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We have a lot of expertise to share and there are many ways we can help.

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Our staff

Meet the experts

We are fortunate to have skilled, compassionate clinicians and administrative support staff on our team.

Clinical Practitioner & Founder

Louise McKissick

Louise McKissick is the founder and lead psychotherapist at Wellspring. She values an eclectic approach with her clients, grounded in psychodynamic, relational theory, utilizing DBT, CBT, narrative, and art therapies as she sees fit. Amidst Louise’s time in academia, she was also trained in improv at the infamous Second City Chicago where she was taught how to pull from a wide-ranging repertoire of professional knowledge and lived experience. Louise is an innovator, a traveller and a seeker, and is engaged in research with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to find new and better ways to help her clients!

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Clinical Practitioner

Rachel Vargese

Rachel Vargese is originally from Thunder Bay, she has lived in a number of cities in Southern Ontario where she completed her Masters in Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University. Now based out of Calgary, Rachel is passionate about working with people from a strength based approach in helping people develop skills towards reaching their goals. She holds extensive experience working with families in a variety of settings, primarily children with special needs and pediatric medicine. This has given Rachel a unique lens in which to view experiences of grief and loss. I practice using a variety of modalities (CBT, DBT , Motivational Interviewing and Solution Focused), recognizing the most important therapeutic factor is a positive and trusting relationship.

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Wellspring Fellow

Dr. Brian M. Ross

Brian Ross is a Professor of Neuropharmacology at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He is a graduate of the University of Glasgow in the UK where he gained a PhD in Neuroscience and Pharmacology, and later obtained a Master of Education degree from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. He has worked as a Fellow at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto, and as Reader and Research Director at the Highlands Psychiatric Research Foundation. He has also managed a biotechnology company focused on medical diagnostics. He moved to Thunder Bay in 2004 as one of the founding faculty of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine where he led and taught in the neuroscience and mental health curriculum. He conducts research in a range of topics including nutrition and the brain, neuropharmacology, psychedelics, analytical chemistry, place and medicine, and medical education. He is currently researching psychedelics (entheogens) and their therapeutic use with Louise McKissick, Founder and Lead Clinician, here at Wellspring.

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Clinical Practitioner

Christine Galati

A lifelong resident of Thunder Bay, Christine completed her BA and HBSW at Lakehead University and her MSW from Dalhousie University, specializing in Families and Children. For the past 30 years she has had the privilege to provide social work services to adults, children and youth. She previously worked at Catholic Family Development Centre providing supportive counselling services, as well as facilitating groups. Christine has worked with individuals of all ages whom have been impacted by violence, trauma, grief and loss, and other life events that have cause emotional distress. Her focus it to provide a safe, supportive and therapeutic service that meets the individual where they are at in their life journey using trauma informed practices. The goal is to empower individuals to identify their goals and to work towards achieving them.

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Clinical Practitioner

Vimal Thomas

I’m Vimal Thomas, MSW, RSW – your ally in mental wellness. With a Master of Social Work degree and registration as a Social Worker, I’m committed to providing empathetic support and guidance to individuals seeking to enhance their mental and emotional health. In my practice, I create a supportive and nurturing space where you can explore your inner world and work towards Healing, personal growth and fulfillment. Using a blend of therapeutic modalities, I tailor our sessions to address your unique needs and aspirations. Whether you’re navigating life transitions, seeking to improve self-awareness, or simply looking to cultivate a greater sense of balance and well-being, I’m here to assist you along the way. Let’s embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, where you can embrace your strengths and live authentically.

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Clinical Practitioner

Lana Trolley

Lana offers a diverse and unique skill set complemented by lifelong curiosities leading to various experiential and academic learning. Informing her clinical social work practice is ten years of education, employment, and volunteer work in the not-for-profit sector. She is passionate about social justice and advocacy work and strives to engage with individuals, families, and communities through a culturally competent lens as an ally. Working from a person-in-environment approach and strengths-based empowerment model, Lana seeks to gather information, tools, resources, and knowledge to support vulnerable populations for better health and well-being. She aspires to provide clients with a path to self-discovery that utilizes a customized wide range of evidence-based interventions that respond to each unique mental health journey.

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