What is Physis?

In ancient Greek philosophy, Physis (φύσις) represents the concept of Nature itself, embodying the idea of growth, origin, and the inherent characteristics of the natural world. The pre-Socratic Greeks conceptualised Physis as the generalised “creative force of Nature, which eternally strives to make things grow and to make growing things more perfect” (Berne, 1968).

Physis, as the Greek counterpart to the Latin natura, describes the constitution and origin of complexes arising from themselves in various degrees of independence. In a broad sense, “physis can name the ‘growth’ of plants and animals as well as the origin or composition of the entire cosmos. […] In the realm of actions, physis can be regarded as the point of orientation on which a successful life is to be aligned – one is to “live in accordance with physis”. (Dunshirn, 2019).

Physis is our innate capacity to heal, our inner wisdom. It is not unique to human beings; we are immersed in it and surrounded by it. The goal of psychotherapy and psychedelic integration is to foster a relationship within a container that nurtures natural growth and development. This process is best supported by creating a warm, compassionate environment and a relationship in which you feel heard and accepted for who you are, ultimately enabling your Physis to guide you toward becoming your most authentic self.

Parmenides of elea — On Nature

εἴσῃ δ’ αἰθερίαν τε φύσιν τά τ’ ἐν αἰθέρι πάντα

You shall know the nature of the aether and all the signs in the aether

σήματα καὶ καθαρᾶς εὐαγέος ἠελίοιο

and the invisible works of the pure torch of the bright sun

λαμπάδος ἔργ’ ἀίδηλα καὶ ὁππόθεν ἐξεγένoντο,

and whence they were born, and you will learn the

ἔργα τε κύκλωπος πεύσῃ περίφοιτα σελήνης

wandering works of the round-eyed moon and its nature

καὶ φύσιν, εἰδήσεις δὲ καὶ οὐρανὸν ἀμφὶς ἔχοντα

and you will know the heaven around them both

ἔνθεν ἔφυ τε καὶ ὥς μιν ἄγουσ’ ἐπέδησεν Ἀνάγκη

whence it grew and how necessity leading bound it

πείρατ’ ἔχειν ἄστρων.

to hold the limit of the stars.

Berne, E. (1968) Games people play: The psychology of human relationships. London: Penguin. Dunshirn, A. (2019) Online Lexikon Naturphilosophie. Journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de Parmenides (trans. Burnyeat, M.) (2008) On Nature, in Palmer, J. (ed.) The Presocratic Philosophers. London: Routledge.

“the knowledge of the heart is in no book
and is not to be found
in the mouth of any teacher,
but grows out of you
like the green seed from the dark earth”

— Carl Gustav Jung
The Red Book: Liber NovuS

ALESSIA Chiappino

I have a classical and humanistic education, followed by a Diploma in Photography from the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan. After relocating to London in the early-2000s and completing a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts at Central St. Martins (University College London), I worked in the digital media and music industry for over a decade, before training in Integrative and Relational Psychotherapy with a trauma-attuned approach. Additionally, I have trained in Somatic Attachment Therapy, Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI), and Integrative Psychedelic Therapies with institutions in Canada, the UK, and the USA. I am currently undergoing advanced clinical training in the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy at The Institute of Psychedelic Therapy (UK).

I have a strong interest in the ancestral lineages of healing through teacher plants of the native peoples of the Americas. I learn directly and experientially from Indigenous groups, specifically the Navajo-Diné in North America and the Shipibo-Conibo of the Upper Peruvian Amazon. I have experienced Master Plant dietas as well as ceremonial use of plant teachers.

These experiences have fostered my passion for biocultural conservation and wildlife conservation, and have prompted me to support several NGOs and charities dedicated to protecting threatened habitats in the Western Amazon and regions of Africa. Through reciprocity projects, these organisations work to combat habitat loss, deforestation, and the impact of Ayahuasca tourism on Native communities.

Having worked for several years in both individual and group settings with people from minority groups and those experiencing religious, spiritual and intergenerational trauma, I take an anti-discriminatory stance. I am committed to learning about the impact of discrimination in all its forms and examining my own biases and assumptions in the process.

I am a member of The Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, a non-profit organization based in Northern California that provides education and cultural understanding about plant medicines and promotes a bridge between the ceremonial use of sacred plants and mainstream psychedelic science. Along with Chacruna, I support the Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative of the Americas (IRI), which fosters biocultural conservation and the autonomy of Indigenous communities.

I am also a member of Modern Spirit, a non-profit organisation in Arizona dedicated to spiritual healing in modern healthcare, scientific research in epigenetics, and the study of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Through its Reciprocity Project, the organisation offers Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy to Native Americans for issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, as well as Ayahuasca ceremonies for healthcare providers in Peru and Colombia.

Along with my private practice, I belong to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the Institute of Psychedelic Therapy (IPT) and the Italian Society of Psychedelic Medicine (SIMePsi). 

  • PgDip Integrative & Humanistic Psychotherapy — The Link Centre (UKCP 2021 • in progress)

    PgCert in PHRI - Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration — Awarded by NUMINUS, CA

    PgCert Integrative Psychedelic Therapies— Awarded by Modern Spirit USA

    PgCert in Somatic Attachment Therapy — Awarded by The Embody Lab, USA

    PgDip Psychotherapeutic Counsellor with Social Responsibility — TA East London & United Kingdom Association of Transactional Analysis (MBACP, UKATA) 

    Master's Degree in Fine Arts — Awarded by University of the Arts London (UAL) Central Saint Martins 

    Diploma in Photography — Awarded by Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) Milano 

  • Continuing professional development:

    Soul Retrieval: Psychedelics, Depth Psychology and Reclaiming the Importance of Soul w/Dr Ido Cohen — The Integration Circle (USA)

    Psychedelic Intersections 2025 — Harvard Divinity School Cambridge, MA (USA)

    Buddhism & Deep Ecology w/Sanghasīha — London Buddhist Centre (UK)

    Indigenous Shamanic Knowledge Systems, Art and Creative Processes — Chacruna Institute, California (USA)

    Cultivating Connections: Ecological Medicine Meets Psychedelic Therapies — University of California, Los Angeles (USA)

    Healing the Soul Wound with Dr Eduardo Duran — Naropa University Boulder, Colorado (USA)

    Bridging the Worlds: The Confluence of Indigenous Wisdom and Psychedelic Science —University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (USA)

    Sacred Ceremony in Psychedelic Therapy: Ancestral Teachings of the Americas w/ Dr. Joe Tafur — Modern Spirit (USA)

    Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy w/Kyle Buller — The Link Centre (UK)

    Holotropic Breathwork in Practice w/Dr Tim Read — Institute of Psychedelic Therapy (UK)

    Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy for Healthcare Providers w/Dr. Joe Tafur — Modern Spirit (USA)

    Psychoanalysis: Winnicott and Object Relations — Freud Institute London (UK)

    Eating Disorders w/GF Pace — The Link Centre (UK)

    Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Summit w/ Gabor Maté — Heart Mind Institute (USA)

    Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, Mindfulness & Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness w/ Dr Ronald D. Siegel — ISC (Italy)

    The Neurobiology of Attachment w/ Dr. Allan Schore — NICABM (USA)

    Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy, Mindfulness and Compassion w/ Dr Chris Germer — FCP (Italy)

    Vagal System and the Treatment of Trauma w/ Dr Stephen Porges — NICABM (USA)

    How To Work With Shame w/ Peter Levine, PhD — NICABM (USA)

    Intensive Trauma Treatment w/ Bessel Van der Kolk — NICABM (USA)

    Mindsight, Attachment & Clinical Integration w/ Dr. Dan Siegel — NICABM (USA)

My Approach: Psychedelic-informed relational psychotherapy preparation & INTEGRATION

I offer Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration (PHRI)* & Psychedelic-Informed Relational Psychotherapy. PHRI focuses on safety, guidance, and support, helping you prepare for an experience to maximise safety and benefits and reduce adverse effects. During the initial consultation, you may ask any questions, clarify your intentions, and undergo an assessment to evaluate if this path is suitable for you.

Emphasis is placed on 'set & setting.' 'Set' refers to your mental disposition—what expectations and aspirations, thoughts or mental state you bring to the experience, your memories and your unconscious material. 'Setting' refers to the external factors influencing your psychedelic journey: individuals present, the location and the overall environmental context, including cultural influences.

The goal of psychedelic-informed relational psychotherapy and integration is to process and make sense of one’s personal journey, achieving a sense of wholeness and balance in one’s life. This process ultimately can lead to greater self-awareness, personal growth, and a deeper connection to self, community, nature, and spirituality. 

The process of Integration, crucial to this journey, helps incorporate the effects of a psychedelic experience. This stage fosters the assimilation of awareness from an expanded state and aims to facilitate the reflection upon insights gained during the experience.

I provide a supportive and warm space for you to delve into intentions, significance, and understanding, to examine and process the insights or confront the challenges that might have arisen.

*Psychedelic harm reduction and integration (PHRI) does not involve the administration of any psychedelic drugs as these substances are currently illegal in the UK. Please do not contact me with requests for illegal psychedelic assisted work.

MENTORING & CONSULTANCY

There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that is your own self.

— ALDOUS HUXLEY

Over the past twenty-five years, alongside my formal studies, I have sought guidance from mentors in various fields of interest, including artists, art curators, historians, musicians, entrepreneurs, doctors, curanderos and indigenous people of the Americas, psychotherapists, Jungian analysts, and psychedelic therapy researchers and guides. I place great importance on apprenticeship and mentoring, as these mentors have been instrumental in my personal growth.

Mentoring is a developmental relationship that offers guidance, support, and advice, helping us grow both personally and professionally by sharing knowledge, skills, and insights. I provide mentoring for trainee and qualified counsellors, psychotherapists, and other healthcare providers in my areas of expertise. Through mentorship, we will establish a partnership that can accelerate your personal and professional growth, improve your career prospects, and offer valuable guidance and encouragement. Mentoring also broadens your networking opportunities and provides honest feedback.