The Soul Alongside You

I’m finally taking the time to start something I’ve been postponing and putting off for a little while now: my introduction. Even though the work I do isn’t about me — it’s about you — I also know that without you knowing a little bit about me, how could we possibly build a trusting and authentic relationship? So, here we go.

It feels almost impossible to tell you about myself without sharing some of the life experiences that have shaped me in really big ways. The first was in 2014, when we lost everything we owned in a house fire. What stayed with me after wasn’t the loss, but this overwhelming, life-changing gratitude for being alive and for the community that surrounded us. I was never quite the same after that. The second was in 2017, when my daughter Naya was born. After years of infertility, treatments, heartbreak, and the help of a sperm donor, she finally arrived — and once again, my heart was cracked wide open with gratitude. And most recently, in 2021, I found myself desperate for something that could pull me out of the heavy depression I had sunk into, and I decided to try something “crazy”. I travelled alone to Mexico to participate in a plant medicine retreat and without knowing it at the time, it changed the entire course of my life. Gratitude again, on a whole new level.

While I could tell you about the fire or the birth of my daughter (and maybe someday I will), today I want to share the story of how I came to be here — a therapist whose passion for the healing potential of psychedelics runs deep into my soul and purpose.

After COVID, I found myself in one of the darkest periods of my life. Work had become miserable, my social life — something that had always been a core part of my identity — vanished overnight, and my drinking crept up without me even fully realizing it. I felt lonely in ways I didn’t know were possible, lost in my mind, and honestly, I just wanted to disappear.

One day, in a raw and honest conversation with a dear friend, I opened up about how bad things had gotten. That conversation led me to the world of psychedelics. I started reading everything I could get my hands on. Study after study, story after story — I was amazed. Mushrooms helping with depression? MDMA healing trauma? LSD supporting people to quit drinking? It felt like a whole hidden world had opened up, and I couldn’t look away.

Eventually, after a lot of research (and a lot of hesitation), I worked up the courage to start microdosing.

And almost immediately, I noticed a shift. Not days later. Not weeks later. The day of. I wondered if it could just be placebo, some desperate hope tricking my brain into feeling better. But it wasn’t just me who noticed — I was able to work longer, sleep less, and leave my room with something that felt like energy and lightness again. It felt like a miracle.

But the truth was, even though I felt better on the outside, there was still a hollow, aching hole inside me that microdosing couldn’t touch.

I kept reading, kept learning, and began looking up retreats in Central and South America. I eventually stumbled on an all-women’s retreat in Mexico and, without knowing a single soul, booked a ticket, packed a bag, and boarded a plane into the complete unknown. I still remember sitting in the van from the airport, hurtling into the jungle, thinking, What in the world am I doing?

Turns out, it was the best decision I ever made.

For four days, I sat with ten other women, surrounded by the jungle, sweating it out in a temazcal (South American sweat lodge made of clay) and participating in two life changing plant medicine ceremonies. Those four days turned out to be some of the most important of my life — right up there with the birth of my daughter.

When I came home, everything had shifted. It wasn’t loud or dramatic — but it was complete. From the molecules in my body to the vastness of the universe, everything was different. Without even consciously trying, my habits changed. My diet changed. My relationship with alcohol changed. My relationship with myself changed which lead me to finally finding the courage to do something I had been dreaming about for more than a decade: I went back to school.

Counselling and psychology had always been my strength, my biggest interest, and my passion. And now, with this deeper understanding of the healing potential of psychedelics, it all made sense. It all fit. I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to learning everything I could about supporting others — to help them understand the possibilities of psychedelic healing, and to walk beside them as they made sense of their own experiences. Walking alongside others as they discover, heal, and grow, with or without the use of psychedelics.

Which brings me to today.

Being a therapist. Building my private practice. Continuing to learn, to grow, and to share the knowledge and evidence around the possibilities of psychedelics and mental health. And maybe — if you feel called — humbly being part of your healing journey. Simply witnessing your transformation and growth, if you’ll allow it.

“You don’t need loneliness, for you can’t possibly be alone.”

— Ram Dass

If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below. I invite all comments with an open heart.