Meet Karina Perez

Registered Social Worker

As a person of colour and immigrant from Venezuela, I bring a grounded, cross-cultural lens to therapy that honours complexity, identity, and resilience. I speak English and Spanish fluently and am passionate about making therapy more accessible, inclusive, and affirming for those navigating multiple worlds.

I support individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, and life transitions.  My work is rooted in evidence-based and humanistic approaches that emphasize each person’s inherent worth and capacity for personal growth, self-awareness, and healing.

I also support individuals applying for psilocybin-assisted therapy through Health Canada's Special Access Program and offer guidance around the safe, intentional use of psychedelics for personal growth and healing.

Outside of sessions, I’m often found by rivers or in the forest rock climbing, dancing, or playing music at local gatherings. These passions, along with being a parent to a small human and a dog, shape how I relate to healing as a living, creative, and embodied process.

Whether you're navigating a crisis, looking for new tools, or ready to reconnect with your inner compass, I hold space with warmth, curiosity, and cultural humility.

Services

  • Individual Therapy

    I offer evidence-based and collaborative therapy for generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic, depression/low mood, stress, trauma/PTSD, and relationship challenges.

  • Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy

    I support clients in applying for access to psilocybin-assisted therapy through Health Canada's Special Access Program (SAP). Currently, approved patients include those diagnosed with End-of-Life Distress/Terminal Illness, Treatment-Resistant Depression and/or Major Depressive Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

  • Harm Reduction

    I provide harm reduction services for individuals who cannot access Health Canada’s Special Access Program (SAP) and wish to safely use psychedelic substances independently.

Therapeutic Approach

The modalities and theoretical frameworks that inform my practice include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Harm Reduction, Internal Family Systems, Polyvagal Theory, Focusing, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, and Relational-cultural Theory.

For a detailed list of the trainings I have completed, please visit my LinkedIn page