Mental Wellness Treatment at Vance Medical
At Vance Medical, we believe there is a better approach to mental health than the one-size-fits-all medication model that has left so many patients struggling. Before entering the world of integrative medicine — and even before becoming a family physician — Dr. Vance completed a psychiatry internship at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Virginia. There, he saw firsthand both the shortage of mental health providers and how heavily the field relies on medications that often come with significant side effects and uncertain long-term outcomes.
We believe mental illness has roots — and that addressing those roots, rather than simply managing symptoms, is how real healing begins.
Schedule a Mental Wellness Consultation — Call Vance Medical Today
1001 N. Meridian Rd · Meridian, ID 83642 · Tue–Thu 9am–5pm
A Different Approach to Mental Health
The Brain Nutrition Connection
Emerging research suggests that many mental health conditions are rooted not in personal weakness or a simple ‘chemical imbalance,’ but in nutrient deficiency, genetic factors, and impaired brain chemistry. Patients with depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders frequently have genetic defects — such as MTHFR mutations — that impair their ability to process certain nutrients critical for neurotransmitter production.
At Vance Medical, we address these root causes directly. We offer targeted supplements to support brain nutrition including Lavela, Kava Calm, Methyl Protect, Niacinamide, B12, and EMP Lightning Stiks — each selected to support specific areas of mood and cognitive function.
IV Ketamine Therapy for Depression, PTSD & Anxiety
Ketamine has emerged as one of the most significant breakthroughs in psychiatric medicine in decades. Multiple clinical studies confirm it has a faster-acting effect on depression, PTSD, and anxiety than any traditional antidepressant — often producing meaningful relief within 24–72 hours, even in patients who have tried multiple medications without success.
At Vance Medical, IV ketamine is administered in a controlled, physician-supervised clinical environment. Vital signs are continuously monitored, lights are dimmed, and patients relax with an eye mask and calming music throughout each infusion. Typically, six separate treatments are given over a two-to-three week period for the best sustained results.
Conditions Ketamine May Help
- Treatment-resistant major depressive disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Suicidal ideation
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Fibromyalgia and chronic pain
- Neurologic effects of mold toxicity
The PTSD Protocol
Proprietary PTSD Protocol
Vance Medical offers a unique, proprietary PTSD Protocol — a series of manual therapies that, when applied together, can be extraordinarily effective for patients struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In many cases, a single treatment permanently eliminates PTSD symptoms associated with a specific trauma or event.
The protocol works best for traumas that have occurred in the past. During treatment, patients emotionally revisit the event while a sequence of manual therapies is applied. As the session progresses, the emotional charge of the memory typically diminishes until the memory becomes neutral and the distress disappears entirely.
Patients do not need to describe their trauma in detail. A one- or two-word description is sufficient to reference the event during treatment. For patients with severe emotional trauma, Dr. Vance recommends beginning with a less significant event for the first two to three sessions, allowing the body to learn how to process memories before approaching the most difficult ones.
Treatments typically take 30–45 minutes and are often combined with our Breathing Protocol for enhanced results.
The Breathing Protocol
The Breathing Protocol is an exclusive, multi-part treatment that can alleviate most lung and breathing disorders — including asthma, COPD, musculoskeletal chest pain, shortness of breath, and bronchitis — while also inducing a profound state of relaxation that helps significantly with stress, anxiety, and panic attacks.
The protocol consists of four procedures applied together:
Infraspinatus Respiratory Reflex
Targeted injections of procaine or lidocaine are placed into tender areas of the bilateral infraspinatus muscle (over the shoulder blades). This technique — originally discovered by Dr. Philibert — has shown significant benefit for patients with asthma and chronic breathing difficulty.
Neural Reflex Therapy (NRT)
A light-touch manual therapy that releases tender areas on the chest wall, immediately relaxing the muscles and typically producing significant whole-body relaxation.
Tickle Therapy
A light-touch application of local anesthetic around the chest wall that does not penetrate the skin. Painless and often mildly ticklish, this procedure contributes to the cumulative relaxation effect of the protocol.
Lung Boost
A targeted manual therapy that helps patients breathe more deeply and freely — often producing immediate, noticeable improvement in breathing capacity.
The full Breathing Protocol typically takes 45–60 minutes. Because the protocol requires access to the torso, a gown is provided for female patients and a female staff member is always present during the procedure.
Neural Reflex Therapy for Mental Health
Neural Reflex Therapy is a gentle manual therapy that works by stimulating specific nerve reflexes to calm the mind and body, and to support correct processing of memories. It is highly effective for anxiety, phobias, and PTSD — and many patients report feeling significantly calmer and less burdened by intrusive thoughts within just a few minutes of treatment.
Gentle Neurologic Reset
For people who are particularly stressed, one treatment that can often provide very rapid relaxation is the Gentle Neurologic Reset — a treatment in which the Tickle Therapy (light-touch application of local anesthetic) is applied over the entire surface area of the body. This provides a gentle, calming stimulus to the nervous system, and can often in 15–20 minutes provide significant relaxation, allowing people to calm down very quickly. Because the treatment requires exposure, for female patients a female staff member is always present during the entire procedure.
MTHFR & The Genetic Connection to Mental Illness
MTHFR (MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase) is a genetic variant found in a significant portion of the population that impairs the body’s ability to process folic acid into its usable form. Because this affects neurotransmitter synthesis, inflammation control, and toxin elimination, MTHFR mutations are strongly associated with depression, anxiety, brain fog, and many other mental health conditions.
Much of the problem with MTHFR is an imbalance of methylation (the attachment of a carbon and three hydrogen atoms to another molecule). Too little methylation and people become anxious and depressed. Too much and they become irritable. At Vance Medical, we treat MTHFR by testing for an imbalance in methylation, then treating it directly with targeted, specific vitamins to bring this into balance. Many patients experience remarkable improvements in mood and cognitive function with this approach alone.
Conditions We Treat
- Major depressive disorder
- Treatment-resistant depression
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Panic attacks
- Brain fog and cognitive decline
- Mood disorders
- Fibromyalgia with mood components
- MTHFR-related mental health conditions
- Stress and burnout
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ketamine therapy safe for mental health treatment?
Yes. At Vance Medical, all ketamine infusions are administered by a licensed physician at carefully controlled doses with continuous vital sign monitoring. Ketamine has been used safely in medical settings for over 50 years and is on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines.
How quickly does ketamine work for depression?
Many patients report noticeable improvement in mood within 24–72 hours of their first infusion — significantly faster than traditional antidepressants, which typically take weeks to show effect.
What if I've tried multiple antidepressants without success?
Treatment-resistant depression is one of the primary reasons patients come to Vance Medical. Ketamine works through a completely different mechanism than traditional antidepressants and has helped many patients for whom nothing else worked.
Do I need to describe my trauma in detail for the PTSD Protocol?
No. Patients only need to provide a brief one- or two-word description of the event being treated. We prefer to not hear details of your trauma.
Ready to Take the Next Step? Call Vance Medical to Schedule a Mental Wellness Consultation
1001 N. Meridian Rd · Meridian, ID 83642 · Tue–Thu 9am–5pm