I am a son, brother, father, husband, and friend. I come from Celtic, Norse, Slavic, and Cherokee ancestry on my mother’s side, and Celtic and Norse ancestry on my father’s side. I currently live and work on the unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. I am grateful to be a learner on these lands, and honor those who have cared for these lands since time immemorial. I hold a Master’s Degree in Education specializing in counselling psychology. I also recently completed a graduate certificate in the Psychedelic Assisted Therapy program through Vancouver Island University. I have been heavily influenced by transpersonal, existential, and non-dual teachings. I also believe in working with the technology of the body through trauma informed somatic awareness practices.

I’ve spent the majority of my career working in the realm of mental health and addictions. Most recently, I worked as a Mental Health Manager for a local First Nation. In hindsight, I can see how I’ve been preparing myself for healing work even before I sought out a career in counselling. Early life trauma, along with the painful loss of both my parents at a young age was a perfect storm that contributed to my use of drugs and alcohol to self-medicate. This numbing and escapism ultimately led to active addiction for many years of my life. Once I stopped self-medicating, space opened up to embrace my own healing journey. This has included counselling therapy, reparative relationship, connecting to nature, earth medicine ceremonies, various transpersonal ceremonial experiences, and re-connection to ancestral ways. I have learned that by sitting with our own darkness and shadow aspects, we are then able to hold supportive space for others to face their own. I feel passionate about helping others heal in the ways I have, and am.

I am a son, brother, father, husband, and friend. I come from Celtic, Norse, Slavic, and Cherokee... Read More

karina czyzewski is a registered clinical social worker with an additional graduate degree in medical anthropology of French and Slavic descent. They are originally from Ottawa on unceded Algonquin territories, and have been an uninvited guest on the stolen territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for the last 12 years.

They have worked in the field of mental health and substance for over a decade in Vancouver as well as Toronto, and has years of direct service & harm reduction outreach experience in downtown, the DTES & Metro Vancouver. karina has had the privilege of coordinating participatory research projects alongside community researchers in Victoria & Vancouver, and across Nunavut.

Professional Background

karina has formal training in Somatic Experiencing, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (ATMA), Narrative Therapy and Feminist Narrative Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Brief Solutions-Focused Therapy. They have self-taught knowledge and skills in Art Therapy, Play Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. karina has over a decade of experience in substance use counselling and concurrent disorders. They have years of experience working & living with their fellow queer, trans and gender-diverse folks in downtown Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, & Vancouver. karina brings a critical analysis & social justice-orientation to their counselling practice.

karina is committed to equity-oriented care that is culturally safe, trauma- and violence-informed, and harm reductive. They are passionate about excellent ethical practices, clear consent, and transparent communication with everyone. Their personal ethics are framed by the anti-racist, abolitionist, queer, disabled, sex positive brilliant humans that have come before them & that inform their day-to-day.

In their personal life, karina enjoys cycling, baking vegan treats, organizing with community members, their family & partner, and their many plant babies. karina reads voraciously, enjoys burlesque occasionally, and will seriously not know many TV pop culture references.

karina czyzewski is a registered clinical social worker with an additional graduate degree in med... Read More

As a trans masculine, and autistic asexual person, Chasse is passionate about working with people with intersecting identities and lived experiences.

Before becoming a counselor Chasse gained experience working in the non-profit sector offering harm reduction and sexual health services to GBTQ men who have sex with men and people who use drugs. These experiences have shaped his therapeutic approach with clients. As a counselor, he has primarily supported fellow neurodivergent folks from a neurodiversity affirming approach. Chasse would describe his overall approach as person centered and rooted in harm reduction. Meaning you are treated as the expert of your lived experience(s).

Person-centered approach focuses on you as the expert of your own life. You get to decide what working together looks like, and what does or doesn’t work for you. Traditionally person centered approaches strive towards self-actualization, meaning for you to become the best version of yourself possible. By adopting an anti-oppressive lens, Chasse acknowledges that this isn’t possible without having other needs met first and that we alone can’t be responsible for meeting these needs. Therefore some of the work together may include recognizing the ways in which we internalize social understandings of our experiences (e.g internalized ableism, transphobia) and doing our best to work within these oppressive systems. Chasse also may use techniques drawing from Internal Family Systems and Narrative Therapy in client work.

In his free time, Chasse enjoys playing video games and spending time in nature.

As a trans masculine, and autistic asexual person, Chasse is passionate about working with people... Read More

I embarked on my journey as a yoga instructor in 2012, delving deeper into energetic healing in 2015. Over the years, I’ve facilitated numerous meditations, workshops, and retreats, fostering transformative experiences for my participants.

Beyond my professional pursuits, I take pride in being a dedicated solo-mom who finds joy in dancing and knitting during my downtime.

My approach to guiding others is grounded in somatic awareness, trauma-informed principles, with a spiritual/energetic emphasis. My passion for psychedelic integration blossomed from my own therapeutic journeys, igniting profound changes in how I navigate the world.

In a time when the therapeutic potential of psychedelics was still emerging, I felt compelled to share my experiences openly. Witnessing the profound and enduring impact on my own life, I knew it was a path I couldn’t keep to myself.I look forward to the opportunity to support you in your personal journey, providing a safe and nurturing space devoid of judgement.

I embarked on my journey as a yoga instructor in 2012, delving deeper into energetic healing in 2... Read More

Kim is a mother, sister, daughter, aunt, and friend, as well as a professor, social worker, creative arts- and psychedelic-assisted- therapist. She is also a cisgender White woman, a member of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, neurodivergent, and has a (dis)ability. A first-generation immigrant to Canada, she has mixed Irish, German, and Hungarian ancestry. Kim is the proud mother of twins, Aya and Noor. She enjoys spending time in Victoria, resides in Venise-En-Quebec, and serves as an Associate Professor of Social Work in New York. She strives to remember that she lives and works on lands belonging to the Iroquois, Western Abenaki, Mohican, Mohawk, and Haudenosaunee peoples and practices this awareness from a place of deep gratitude and humility.

Kim’s identity and lived experience, which includes both privilege and oppression, and her commitment to critical reflexivity, help her to have deep empathy for those who experience marginalization, shame, isolation, and stigma. She relates strongly with how these forces can contribute to complex feelings of disconnection from oneself and others, community, culture, or society, diminishing our sense of vitality and joy.

Kim holds a deep appreciation of the bio-psycho-social and spiritual dimensions of a person-in-relationship with their sociopolitical, cultural, and geographic environment. She works from a systems perspective, which highlights how we are embedded within complex structures of family, community, sociocultural and political dynamics which can cause harm and constrain us from living in alignment with the true nature of our authentic spirit. Her approach to counselling is deeply relational and is supported by a steadfast commitment to social justice.

As a Psilocybin-assisted therapist, she is deeply grateful to support others on their own unique journey to reconnect with their true spirit and to tap into our shared inner healing intelligence. She invites and welcomes an embodied process of becoming more fully attuned to one’s Self energy, which unleashes our capacity for radical self-compassion, allowing us to heal and nurture our relationships with ourselves and others, the world around us, and to build compassionate communities. She considers herself a humble witness as individuals heal themselves while contributing to our universal, collective healing.

Kim’s passions include being a Mom, travelling whenever and wherever she can, and all things creative. She loves the arts and being in nature and is always trying to make more time to engage in both. She enjoys looking for awe in her everyday life and finds strength in her spirituality that draws from many, but welcomes all, sources of wisdom and guidance. Kim’s spirituality is shaped by her early Catholic upbringing, a deep appreciation for Nature/Humanism, a growing interest in Yoga/Hindu practices, and from her study and practice of the Sufi faith tradition.

Kim is a mother, sister, daughter, aunt, and friend, as well as a professor, social worker, creat... Read More

Ashley Parsons completed her studies in Spiritual Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction at the Transformational Arts College in Toronto in 2016 and now practices as a Registered Psychotherapist and is a member in good standing with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. Her studies in Psychotherapy were preceded by an undergraduate degree and graduate studies in the History and Philosophy of Asian Religions at Concordia University in Montreal.

She has lived and studied extensively with various Lamas in Buddhist monasteries across North America and India and has had the blessing of private audiences with His Holiness the Dalai Lama due to her work with the Canada Tibet Committee and the Kalachakra Tantra in Toronto, 2004.

Ashley became a certified Yoga teacher in 2011 and has studied Yoga internationally in India, the United States, Central America and Canada with internationally renowned teachers throughout her 25 year yoga journey.

Ashley’s therapeutic approach is first and foremost to meet clients where they are at, to get clear on client goals, to support the client through meditative techniques and therapeutic tools that are appropriate for the client. These tools may include connecting the client with the Wise part of themselves, affirmations co-created with the client in order to restore their power, and more. Preferred therapeutic approaches are Depth Hypnosis and Applied Shamanic Counselling, however, Ashley has a myriad of tools gleaned from her 8 years of experience as a Psychotherapist.

Working at the client’s pace, Ashley has a passion for identifying limiting beliefs and behaviour patterns and re-patterning those beliefs to align with the client’s Higher Self. Her passion for this healing work is a labour of love; she has a natural ability to be present with others.

Ashley is currently studying at the graduate level at the University of Ottawa in Psychedelics and Consciousness Studies.

Ashley Parsons completed her studies in Spiritual Psychotherapy and Spiritual Direction at the Tr... Read More

Shannon is a dedicated and compassionate Registered Clinical Counsellor who brings over a decade of diverse experience to the field of mental health and therapy.

In her sessions, she prioritizes supporting clients to identify, explore, express, and regulate emotions as a means of facilitating growth and healing. While it is true that counselling can be challenging, she also believes it can and should include humour, hope, and be a comfortable place for self-discovery. She offers a holistic, trauma-informed approach to support with concerns such as anxiety, grief and loss, depression, trauma, relationship issues, parenting, and life transitions.

Along with her Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, her commitment to ongoing learning and professional development is evident in her pursuit of specialized trainings in Emotion-Focused Therapy, Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy as well as a Graduate Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy.

Beyond her professional endeavours, she enjoys spending time in nature, practicing yoga, snowboarding, playing soccer and tennis, dabbling in piano and guitar, and training her Border Collie.

Shannon is a dedicated and compassionate Registered Clinical Counsellor who brings over a decade ... Read More

‍Raman graduated with a Master of Counselling Psychology: Art Therapy in 2016. Her focus was on both inpatient and outpatient populations and she has had the honour of serving people from a diverse set of backgrounds.

Raman initially worked in tertiary care centres across British Columbia facilitating open art studios and individual therapy services. This allowed her to combine her passion for visual arts within a clinical therapeutic framework.

Raman has extensive experience working in Forensic Psychology with individuals who are not criminally responsible due to mental disorders. Her role is within a maximum-security facility working to re-integrate individuals back into their communities. This role has allowed her to gain experience facilitating groups and individual therapy working primarily with psychosis, personality disorders, and substance use recovery. She has worked on therapeutic murals, created sensory rooms, and other forms of expressive arts in addition to clinical counselling with the goal of comprehensive wellness.

Raman is also a part of a Critical Incident Stress Management team and facilitates individual and group debriefs following crisis situations. This role allows her to provide peer-to-peer support after team members have been exposed to traumatic incidents. She is passionate about supporting staff she works with and aiding in functional responses and reconnection.

Raman is passionate about continuing her learning and broadening her experience as a therapist, which has led her to become involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy clinical trials. This innovative treatment approach combines many areas of her practice, including holistic wellness and novel treatment approaches.

‍Throughout her professional journey, Raman has worked in private practice with individuals, groups, and facilitating workshops. She is passionate about working with adolescents and adults from South Asian backgrounds, First Responders, individuals who have experienced mood disorders and trauma, as well as critical incidents and occupational injuries. Raman continues to pursue education and training opportunities to broaden her scope of practice and stay up-to-date with novel ideas and treatment approaches.

‍Raman graduated with a Master of Counselling Psychology: Art Therapy in 2016. Her focus was on b... Read More

Amy Sedgwick is a dedicated occupational therapist, educator, and advocate whose work spans diverse realms of holistic health, reproductive rights, and psychedelic therapy. With a commitment to compassionate care and innovative approaches, Amy has made significant contributions to the fields of occupational therapy and women’s health.

Amy’s journey in the realm of holistic health began with her undergraduate studies at the University of Guelph, where she spent two years working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology while volunteering in the Horticultural Therapy department at Homewood Psychiatric Hospital. This foundational education sparked her interest in the intersection of mind, body, and spirit, setting the stage for her future endeavors.Driven by a passion for empowering individuals to live their best lives, Amy pursued a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto. Here, she honed her skills in therapeutic interventions and patient advocacy, laying the groundwork for her impactful career in healthcare.

Amy’s career trajectory reflects her multifaceted interests and commitment to holistic wellbeing. She has held various roles across different settings, each contributing to her expansive expertise and compassionate approach to patient care.

During her tenure at St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Amy provided essential support to individuals with mental health challenges, fostering healing and resilience within her community. Her work at Veterans Affairs Canada further solidified her reputation as a skilled therapist, where she dedicated herself to improving the lives of military veterans through personalized interventions and compassionate care.

In addition to her clinical work, Amy has been deeply involved in education and advocacy. As an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto Department of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science, she has shared her knowledge and expertise with the next generation of healthcare professionals. Her role as a faculty member at Justisse College International allowed her to shape the curriculum and mentor students in the emerging field of reproductive health and sexuality.

Amy’s commitment to advancing the field of occupational therapy led her to pursue specialized training in psychedelic-assisted therapy, becoming Canada’s inaugural OT student in this groundbreaking program at Vancouver Island University. This experience has equipped her with unique insights into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, enriching her practice and expanding her toolkit for supporting clients on their healing journeys. Amy has further developed both her practical and academic knowledge in psychedelics through studies with the Diaspora Psychedelic Society in Jamaica, and collaborations and fieldwork practice at Holos Integrative Health in Halifax and NuVista Mental Health in Fredericton.

Throughout her career, Amy has been a trailblazer in advocating for women’s reproductive rights and sexual health. As the co-founder of Ecosex.ca and Red Tent Sisters, she created safe and inclusive spaces for individuals to explore their sexuality and access holistic reproductive health services. Through these ventures, Amy empowered countless individuals to make informed choices about their bodies and reclaim agency over their health and wellbeing.

In addition to her clinical and entrepreneurial pursuits, Amy is an active member of various professional associations and advocacy groups, including the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists and the Psychedelic Association of Canada. Her commitment to anti-oppression work and racial justice is evident in her participation in training programs and workshops aimed at creating more equitable and inclusive healthcare systems.

Amy’s approach to therapy is eclectic and draws from techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Written Exposure Therapy, nature-based therapies, somatic approaches, and principles of person-centred care. Amy also has a deep interest in the intersection of astrology with psychedelic therapy, a topic which, while controversial, has been supported by some of the leading psychedelic pioneers. Amy’s primary therapeutic tool with her clients is a sociological approach to working with emotions called Dynamic Emotional Integration. This technique aims to enhance empathy while improving emotional granularity (the capacity to identify and name emotions), and solidify clients’ skills in emotional regulation.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Amy is a passionate advocate for self-care and personal growth. Her interests span a wide range of activities, from dancing and photography to creative writing and traditional basket weaving. Through these pursuits, Amy finds balance and inspiration, nurturing her own wellbeing while continuing to uplift and support others on their healing journeys.

Amy’s career embodies the essence of holistic health and compassionate care. As a registered occupational therapist, educator, and advocate, she has dedicated her life to empowering individuals to live fully and authentically. Through her innovative ventures, groundbreaking research, and unwavering commitment to social justice, Amy continues to shape the future of healthcare, one patient at a time.

Amy Sedgwick is a dedicated occupational therapist, educator, and advocate whose work spans diver... Read More