About Allison

I take a holistic bio-psycho-social-enviro-spiritual approach to my work, which means I consider physical, mental, emotional, social, environmental, and spiritual needs as fundamental to healing, growth, and well-being.

I received my five-year training as a psychotherapist from the Gestalt Institute of Toronto (after my MA in Adult Education and decade long career in teaching, coaching, and instructional design). While my basic approach to therapy comes from the Gestalt tradition of working in the here and now, I am more influenced by existential, Jungian, and spiritually integrated approaches today. Since graduation, I have completed certification in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy through the ACPE in the United States.

As more and more people are working with psychedelic substances to treat mental health issues and for psycho-spiritual growth, I am happy to support clients on that journey. I take a harm-reduction approach to substance use and support therapeutic integration work for pre and post-psychedelic experiences. I’ve completed training in psilocybin assisted psychotherapy through Therapsil and ketamine assisted therapy with Dr Mark Kornfield and Susan Mcbride RN, as well as emotionally focussed ketamine assisted psychotherapy with Adelle LeFrance RP.

I hold a deep fascination with all forms of spiritual orientation, practice, and religion and enjoy learning from and with people who gain something important from them. I would describe my most powerful spiritual experiences as nondual, and therefore I gravitate towards that framing spiritually, philosophically, and psychologically. My core spiritual practice is cultivating clear awareness and open heartedness. I have a nerdy passion for myth and archetype and like to explore how both inform the personal sphere, be that through dreamwork, working with the archetypal language of tarot or astrology, and personality systems such as Enneagram or Meyers Briggs.

I am deeply dedicated to supporting human diversity in all forms and want clients to feel welcome to be who they are, love who they want, and how they want, and be able to bring forward any issue without fear of judgement or being missed. I’m committed to continually working at uncovering and addressing biases that arise from my social positioning. This includes exploring ways in which power and privilege are experienced between me and those I work with.

And finally, having lived in Europe for about eight years, the US for two, and BC for five, as well as having raised a multilingual kid in four countries in an intercultural marriage, I am particularly attuned to working with issues related to cross-cultural transitions, relationships, identity, and homesickness.