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I have been working in the mental health and substance use field for over 20 years. I hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago (2004) and am a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (#2297). During my career, I have served as a front-line mental health and substance use counsellor, and as a Team Lead and Clinical Supervisor, supporting multiple outpatient psychiatric and substance use programs. I am trained in IFS with the Internal Family Systems Institute with a particular focus on the synergy between IFS and psychedelic assisted therapy.
I have been working in clinical research with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) since 2016. I was a therapist and sub-investigator on the Phase III clinical trial investigating the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy for severe PTSD. I am MAPS trained Supervisor, supporting clinicians in completing their MDMA assisted therapy education.
I am dedicated to sharing knowledge with other care providers through the development of curriculum and instruction in substance use treatment and in psychedelic-assisted therapy training. I have co-led trainings for TheraPsil, a Canadian organization committed to providing individuals with access to psilocybin-assisted therapy for end-of-life anxiety and treatment-resistant depression. Additionally, I provide supervision to graduates of that program.
My interests lie in the intersection of community mental health, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and the therapeutic potential of expanded states of consciousness. I am deeply committed to advancing the field through ongoing research and clinical work, as well as by sharing my expertise with fellow mental health and substance use professionals.
"Trauma is not a flaw or a weakness. It is a highly effective tool of safety and survival. Trauma is also not an event. Trauma is the body’s protective response to an event—or a series of events—that it perceives as potentially dangerous.”
- Resmaa Menakem
MAPS Senior Medical Director for Medical Affairs,
Training and Supervision
Initially I was her trainer and therapy supervisor on MAPS clinical trials studying MDMA for PTSD. In this role I watched videos of her MDMA therapy sessions so I was able to directly observe her skills as a therapist and her compassion for the study participants she worked with. She then went on to do excellent work as a therapist on additional MAPS studies with strong results, and she is now a colleague supervising new therapists in studies of MDMA-assisted therapy where she continues to demonstrate the depth of her experience as a therapist.