Our Team
We are a group of healthcare professionals, patients, and advocates who are dedicated to making psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy available to Canadians suffering from end-of-life distress.
Join Our Team
Board of Directors
Founder & Chair of Board
Registered Clinical Counsellor (BC)
Registered Psychologist (NWT)
Dr. Tobin received his doctorate from University of Washington in 1983, specializing in philosophy of psychology. He has been in private practice psychotherapy for 35 years, specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression and emotional trauma. He taught clinical skills for 25 years at University of Victoria, where he was Adjunct Assistant Professor and a member of the Graduate Faculty. He worked under contract with Health Canada for 20 years providing psychological services to First Nations communities in the Victoria area. He is interested in the interface between psychology and spirituality, and the role that altered states of consciousness play in enhancing clinical processes.
Dr. Valorie Masuda is a palliative care physician and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at UBC. She graduated from UBC in 1986 with BSc in honours pharmacology and in graduated in 1990 as a Medical Doctor. She worked in the Haida Gwaii and then in the Yukon for 8 years, followed by working in emergency medicine in Cowichan Valley for 14 years. She completed her residency in palliative care and certification as a general practitioner in oncology in 2014 and then worked in the Cowichan Valley in community palliative care for 6 years. Dr. Masuda is also a part-time farmer working towards sustainable, humane, local food production and enjoys spending time with her family as well as participating in two local orchestras both as a vocalist and playing the viola.
Steve is an entrepreneur, philosopher, leader, and coach based on Bowen Island, BC. Steve is Co-Founder and Founder of multiple ventures including Nature of Work, a performance and wellness optimization program for modern work, NOW with Steve Rio, a podcast that explores what it means to live a good life, and Humkala Inner Wellness, working to build retreat-based protocols based on psychedelics, meditation and somatic modalities.
Steve thrives at the intersection of social impact, culture, consciousness, and technology. Steve is an expert in technology, communications, and human wellness and performance. He has close to two decades of experience leading remote and distributed digital teams as well as implementing technology and systems for social impact organizations all over the world.
Jim is a passionate, loving and humorous man living with his wife and family in Victoria, BC. Jim loves time with his family and dogs, and enjoys travelling, playing guitar, cooking and designing and making small things from wood.
During his career, Jim has worked at the most senior levels of both the British Columbia and Canadian governments. He is a retired international resort developer and an internationally recognized mediator and negotiator. Jim has served as a Chief Federal Negotiator for Canada and is a mediator for the United Nations and the Yukon Dispute Resolution Board.
Operations
CEO
Spencer was first introduced to healing psychological trauma with altered states of consciousness and therapeutic psychedelics from reading the work of Terrence McKenna, Rick Strassman, and Carl Jung and believes that these methods need to be treated seriously by governments and institutions. Spencer believes that responsible drug policy requires effective organization and leadership and is dedicated to bringing together the experts and advocates, to facilitate change that results in increased access to compassionate care, harm reduction, and treatment options for those in need. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is a reasonable treatment option for palliative patients in end-of-life distress and is where we need to begin
Yasmeen is passionate about human connection, workplace wellness, fitness, and human potential optimization. She is the Co-Founder of Nature of Work, a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, a Pain BC Certified Coach, and a personal trainer in multiple disciplines. Yasmeen enjoys spending her time in nature, exploring the human psyche, and is committed to human betterment and healing.
Yasmeen's healing journey began when she was able to clear the trauma she had been holding onto from childhood after a psychedelic journey and knows firsthand the profound impact these substances can have on people's lives. Yasmeen holds a Bachelor of Science with a major in Psychology and a minor in Applied Ethics, a CTI Coaching designation, and has also volunteered at the Canadian Cancer Society as the Event Chair and Health Promotion and Fundraising volunteer for 5 years.
Director of Communication
Holly Bennett is a communications specialist who lives, works, and plays on the unceded Anishinabewaki & Haudenosaunee Territories in Toronto, ON. She has over 8 years of experience in the Canadian cannabis industry including communications, and patient education. Holly holds a special interest in bioethics and drug policy and is passionate about mental health, harm reduction, and compassionate patient care. She is dedicated to helping change public perception and policy regarding psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and ensuring that this treatment option becomes safe, sustainable, and equitably accessible in Canada.
TheraPsil's Research Director
Julia gained her Masters in Neuroscience from the University of Bristol, UK, where she first was introduced to the benefits of therapeutic psychedelics in treating psychological trauma and other medical indications. Julia has undertaken a variety of research including Alzheimer’s disease, concussion and end-of-life distress and believes that scientists have a responsibility to educate the public on recent advances and discoveries to raise attention towards brain and mental health.
Now based in Victoria, British Columbia, Julia hopes to help expand the current literature surrounding psychedelics and their therapeutic applications in order to make necessary changes to drug policies
Rhonda has spent the last 20 years of her accounting career across various industries including social impact, software, finance, and music. She currently is the Director of Finance at Briteweb, a strategy, digital, and branding agency amplifying the impact of global changemakers and is TheraPsil's Financial Consultant.
Rhonda is proud of being Tsimshian First Nations - her band is Metlakatla, BC. When she’s not crunching numbers, you can find Rhonda giving big, warm hugs to everyone, volunteering at animal shelters, and cuddling her dog, Koda, who she brings to work every day.
Rhonda has first-hand experienced the healing power of psychedelics and is grateful to work with TheraPsil as they work to make legal psilocybin therapy a reality for Canadians in medical need.
Natasha Fearnley is a Registered Nurse and the Clinical Intake Director at TheraPsil.
Natasha lives and works on the unceded Traditional Territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples, also known as Victoria, BC.
Before working at TheraPsil, her nursing career has provided her valuable experience in facility management and clinical leadership. She has also had the honour of providing direct care to patients at the end of their lives, often holding space for those experiencing dementia.
Natasha now builds and enacts TheraPsil’s clinical protocols to ensure patient safety. She educates and guides each patient through a detailed assessment process, assisting patients who meet inclusion criteria to apply for section 56 exemptions to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Patients are then referred to trained therapists to provide their psilocybin assisted therapy. She is currently working with TheraPsil’s research department to collect observational data to detail the effectiveness of these treatments.
Natasha is trained to provide psilocybin assisted therapy to those in medical need, and in May of 2021 became the first Nurse in Canada to legally consume psilocybin for training purposes. She assists in the development and delivery of TheraPsil’s health care practitioner psilocybin assisted therapy training program.
Natasha is very grateful to be in a position to help the public gain safe and legal access to this medicine. She views psychedelic assisted therapy as a powerful tool to relieve suffering, not only for individuals facing end-of-life distress, but for all patients in medical need. She believes this treatment should be widely accessible and through her work is continually advocating for Psilocybin Regulations to be created in Canada.
IT Director
Adam Farquharson is a web developer based in Victoria, British Columbia.
In 2018 he started to build websites for local businesses and organizations on Vancouver Island as well as the mainland.
Adam is excited to be part of Therapsil and to help share their vision of Psilocybin Therapy for Canadians in End-of-Life Distress.
Development Officer
John is an ardent supporter of drug policy reform and believes the growing acceptance of psychedelics and psychedelic therapy marks a paradigm shift in the treatment of mental health.
John was aware of the healing powers of psilocybin and other psychedelics but was truly blown away by a personal story from a patient in 2021.
Since then, John has been focused on doing whatever possible to support the legalization of psychedelic therapy and help change public perception towards it.
He is honoured and privileged to support TheraPsil’s patients alongside such a professional and dedicated team.
Kabir is passionate about increasing equitable access to health and wellness. His interest in psychedelic therapy began in highschool during an internship with MAPS. He received a BS in Psychology from the University of Puget Sound and wrote his senior thesis on psilocybin therapy.
Shortly after finishing college, Kabir began work with the Measure 109 Psilocybin Services campaign in Oregon. He worked as a Communications Coordinator & Field Organizer, helping to create the first statewide legal psilocybin therapy program. After the successful passage of Measure 109, Kabir worked in Communications at the Center for Consciousness Medicine in Oakland, CA before joining TheraPsil in early 2022. He is honored to join the patient-driven team of advocates at TheraPsil and communicate the necessity for legal access to psilocybin therapy for those in need.
In his free time Kabir enjoys reading in the sun, dancing ‘til morning, home cooking, and snowboarding. He grew up in Santa Cruz, California and is currently living in Ridgewood, New York.
Clinical Advisors
Dr. Ingrid Pacey comes from a Lithuanian family which migrated to Australia in 1949. She came to Canada in 1967 after completing medical school at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. She received her psychiatric training at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, graduating in 1972. While in medical school, she witnessed LSD psychotherapy in a psychiatric setting as part of her training. Her private practice in Vancouver became focused on psychotherapy for trauma survivors, particularly women who had been sexually abused as children.
From 1987 - 1990, she trained with Dr. Stanislav and Christina Grof in Holotropic Breathwork. Over the next 14 years, she went on to pioneer the use of Holotropic Breathwork with trauma survivors, observing the special needs of people with PTSD when working in Holotropic Breathwork groups. Through this work she came to see the value of working with non-ordinary states of consciousness for people suffering from PTSD. She worked with MAPS (US) to bring MDMA research to Canada, starting back in 2009. Phase 2 research into MDMA - assisted psychotherapy for severe PTSD occurred from 2013 - 2016 in Vancouver with 6 clients by 2 therapy teams. She is now retired from active practice. She continues to mentor therapists interested in psychedelic therapy and speaks and writes about this rapidly growing field as we await the legalization of MDMA and psychedelics for therapy
Jagpaul is an Assistant Professor at UBC Faculty of Pharmacy and practices as a Clinical Pharmacist in both HIV/Infectious Diseases and Mental Health/Addictions with over a decade of experience in Cannabinoid Medicine and Psychedelic Harm Reduction. Her work has spanned from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, BC’s rural communities and beyond into international humanitarian and medical aid via WHO, UN, MSF and other NGO’s.
In addition to her pharmacy practice on the DTES she is a volunteer street medic, providing harm reduction and overdose response services. She is passionate about traditional healing modalities + wellness practices as she is an Ayurvedic Practitioner and a vocal advocate for drug policy reform to include equal access to psychedelics. She has been delving into consciousness and the human experience for many years and has a strong desire to provide assistance to patients struggling with end of life distress. Jagpaul spends any free time immersed in nature or leading academic journal clubs on psychedelics!
Hi, I’m Dave and I am passionate about helping individuals and organizations experience greater levels of health. I love to teach, consult and coach managers in leading employees to maximize their potential. I am grounded in current research and am committed to promoting an evidence-based, best practices approach in whatever arena I’m working.
I hold 2 graduate degrees in counseling psychology and have over 30 years experience in the mental health field including working with hundreds of companies in multiple industries. My expertise and certifications include: Psychological health and safety, Trauma and PTSD, Management coaching, Mental Health First Aid, Mental health HR/LR, Respect in the Workplace, Substance Abuse in the workplace. On a personal level, I am married to Adele and have two grown sons; I love to golf and am an avid consumer and critic of modern film.
Dr. Houman Farzin is a staff physician at the palliative care and family medicine departments of the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. He is a lecturer at McGill University medical school, where he earned his medical degree and completed his residency training.
He has a broad range of clinical skills and has spent many years working in remote communities across North America, including the Arctic Circle. He is passionate about the health and wellbeing of the indigenous and immigrant populations and hopes to expand access to care in these communities.
More recently he has been focusing on the applied sciences of psychedelic-assisted therapies for mental health, life-threatening illness, and end-of-life care. He holds an M.Sc. in Nutrition from Columbia University and a B.A. in Molecular & Cell Biology from the University of California Berkeley. He is also trained in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.
Dr. Farzin is the Montreal site physician for the Phase 3 clinical trial of the MDMA-assisted therapy sponsored by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and has also completed the MDMA therapist training program. In his spare time, he enjoys nature, makes music, and performs as a disc jockey.
Dr. Reg Peters is a Trauma and Emergency physician in Abbotsford, BC. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Peters played an integral role in the creation and development of the Abbotsford UBC Family Practice Residency Program and has been involved in teaching medical students and residents since 1997. He received the Clinical Faculty Teacher of the Year Award from the UBC Residency Program.
25 years of ER experiences have fueled Reg’s passion for wellness and holistic health. He recognizes there is a need not being met by our current medical system and has obtained training in Functional Medicine, Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, and the use of psilocybin in healing.
Reg has a strong desire to work with patients struggling with end-of-life anxiety and is interested in developing communities of support for patients wanting to heal from trauma.
In his personal life, Reg enjoys trail running and connecting to the outdoors.
Dr. Joseph A. De Leo, Ph.D., C.Psych., is a dual-licensed Clinical and Rehabilitation Psychologist in Ontario, Canada and New York State, USA. As the Founder and Clinical Director of the Centre for Compassionate Care (C3), Joseph and his team are deeply committed to establishing best practices and standards of care in the provisioning of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy.
As a clinician, Joseph specializes in the assessment and treatment of complex mental health conditions, including addictions, trauma, and chronic pain. He has extensive experience working in a variety of clinical settings, including hospital-based programs and community-based practices, and is involved in clinical teaching, training, and supervision initiatives within healthcare organizations and universities alike.
Joseph has completed specialized training in psychedelic-assisted therapies and research, most notably at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), MAPS-based MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD, as well as through ongoing mentorship and consultation in ketamine-assisted psychotherapy with local practitioners and culturally diverse peer groups. Along with Dr. Mitch Earleywine, he is the co-developer of Integrative Ketamine Enhanced Psychotherapy (IKEP) for difficult-to-treat mental health conditions, including depressive, trauma- and stressor-related disorders (i.e., PTSD).
Joseph has specific interests in advocacy that focuses on the safe and compassionate use of psychoactive plants and psychedelic medicines, including therapeutic cannabis and psilocybin. As an author and consumer of clinical and psychological research, Joseph and his team actively engage in scholarship, policy discussions, and clinical research practices that promote client-centered, person-focused, trauma and culturally-informed evidence-based care models that can broaden access to effective mental health treatments.
Charlotte Jackson is a Registered Clinical Counsellor who has worked in the field of Mental Health and Substance Use in Vancouver, BC, since 2001.
Charlotte held the position of Team Lead with Vancouver Coastal Health for many years, providing clinical supervision to both mental health and outpatient substance use teams.
She is a Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) trained therapist and was a sub-investigator in the Phase III clinical trials using MDMA assisted therapy for individuals with severe PTSD. Charlotte is currently an Associate Supervisor with MAPS, supporting therapists-in-training in the European MAPS sponsored MDMA clinical trials.
Charlotte is interested in the intersection of the psychological and the transpersonal. In pursuit of this, she completed her undergraduate studies in classical mythology at UBC, was a long time student of A. H. Almaas and the Ridhwan School, and has studied with Taoist Master, Mantak Chia. She is a student of Stan Grofs work and is pursuing further education in holotropic breathwork. She has followed the teachings of, and been on retreat with,
Cynthia Bourgeault with the Contemplative Wisdom School. She is currently working with Dr. Ingrid Pacey, providing theoretical and experiential training to therapists pursuing competency in working with non-ordinary states of consciousness.
Charlotte works from a harm reduction, strengths based, trauma-informed perspective, as well as from an anti-oppression framework. She works with individuals seeking support with trauma, anxiety and depression as well as those wishing to explore the integration of psychedelic experiences and other expanded states.
Advisors
David Wood is a lawyer, patent agent and partner practicing from the Calgary office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Canada’s largest national law firm. David is Co-Chair of BLG’s Cannabis Industry Focus Group, and practices intellectual property, regulatory and commercial law. His practice is specific to the Canadian cannabis industry, and to research and commercialization of psychedelics, entheogens and entactogens. David’s individual practice is an effective blend of regulatory, intellectual property and commercial legal advice for the cannabis industry and the global psychedelics sector. He has significant experience organizing and managing teams of his colleagues at BLG to advise clients in the cannabis industry and the global psychedelics sector. David was recognized in the 14th edition (2019) of Best Lawyers in the cannabis category for his work in the regulated cannabis industry.
David has experience advising federal licence holders and applicants under the Cannabis Regulations, federal licence holders and applicants under Part J of the Food and Drug Regulations (restricted drugs), technology companies, and other domestic and foreign participants in the Canadian cannabis industry and the global psychedelics sector. David has advised pharmaceutical companies, a national pharmacy chain, a natural health products company, manufacturing companies, software companies, clinics, food companies, assisted living facilities and others on many aspects of Canadian medical and adult use cannabis regulation. David has advised technology companies focused on cultivation, extraction, formulation, biosynthesis, hardware and other aspects of the cannabis industry. David has advised pharmaceutical companies, a contract manufacturer, technology companies, hospitality companies, investment banks and other entities in relation to the global psychedelics sector.
David holds a PhD in biochemistry. His graduate-level education in structural biochemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, plant biochemistry, and natural products chemistry provides a strong technical background for advising clients in the Canadian cannabis industry, and clients positioning for commercialization of psychedelics, entheogens and entactogens, in relation to both intellectual property and regulatory law.
TheraPsil’s team operates as visitors in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, the unceded homelands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples, represented by the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ Nations. Our team also works from unceded səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh) Territory in North Vancouver, BC and unceded Anishinabewaki & Haudenosaunee Territories in Toronto, ON. To identify the unceded Traditional Territory you are a guest on, visit Native-Land.ca.
As a team composed of mostly settlers, we acknowledge, with peace and respect, that we are visitors and guests on this land. We also acknowledge that the substances we advocate for, in a western-medical context, psilocybin mushrooms, have been used for thousands of years by Indigenous communities across the globe for healing and ceremonial purposes. The modern psychedelic-therapy movement would not exist without Indigenous knowledge keepers who are the original custodians of this medicine.
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