Holistic Mind-Body Therapy

Sojourn means a ‘temporary’ stay, which is a metaphor of one’s experience of life, and in therapy. Therapy is a lifelong journey, one that we can come back to when the calling arises.

Holistic Mind-Body Therapy

Sojourn Psychotherapy offers you talk therapy and beyond! With specialized therapy training in Experiential and Somatic modalities such as AF-EMDR from the esteemed Parnell Institute, (Psychodynamic) Jungian Sandplay Therapy, and Sound Therapy. Therapy isn’t just about cognitive distortions. Research shows that the therapeutic alliance is the most essential component to one’s journey in therapy. We no longer focus just on our thoughts but integrate mind-body-spiritual approaches for a holistic approach because ‘The Body Keeps the Score,’ (Bessel van der Kolk, trauma therapy specialist and author). Therapy is also a place for you to explore Self, parts of self or ego states, identity, and purpose in life while held with non-judgement, empathy, and congruence with an experienced practitioner.

Meet Melissa

Hello! My name is Melissa (she/her), and I am the owner and Registered Psychotherapist of Sojourn Psychotherapy. I am an AF-EMDR Level 2 (Attachment Focused Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapist, and I approach therapy from an Existential, Experiential, and Transpersonal (spiritual) framework. I offer in person therapy sessions in the Dundas/Hamilton Ontario region, as well as virtually across Ontario Canada and other provinces in Canada (B.C., Yukon, Newfoundland). I work with teens, adolescents, adults, and seniors, as well as couples/triads (ENM/polyamorous relationships). I specialize in treating trauma, PTSD and C-PTSD (childhood trauma, intergenerational trauma), relational issues (divorce, adult children of emotionally unavailable parents), grief, big life transitions such as mid-life or quarter life crisis, anxiety (GAD).

My Specializations

I am an anti-oppressive, 2SLGBTQ+ allied, inclusive therapist in Hamilton Ontario Canada who supports the following areas:

  • PTSD and C-PTSD
  • Big Life Transitions
  • Grief and Loss
  • Work, School Stress and Burnout
  • Relational Issues (divorce, infidelity,
  • ENM, Polyamory, adult children of emotionally immature parents)
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Inner Child Work (Parts work and Ego States)
  • Navigating Identity and Authenticity
  • Finding Purpose
  • Mid-Life or Quarter Life Crisis
  • Co-dependency and People Pleasing
  • Plant Medicine and Psychedelic Integration
  • Dream Work and Altered States of Consciousness

Ontario Canada Online/Virtual Therapy

Sojourn Psychotherapy offers therapy in the comfort of your own home with virtual or phone availability! If you are located anywhere in Ontario or select provinces in Canada (ie. BC, Yukon, Newfoundland), we can connect through a PHIPA compliant virtual platform to allow for convenience, accessibility, and comfort!

Services

AF-EMDR (Parnell Institute)

Attachment Focused Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (AF-EMDR) is an evidence-based, somatic, free associative therapeutic process for treating trauma, both big and little t traumas, PTSD, C-PTSD, grief, OCD, and anxiety. 

Jungian Sandplay

Jungian Sandplay is an experiential process, developed by Dora Kalff, a student of Carl Jung, that allows for unconscious processing with the use of miniatures that are symbols and archetypes, by placing them in a sandtray, either with wet or dry sand, to create a scene. 

Sound Therapy

Sound penetrates the physiology. Albert Einstein says, “Everything in life is vibration.” How we treat a ‘disorder’ is to bring ‘order’ back into our lives. This may look like eating more nutritious foods, exercise, improving sleep quality. It can also include resonance and sound waves. 

Walk-and-Talk Therapy

Dundas, Waterdown, Ancaster, Burlington, and Hamilton people look no further! Sojourn Psychotherapy offers Walk-and-Talk sessions with walking options that include the Dundas Driving Park, the Arboretum at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) on Old Guelph Road, or Distance walking (on your own path with headphones). 

Psychedelic and Plant Medicine Integration

Cultural traditions, history, and current research show that plant medicine and psychedelic medicine can assist with different presenting issues such as trauma, grief, addiction, and depression. 

Virtual Therapy

Virtual Therapy promotes access to people who may live in remote areas in Ontario, Canada, B.C, Yukon, Newfoundland and/or who have mobility issues. It can be accommodating for new parents, stay at home parents, or for people who work from home and want to fit in a therapy session during their lunch break. We live in a busy world, and sometimes traveling to an in-person therapy session is a barrier to care.

Blog

Mindfulness

Psychedelic Integration

Integration is a process in which a person revisits and actively engages in making sense of, working through, translating, and processing the content of their psychedelic experience.