Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amber Kerby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Amber thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken personally and professionally, is to establish a therapeutic practice around psychedelics in the Midwest.

Now, an important aspect of this risk is to understand that I’ve never been described as a rebel.  On the contrary, I spent a lifetime fitting in. Don’t get me wrong, I found small outlets for individuality, but nothing that would make me stand out too much.

Then a perfect storm formed in my life that led me to do deeper personal work, overhaul my business, and begin blazing a risky trail in the midwestern mental health community.

My interest in psychedelic assisted therapy began taking shape in 2019. I was captivated by the effectiveness of this treatment modality, particularly with populations that see very little progress with traditional psychopharmacology.

I felt as though I was doing a disservice to my clients by only being able to recommend treatment modalities that clearly do not work for everyone. With the constant flow of research studies emerging to support the safety and efficacy of psychedelic assisted therapy, I had to learn more.

In the summer of 2021 I enrolled in a year-long training program at the Integrative Psychiatry Institute in Boulder, CO in order to gain certification in psychedelic assisted therapy. I wasn’t entirely sure how this investment would play out as Iowa is known more for its agriculture and conservative values than being on the forefront of the psychedelic movement.

However, after my year of training and networking, I began to form a plan to offer ketamine assisted psychotherapy in a state where it is nonexistent.  At low doses given during a therapy session, clients experience a shift in consciousness such as an expanded state of awareness, access to novel ways of viewing life concerns, and freedom from the worries and anxieties of your ordinary mind-states. Pairing psychotherapy with ketamine offers real-time reflection on this experience to enhance growth and change.

I am honored to be the first licensed marriage and family therapist in Iowa to hold this certification from IPI, and currently the only LMFT in this state to offer Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy in private practice using sublingual ketamine.  I am also one of the few trained professionals to offer psychedelic integration in a therapeutic context.

When I began this journey, I was cautioned that this pursuit would be career suicide. And in a way it was. It spurred on a transformative process that required the death of my old life and practice in order to birth something entirely new. I have put in extensive work both personally and professionally in order to blaze a trail that is ethical, legal, and effective. My clients are seeing progress in therapy. I’m reinvigorated. And a novel mental health treatment modality is emerging in an area that sorely needs it.

The most encouraging thing about being a pioneer is that you don’t have to be anything extraordinary. You just have to be the one who’s willing to risk forging a new path.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice. I am trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), and I am a certified psychedelic assisted therapy provider. I offer ketamine assisted psychotherapy, psychedelic integration therapy, and IFS therapy. In addition, I provide education and consultation services around these specialties.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective way I’ve found to connect with clients is through word-of-mouth, social media, and professional networking.

I have limited competition in this area given my licensure and training and my waiting list is too long.  So instead of focusing solely on building clientele, I am also passionate about expanding the network of professionals trained to offer non-ordinary therapy modalities such as Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy through mentoring, supervision, and consultation.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Ram Dass once said, “you can know knowledge but you can only be wise.”

It became clear early on in my training that knowing basic skills wasn’t enough – it was imperative that I do my own work.  After all, how can I guide others to a place I have never been?  Through the support of mentors and therapists, I traveled an experiential path of personal discovery and transformation that paralleled all I was learning.  This gave me confidence to roll out a new treatment modality and take risks both personally and professionally.

Working with novel approaches to mental health also requires support and supervision.  Building an international network of like-minded practitioners is essential for accountability, consultation, and creativity.  I wouldn’t have been successful in rolling out these services ethically, legally, and effectively without this foundation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amberkerby.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/nonordinary.therapy
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/nonordinary.therapy
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/amber-kerby-ms-lmft-46420b4b

Image Credits
Lauren Matysik Photo