Who We Are
Starting as a small team, we are working to build a collective.
Alissa Bazinet, PhD
Co-Founder, Director of Research & Development, and Board President
Dr. Alissa Bazinet (she/her) is a clinical psychologist and researcher. She is the Associate Director of the Social Neuroscience & Psychotherapy (SNaP) Lab at OHSU, and serves as the Vice President of the National Psychedelics Association. As a clinician, she specializes in the treatment of co-occurring trauma and addiction, utilizing somatic-oriented and mindfulness-based approaches. She believes in a holistic approach to treatment that takes into consideration the biological, psychological, social, cultural, and spiritual aspects of a person and the environments and experiences they are exposed to throughout their lifetime. For the past six years, she has been an outspoken advocate for the emerging field of psychedelic therapy and is trained to provide MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. She is a longtime lead volunteer for the Zendo Project, an organization that provides psychedelic peer support and harm reduction services at music festivals and events.
Brian Hannah, LCSW
Co-Founder, Director of Clinical Operations, Board Treasurer, and Therapist
Brian Hannah (he/they) is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist. Prior to graduate school, they found a passion in serving others while working with adults struggling with chronic homelessness, substance abuse, and severe mental health issues. After completing his master's degree in social work, he fell in love with working in hospice and palliative care, providing therapy and bereavement counseling to individuals with chronic and life-limiting illnesses and their families. After many years of wonderful work in hospice and palliative care, they opened their private practice so that they could provide psychotherapy with a breadth and depth that was not possible in the hospice and palliative care model. Since that time, Brian has been trained in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, somatic therapies, psychedelic harm reduction, and more, allowing him to practice with a wide range of tools in order to skillfully serve the Portland community. As a queer person, Brian is excited and honored to bring his skill set, dedication, passion, and determination to serving the 2SLGBTQIA community.
Sara Sentell, ND, LAc
Physician
Dr. Sentell (she/her) is a Naturopathic Doctor and Acupuncturist in Portland, Oregon. In addition to her work as Medical Advisor for Sequoia Center, Sara is the co-founder of The Ren Clinic, where she offers trauma-informed integrative medicine and is also a faculty member and graduate of the Synaptic Entheogenic Medicine Training Program. Her rich background in Social Work, Transpersonal and Somatic Therapies, Naturopathic Medicine, and Chinese Medicine shapes her holistic approach to health and wellness. Dr. Sentell’s clinical practice focuses on integrative mental health and psychedelic-assisted therapy, with a specialization in eating disorders. She is an Integrative Psychiatry Institute Fellow and received her Ketamine and MDMA training through Polaris Insight Center and MAPS. Dr. Sentell is deeply grateful to her many teachers and elders, including those from the natural world, for their wisdom in expanded state work, which she shares with an open heart and humble mind.
Chris Stauffer, MD
Board Member
Chris Stauffer, MD (he/they) is a psychiatrist and Director of the Social Neuroscience & Psychotherapy Lab (www.chrisstauffermd.com) and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Stauffer’s clinical work has focused on addiction and PTSD among Veteran and LGBTQIA+ populations. Their research aims to maximize the benefits of therapeutic alliance and psychotherapy through the adjunct administration of social psychopharmacology, including oxytocin, MDMA, and psilocybin. Current studies include psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for Veterans with methamphetamine use disorder and MDMA-assisted group therapy for PTSD. Dr. Stauffer is a member of the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board, a supervisor and trainer for MAPS’ MDMA Therapy Training Program, and an advisor and instructor with Alma Institute.
Allison Holmes, BSW
Administrative Assistant
Allison Holmes (she/her) is a community organizer in Portland, OR and the Intake Coordinator at Sequoia Center. While studying Social Work at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, Allison co-founded the first Students For Sensible Drug Policy chapter in the state. After graduating college, she moved to Oregon to further her activism in drug policy reform and community engagement. Allison recently served on the Board of Directors as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Portland Psychedelic Society. She is skilled in active listening, intentional communication, and meeting people where they’re at. She is well versed in the process of introducing and exploring conversations about expanded states of consciousness, and psychedelic-assisted therapy with folks in all different phases of their healing journeys.
Julio Iñiguez, LMFT, CGAC-II, CADC-I
Board Member and Therapist
Julio Iñiguez (he/him) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Oregon. He completed his education in Marriage and Family Therapy at Lewis & Clark College in 2014. Julio has held multiple positions in the mental health and addictions field including direct service counseling in agencies, program development and management, as well as clinical supervision of direct counseling staff. He is trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and assists in training other practitioners. Julio received certification through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute as a psychedelic-assisted therapy practitioner focusing on ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin assisted therapies. He is adjunct faculty at Lewis & Clark Graduate School where he supports the development of future therapists and counselors. Julio brings a systemic, culturally-responsive, and trauma-informed perspective to his work with individuals and couples in his private practice.
julioiniguez.com
Alyssa Gursky, LPC
Research Assistant and Therapist
Alyssa Gursky (she/they) is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Oregon. They are the owner and operator of Psychedelic Art Therapy LLC, which aims to utilize the creative process throughout the psychedelic healing journey for structural healing and insight. Their background in research includes working as a night attendant of Phase II and III of MAPS’ study using MDMA to treat PTSD. She currently works with the Social Neuroscience And Psychotherapy (SNAP) Lab as a Study Therapist on a trial to use MDMA in group settings to treat PTSD in Gender Diverse Veterans. She is a trained Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapist and is in progress of completing her training as an MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapist. She is a mixed media artist, specializing in collage. As a queer person, she is devoted to offering psychedelic therapy to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
psychedelicarttherapy.com
​
Veronica Vargas, LPC
Therapist
Veronica Vargas (she/her/ella) is an LPC in Oregon, with formal training in counseling psychology and a focus on depth-psychotherapy. She finds beauty in witnessing the unfolding of human potential and the cultivation of meaning. In her work as a licensed psychotherapist, she assesses the whole person or family system, considering relational and cultural systems; spirituality; personal and intergenerational trauma; systems of oppression; and personal values. Veronica has a sacred relationship with plant medicines spanning about 16 years, appreciating their profound healing qualities. In her private practice in Portland, Oregon, she offers psychotherapy, dream work, psychedelic harm reduction, and integration. Additionally, she works in professional consultation for a local non-profit.
colibrisol.com
Jackie Boltz, LCSW
Therapist
Jackie Boltz (she/her) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Oregon. She is deeply passionate about supporting those healing from trauma and exploring post-traumatic growth. Previous to graduate school, she worked in Greece providing assistance to refugees of war and at home spent her time volunteering as a victim advocate for survivors of sexual assault and working in community mental health. Since leaving graduate school, her practice has focused on supporting those with PTSD and complex PTSD. Working with people as they recalibrate their nervous systems and find safety in themselves and in relationships is a process she is deeply honored to support. While she has a focus on trauma, she loves working with clients from all walks of life. She has experience with people working through existential issues, life transitions, spirituality, sexuality and personal growth. She is sex, sex worker, LBGTQ+, and kink positive.
​
Simon Yugler, MA, Professional Counselor Associate
Therapist
With a masters in depth counseling psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Simon Yugler (he/him) is an internationally experienced psychedelic therapist, educator, and the author of the book, Psychedelics & the Soul: A Mythic Guide to Psychedelic Healing, Depth Psychology, and Cultural Repair. He has taught for five psychedelic facilitator training programs including Naropa University and Inner Trek. Simon draws on his diverse experience traveling across the world and learning from Indigenous cultures, including the Shipibo ayahuasca tradition and the Native American Church. For a year-and-a-half he routinely served as a retreat leader with MycoMeditations, a leading psilocybin therapy retreat center in Jamaica. Prior to becoming a therapist, he served as an experiential educator and guide, leading immersive study-abroad journeys for young adults across 10 countries. Having worked with psychedelic medicines for over half his life, Simon is passionate about helping his clients navigate the liminal wilds of the soul.
initiationscounseling.com
Lesley Burke, LPC, ATR
Board Member
Lesley Burke (she/her) is an art therapist who has been in the mental health field since 2006, and a licensed psychotherapist since 2011. Learning about MDMA assisted psychotherapy and the MAPS trials in 2003 was one of the driving forces behind her decision to seek out graduate training in counseling after obtaining a BA degree in visual arts. She currently offers counseling and art therapy in private practice within the Haven arts community where she is also a resident artist. Her practice focuses on treating PTSD and anxiety using EMDR, art therapy, and somatic approaches, as well as individual and group psychedelic integration support. Lesley’s training includes completing the MAPS MDMA Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD program, as well as ketamine assisted psychotherapy, EMDR, somatic, and mindfulness based approaches to therapy. As an advocate for drug policy reform and harm reduction, Lesley has worked with the Zendo Project, White Bird, and others offering psychedelic harm reduction at events. Lesley is looking forward to a future of access to plant medicines and psychedelics for everyone who can benefit from them, and using visionary art as a method for integrating these experiences.
lesleyburkelpc.com