PSYCHOTHERAPY
and the sun
Hi, I'm Mariana
I create experiences of connection with the transformative powers of imagination, emotion, and process, through psychotherapy and coaching.
If you've found your way here, it's likely that you're feeling uncomfortable and stuck with how things are and you're getting ready to confront what's underneath. You know it's time to interrupt the cycles and patterns... and it's terrifying. And risky.You want wellness, but not as dictated by the dominant culture.You can feel there's a different way needed, one that is yours to carve out of the noise, beyond anxiety, addiction, depression, grief and confusion.I feel that too.
+
and the wind
Approach
I hold a vision of agency, curiosity, creativity, wholeness, imagination, and spontaneity for YOU. As human beings in this astounding universe, these powers are our birthright. My work serves to invite your unique expression of them, through an embodied, relational approach fully present in the here & now.
Embodied
...the body and nervous system are our allies, pathfinders, and truthsayers. We listen and follow where they lead us.
Relational
...sessions are a relational laboratory for new experiences in relating & explorations of what's possible.
Here & now
...the enlivening, creative energy of the present moment (vs. the past or future) guides us to where change is ripe.
Sessions can call on movement, drawing, active imagery, and role play to access our felt experience, and these are always optional.More often than not, we'll be led to where grief, sadness, anger, and fear reside, unmet. With the support of presence in relationship, these can finally be felt and moved, with radical allowance and compassion.In this way, we move towards increased awareness and acceptance of what's present and true for you, unlocking stuck energy along the way. Often, new choices then emerge spontaneously.
+
Specifically, I provide support for:
- Youth (18+) in finding their own path
- Adults of all ages in uncovering truer ways of being themselves
- Men who feel lost, restless, or listless
- Folks facing the death of a loved one through MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying)For my clients, their need for change often shows up as:
Anxiety
Depression
Addiction
Relationship difficulties
Sexuality issues
Loneliness
Codependence
Grief (incl. climate grief)
Illness
PTSD or C-PTSD
Family conflict
Emotional disturbances
Spiritual crisis
Self-harm
Low self-esteem
High-level, my approach is trauma-informed, somatic, and client-led. I include my worldview in my work, which places humans within the web of our ecological and spiritual relationships. My own ancestors were French and Irish and lived close to the land.Additionally, I identify as white and belong to a linguistic and cultural minority. I am queer-positive, LGBTQ2S+ allied and sex positive. I have a deep understanding of the realities of rural life, as well as experience with and alongside Indigenous communities.I work and live with deep gratitude on the traditional and current lands of the Anishinaabeg people, between the dramatic and enchanted Michigiwadinong and the deep and clear Gchigami.
+
and the earth
About me
My name is Mariana Lafrance, I'm a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), facilitator, coach, interdisciplinary artist and wildcrafter on Mnidoo Mnis / Manitoulin Island.I come to psychotherapy with five years of training in embodied relational psychotherapy at the Gestalt Institute of Toronto, and have been seeing clients since early 2024.I have over a decade of practice in somatics, facilitation, community life, intuitive practice, embodied creativity and movement, in addition to thousands of solo hours spent on the land, observing and relating with the other-than-human world. My influences include Core Energetics, Authentic Relating, Somatic Experiencing, shamanism, contact improvisation, Pochinko clown, mask work, 5 Rhythms, Stephen Jenkinson, Shaolin Kung Fu, and more.I trained in life coaching at the Co-Active Training Institute, an approach that is embodied, playful, and inspiring.My background includes a B.A. Highest Honours in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Psychology, and a Masters degree focused on science communication and adult learning.
I have corporate experience as a facilitator, trainer, and coach.And finally, I'm a qualifying member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario #21294 and a member of the Ontario Society of Registered Psychotherapists #71475910.
Formal training
Indigenous Land-Based Counselling Training Program, Gwekwaadziwin Miikan, in progress
Gestalt Institute of Toronto, 5-year psychotherapist training program, 2025
Co-Active Training Institute, coaching (fundamentals, Fulfillment, balance), 60 hrs, 2022
Living with the Land, 10-day experiential course in Anishinaabe land-based practices and spirituality, Laurentian University, with Elder Josh Eshkawgogan, Wiky, 2013.
M.M.St., Science communication and adult learning, University of Toronto, 2006
B.A. Highest Honours, Cognitive Science with specialization in Psychology, Carleton University, 2004
and the woods
Work with me
Psychotherapy
I offer online 1:1 services to Ontario residents over 18, and in-person services on Manitoulin Island and Sudbury (starting in 2026). Outdoor sessions are an option for established clients.Coaching
I offer coaching sessions online to clients across Canada and internationally.Fees
$120 for a 60-minute session*
$180 for an 90-minute session**Some sliding scale slots ($80 - $110) are available for therapy, please inquire.Payment is due the day of the session by e-transfer. There's a 24-hour cancellation policy in place; Cancellations made less than 24 hours before a scheduled session are billed at the regular rate.Insurance
Psychotherapy sessions with me are eligible for coverage by most extended insurance plans. Please check your coverage for "Registered Psychotherapy".Please note that I do not use AI-powered note-taking apps in my practice.
+
and the water
Want to feel it out?
Book me for a free confidential phone consultation below.
+
and the night
Soul work sessions
While the sun is life-sustaining for both our physical bodies and our psyches, darkness is an equally potent force.Soul work delves into the darker recesses of our psyche with an eye for pearls ripe for harvest. We start by creating intentional space for unconscious processes and gleanings to come forward, and then true ourselves to what may come.By making the unconscious conscious, we integrate our disowned parts, release old patterns, and free up our energy for life on our terms.
+
For clients interested in soul work, I offer a series of guided sessions, outlined below. Custom sessions are also available, including support for psychedelic journey integration.These sessions must be requested in advance. They are available to individuals and small groups.
Wild Path
Nature as we see it is a reflection of our inner world. By journeying in it with open senses and a clear intention, we invite answers to come into our awareness. For this session, we choose a natural setting ahead of time and meet on location. Together, we set context, heart intention and mindset, then journey through the landscape, following curiosity and attention. We close with integration.Duration: 90 min
Format: in person only
For individuals and small groups.
Ritual of Support
Changes on the imaginal, intentional or energetic level can be supported into being by concrete actions in the physical plane. Together we will design and enact ceremonial gestures to reinforce session work.Duration: 60 or 90 min
Format: online or in person
For individuals.
Dreamwork
Nighttime dreams often carry an energy and direction for evolution on our path. To understand a dream, interpretation of symbols is not so important as is letting the dream fully permeate our embodied awareness and affect us. Together we will create experiences that bring your dream processes and their gifts to life.Duration: 90 min
Format: online or in person
For individuals and small groups.
Book a free consultation
Fill out the form below to book a free, confidential 20-minute consultation where we can explore how I can serve you.Your confidentiality is of utmost importance and will be honoured from the moment you first reach out. While I ask for your phone number, I will reply only by email unless you ask otherwise.You can also use this form to book Soul Work sessions.
© Psychotherapy and the Sun. All rights reserved. Photography by Ali Kazal, Allen, Andy Sanchez, Casey Horner, Cynthia Magana, Heberti Almeida, Heidi Fin, Johny Goerend, Ksenia Makagonova, Pete Nuij, Pierre Lemos, Ronald Gijezen, and T MG.
THANK YOU
I have received your message and will contact you soon.
Groups
In addition to individual therapy, I also offer therapy in group settings.Group work, whether with an existing group or with a group of individuals gathered just for this purpose, is a rewarding, stimulating, and sometimes intensive way to do therapy. With others present you have access to forms of support unavailable in individual therapy.Note: There are no groups running currently.
1. At the mouth of the river
Dates & location to be announced.This nature / process group will be a place to come together and connect deeply with others in these times of turbulent change, with the natural world as a backdrop, container, and active participant.Click here to be taken to the group website.
2. Private groups
I'm available to facilitate group processes for business, education, and communities. Please contact me for details.