Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Kelchner.
Hi Amy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been in the healing arts field for over 30 years and have worked as a bodyworker, physician, soul guide and intuitive counselor, always with the intention of helping people connect with their inner knowing and follow their own calling. I have an innate trust in the wisdom of the body and the inherent wholeness of the soul. My interest in finding the Truth at the center of our being has led me to study natural medicine, gentle bodywork, intuitive counseling and shadow work, and spiritual wisdom traditions and techniques of healing. Psychedelic medicine is another way to access this inner Truth and has deepened my work with people meaningfully.
I feel truly blessed to work with people in the messy, beautiful process of healing. I love to sit with people as they go through deep transformation, whether they are at intentional transition points in their lives or at their wit’s end with their mental health or relationships, or ready to step out of trauma conditioning and into their own power. I help people connect with their essential self so they can shed old beliefs and step into the fullness of their being.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road!
This career path came to me partway through college, when I was in South America on an exchange program and realized I was on the wrong path of study. It took me a few more years to complete the science prerequisites I needed to attend naturopathic medical school. At the time, becoming a naturopathic doctor seemed like such a clear path, with the promise of a good income and a steady career.
The reality has been much more complicated. I didn’t realize that being a naturopathic doctor would also require me to become an entrepreneur and businessperson, and that has been a huge learning curve. About ten years into my career, I declared bankruptcy and had to start over financially. My family moved many times as we searched for the right place for me to practice. My spouse was also an ND, but ultimately left practice because of the stress.
Financially, it has been—and continues to be—a struggle. I started my career in primary care in a rural community, but realized that wasn’t the right fit for me. I pursued additional education and began exploring different ways of practicing. I wasn’t willing to give up the career entirely, so my practice has gone through many iterations: from primary care, to pediatrics, to bodywork, to counseling, and now to transformational soul healing and ketamine-assisted therapy.
The profession itself has also changed considerably. When I started, I believed demand for naturopathic medicine would continue to grow. Instead, interest in “natural” and holistic medicine has become very diffuse, with many different practitioners and approaches competing for attention. Everyone seems to have an opinion about holistic treatments!
Insurance coverage and reimbursement have also changed—and continue to change—constantly, which adds another layer of financial uncertainty.
And yet, the work itself is incredibly rewarding. I love helping people and I love the depth and creativity of this work. So, despite all the challenges, I’ve kept pressing on, adapting, reinventing my practice, and finding ways to make it work.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Empathy Grove Ketamine Therapy and Wellness Center?
Empathy Grove is a ketamine therapy and transformational healing practice in the Portland area, founded from my decades years of experience as a healer and naturopathic doctor and my deep belief that healing is not simply about fixing what is wrong with us—it is about remembering and reclaiming what is already whole.
We specialize in ketamine-assisted therapy, psychospiritual counseling, and deeper transformational work that brings together the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. My approach is highly individualized and draws from many years of training and experience in naturopathic medicine, somatic work, bodywork, energy healing, parts work, and spiritual practice. I also sometimes offer spiritual teaching and guidance for people who are seeking a deeper relationship with themselves, their lives, and their sense of purpose.
What sets Empathy Grove apart is the depth and spaciousness of the work. I’m less interested in helping people simply “get back to normal” and more interested in helping them discover what is trying to emerge through their healing. I believe every person has an inherent wholeness, even when they are struggling, and that each of us has unique gifts, wisdom, and offerings that the world needs. Healing can be a process of uncovering those things rather than becoming someone we think we are supposed to be.
Ketamine-assisted therapy is one of the tools I use within that larger framework. I offer both immersive psychedelic experiences and lower-dose psycholytic sessions, with preparation, support during the experience, and integration afterward. The medicine can open a door, but the deeper transformation comes from how we engage with what emerges.
I’m especially proud of the brand we’ve created around Empathy Grove because the name itself reflects what I want the practice to feel like: a place where people can feel safe enough to soften, explore, grow, and become more fully themselves. “Grove” evokes a protected place in nature—a place to rest, reconnect, and find nourishment—and that is very much the spirit of the practice.
Ultimately, I want people to know that Empathy Grove is not just a ketamine clinic. It is a place for meaningful inner work. Whether someone comes seeking relief from suffering, a new perspective on their life, spiritual exploration, or a deeper sense of purpose, my hope is that they leave not only feeling better, but more connected to who they truly are and to the unique contribution they are here to make.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me are authenticity, compassion, curiosity, integrity, and presence.
Authenticity is at the heart of my values. It is what I strive to embody in my own life, and what I hope to help others discover through transformational work. I believe there is something deeply healing about becoming more fully ourselves rather than continually trying to become who we think we are supposed to be.
Compassion, curiosity, and presence shape how I approach that process. I try to meet people exactly where they are, without judgment, while remaining genuinely curious about their experiences, their stories, and what may be underneath the patterns that keep them stuck.
Integrity is what grounds all of it. For me, that means being willing to look honestly at myself, including my own shadows and places where I still have room to grow. I believe we can’t authentically invite others into that kind of self-exploration without being willing to do it ourselves.
And ultimately, presence is the foundation. Much of healing happens when we have the space to slow down, pay attention, and truly be with what is here. That is the kind of space I strive to create—for myself and for the people I have the privilege of working with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.empathygrove.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empathygroveketamine
