at Touro University Worldwide (MA), and is trained in EMDR, Brainspotting, KAP and PSIP. Her work is body-based and trauma-responsive, adapted to the communities of Hawaii. She also supervises clinicians, trains them in ketamine work and runs PSIP intensives. PSIP is interactive rather than eyes-closed: the therapist stays in relationship with the client while old survival states come up and settle, with or without medicine. She helped found the American Psychedelic Practitioners Association.

Who it is for

The practice describes its ketamine work as suited to people who have tried other therapies without lasting relief, or who live with depression, anxiety or trauma. It is not offered to people with conditions that make ketamine unsafe, to those actively misusing substances, or to anyone looking for a quick fix without integration.

Practical details

Preparation and integration sessions last 53 minutes and are held online, while medicine sessions take two to three hours in person. Her fee is $185 to $200 a session, with discounted packages and superbills for most services. A weekly integration group is included in most medicine packages.

Care and safety

Treatment starts with a short phone call, intake forms and a clinical intake where the plan is agreed. A licensed physician prescribes and monitors the ketamine after a medical and psychological assessment. Ketamine is given as lozenges or by IV with partner medical providers, in the office or, for those who qualify, at home. She works only with legally prescribed medicines, ketamine and cannabis.