Hi,
I’m Melissa
Trauma Therapist • Somatic Healing • Psychedelic Integration
Hi, I’m Melissa (she/her) — a trauma and somatic therapist offering body-based, relational therapy for sensitive, thoughtful adults. I work at the intersection of the body, identity, and relationship—shaped not only by trauma but also by altered states, spiritual/meaningful emergence, and profound life transitions.
Many of the people I support are space-holders themselves — therapists, creatives, caregivers, deep-feelers. On the outside, they’re steady; inside, there can be shame, grief, or a quiet stuckness. They’ve done the work. Read the books. Maybe years of therapy. And still, something whispers: it’s time for more.
Not just insight — integration. Not just survival — a felt wholeness.
That’s where this work begins.
A Note on Healing
Healing isn’t about fixing what’s broken.
It’s about returning to the parts of you that were never truly lost.
How I Work
This isn’t talk therapy as usual.
We slow down and turn toward your experience with curiosity and a nervous system that feels safe enough to soften.
My approach is relational, somatic, and depth-oriented. I’m here to help you listen to what your system already knows.
I integrate:
NARM (NeuroAffective Relational Model): Unwinding shame, disconnection, and early attachment adaptations.
Somatic & Relational Therapy: Letting healing land in the body, not just the mind.
IFS (Internal Family Systems): Working with protective parts, tending younger selves, reducing inner conflict.
Psychedelic Preparation & Integration: Grounding, meaning-making, and continuity after expanded states.
EMDR (selectively): Processing specific, stuck memories when your system is ready.
This work is responsive and non-pathologizing. We go at your pace — not your inner critic’s.
Who I Work With
Adults across BC, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia (secure online). Often:
Therapists, coaches, healers, and meaning-seekers
Sensitive, self-aware people navigating complex trauma, fatigue, or identity loss
Folks in transition: grief, separation, parenthood, career/identity shifts
Clients integrating psychedelic journeys or non-ordinary experience
People ready for long-term, transformational work — not quick tips
You don’t need to be “more healed” to begin — only honest, open, and ready for depth.
Safety
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Attunement
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Curiosity
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Presence
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Wholeness
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Integration
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Sovereignty
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Non-Pathologizing Care
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Relational Depth
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Soufulness
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Safety • Attunement • Curiosity • Presence • Wholeness • Integration • Sovereignty • Non-Pathologizing Care • Relational Depth • Soufulness •
Philosophy & Core Values
Healing unfolds through safety, attunement, and relationship — not force.
You’re not broken; your adaptations made sense.
My role isn’t to give you answers, but to walk beside you as yours emerge.
My Credentials & Trainings
EDUCATION AND REGISTRATION
Psychedelic Assisted Therapy Graduate Certificate, Vancouver Island University
Master of Social Work, Clinical Specialization University of Calgary
Bachelor of Social Work Ryerson University
Registered Social Worker (RSW) in BC, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia
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NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) *in progress
Somatic Relational Medicine-Assisted Therapy, Labs 101, 201 and Advanced Training (Brilliant Healing)
MDMA-Assisted Therapy Training (TheraPsil)
MDMA-Assisted Therapy Training, Online (MAPS)
Fundamentals of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Training (TheraPsil)
Embodied Inquiry (Numinus)
Psilocybin Assisted Therapy, Research Training (Numinus)
Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for PTSD (Numinus)
Psychedelic Harm Reduction & Integration (Numinus)
Introduction to Psychedelic Assisted Therapy & Integration (ATMA)
Internal Family Systems, Level 1 (IFS Institute)
Advanced Internal Family Systems Course (IFSCA)
Comprehensive Internal Family Systems Course (FSCA)
Integrative Somatic Parts Work Certificate (Embody Lab)
Mindfulness-Based Somatic Therapy, Level 1 (Centre for Mindfulness-Based Somatic Therapy)
EMDR for Complex Trauma and Dissociation Across the Lifespan (AGATE Institute)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Basic Training (Sue Genest)
Emotion-Focused Therapy: Self-Soothing, Empathic Affirmation and Direct Practice (Rhonda Goldman)
Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (Mental Health Foundations)
Dialectial Behavioural Therapy (DBT) Skills Training (PsychWire)
Narrative Therapy, Foundations (Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Trauma-Focused & Anxiety Disorders (MCFD)
San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training (Island Health)
Building Bridges through Understanding the Village, Indigenous Cultural Sensitivity (MCFD)
Motivational Interviewing, I & II (Justice Institute of BC)
Trauma-Informed Practice (Vancouver Coastal Health)
Core Addictions Practice (Vancouver Coastal Health)
A Bit About Me
I live in nature on the West Coast and find restoration in the forest, the ocean, and the quiet wildness. My dog, Kona, keeps me anchored in play and presence—her joy and curiosity remind me daily what regulation feels like.
I love slow mornings, spacious conversations, and the radical beauty of human messiness. My work is soulful and structured, mystical and grounded—just like me.
I also come to this work as a human—someone who knows what it’s like to live in freeze, to question their worth, and to walk the long road home to themselves.
I don’t pretend to be perfect. But I do sit beside you with honesty, presence, and deep care.
If You Feel the Pull…
I’d love to connect. Whether you’re in a transition, feeling stuck, or simply ready for something deeper—this work might be the next step.