Hi! I'm Keren 

I am a dual qualified Family Nurse Practitioner (#0914063) and Registered Clinical Counsellor (#20029) with two decades of experience in mental health, substance use, and harm reduction. I have worked with youth and adults with a focus on recovery from addiction, trauma, mood disorders, psychosis, ADHD, and concurrent disorders, primarily via inner city outreach and in community settings.  My years as a Harm Reduction Nurse Practitioner taught me to walk beside patients and support their process, with no specific expectations that they change or do anything in particular.  Rather, I believe that each person holds the secrets to their own healing, which we can explore together in the safety of the therapeutic container.  I have a special interest in working with physicians, NPs, nurses and other health care professionals, since I have first-hand experience of the trauma, culture, and double-binds these professionals may experience in the course of their work.

I hold a Master of Nursing from the University of British Columbia (2011), which I supplemented with coursework from the Master of Counselling Psychology program through Yorkville University (2023). I have also completed additional psychedelic and somatic focused training including MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy through MAPS, Psilocybin and MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy and Prescriber's training through TheraPsil, Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Prescribers Training and Intermediate Level Counselling through Polaris, Level One Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and the Internal Family Systems Online Circle.   I am a Medical and Psychotherapy Associate with TheraPsil, which is a non-profit advocacy and education network that is committed to making legal Psilocybin and MDMA-Assisted Therapy accessible to Canadians in need. 

My core values include harm reduction, trauma-informed practice, and a non-pathologizing approach to understanding mental health and distress. I blend solid education in mainstream psychopharmacology and psychiatry with training and extensive personal experience navigating non-ordinary states of consciousness. I aim to support clients to move towards greater psychospiritual integration through counselling, working with medicines, supervised medication tapers, and psychedelic preparation and integration.

My practice is characterized by innovation and life-long learning. I approach every client with an attitude of curiosity and compassion, viewing each as a unique individual with the capacity to heal. I combine a Biopsychosocial-Spiritual, Relational, and Somatic approach to help clients access their inner strengths and wisdom, and to support their resilience as they work towards their definition of recovery.

You and I are the force for transformation in the world.  We are the consciousness that will define the nature of the reality we are moving into.   - Ram Dass