Our Community
Organizer
Aphrodite Melissa Vrouvides
Community Organizer
Psychedelic Facilitator
“At the heart of my work lies the belief that each of us deserves to be surrounded by a supportive community as we navigate the ebbs and flows of life. Though healing is a deeply personal journey, a common thread we all share is that we are profoundly influenced by the relationships we surround ourselves with. My mission is to hold spaces where women can connect with kindred spirits, providing resources and experiences that bridge body, mind and soul— all while honouring the multifaceted experience of womanhood; through ritual, bearing witness, consciousness, embodiment, and reciprocity."
Driven by her personal journey with complex trauma, Melissa discovered healing through the world of psychedelic therapy, somatic work, and conscious community. Today, Melissa serves as a women’s group facilitator, community organizer, psychedelic facilitator, and editor of the Women on Psychedelics team, an organization dedicated to women’s psychedelic education. Melissa has a background in psychology and is certified in integrative psychedelic studies, with her main focus areas being somatics and trauma.
In her spare time, Melissa loves taking nature walks with Bonzai, her 10-year-old Pitbull rescue. She shares a home with her partner, where she finds joy in gardening, hosting loved ones, reading historical fiction, and listening to eclectic music. No matter where life leads her, you'll likely hear her laughing along the way.
The Team
Somatic Psychedelic Facilitator
Melissa Vrouvides
Tania Santer
Artist/Art Therapist
Josiane Philion
Horticulturist
Christine Allard
Yoga Teacher
Leila Labadie
Volunteer
Our Partners
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Aphrodite's Roots
How It Began
Growing up, my grandmother's house was the hub where family and friends would gather from near and far. Her dining room table was the container that held everything—from celebrations, laughter, and home-cooked meals, to dramas, dark secrets, and tragic memories.
What was so beautiful about my Yiayia was how she welcomed everyone as they were; however, the darker side to her nature was that she would forgive and condone certain behaviours that had no business existing. She came from a distant time and culture, where heinous acts were normalized, and where intergenerational trauma and healing were unheard of. In her final years, I saw how a lifetime of unresolved trauma manifested in her mind and body, and it was heart-wrenching to witness.
Through Aphrodite Health, my goal is to honour her spirit, authenticity, the comforting elements of my Greek culture, and the great pain and sacrifice of her life — by creating spaces that embody a conscious reflection of my dear Yiayia's dining room table.
Thus, Aphrodite Health symbolizes a continuation of a legacy, a convergence of the old and new, a remembrance of those who came before us, and an acknowledgement of grief for what was lost and never will be. It marks a stride toward liberating ourselves from the shackles of generational patterns and fostering new ways of being — anchored in radical truth, reciprocity, healing, and consciousness.
With love,
Melissa
Afroditi Klimis
1928 - 2023