Our Team
We are grounded in equity; tended with integrity; thriving on trust and transparency.
Gwen Pelfini
Founder, Integrative Psychotherpist & Certified Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Provider
LMHC #010972, LPCC #13835, NCC #1511235
Welcome to Rooted Ethos!
I’m Gwen.
I’m an integrative, multi-licensed psychotherapist, adjunct professor, and certified psychedelic-assisted therapy provider and advocate; here for your healing journey.
I weave together therapeutic modalities and allies to help facilitate, strengthen and celebrate the relationship with your Inner Healing Intelligence; living a life more deeply rooted into that innate knowing.
I started Rooted Ethos, because that balanced spirit represents living in that knowing - grounded in equity; tended with integrity; thriving on trust and transparency - a canopy, under which many branches of offerings are made accessible. As a group psychotherapy practice, we are a collective of conscious clinicians, dedicated to providing innovative, integrative psychotherapy to our clients, supervision & consultation to fellow clinicians and devoted support to our community.
Associate Psychotherapists
Growing up as an Asian American, I often found myself moving between Eastern and Western values, never fully belonging to just one world. That experience shapes the heart of my practice today. I am drawn to supporting those who feel caught between cultures, identities, or expectations, because I know how isolating that space can feel. If you are longing for a connection you’ve never quite had, I hope to be the person you can share your most intimate stories with.
Amy Kim
APCC #15838, AMFT #145094 - Associate Psychotherapist
I am devoted to providing compassionate, encouraging, empowering therapy supporting my clients in the search for a life of meaning, wisdom, fulfilment and happiness, no matter your journey thus far. I believe in the potential in each of us to live well and bravely, for our own happiness, and for all that we share with others in this daunting and beautiful world we find ourselves in. If you are in need of a proverbial "traveling companion" to walk beside you and lift a light on the path while you practice seeing in the dark and igniting your own light, I may be your guide.
Amber Valett
APCC #15737, AMFT #144349 - Associate Psychotherapist
I am a passionate catalyst for helping people discover their own way to live more fully. We often get stuck, held back, and disconnected from experiencing life with a feeling of wholeness. The stories and beliefs we have carried for decades about ourselves and the world around us play a role in that experience. In a therapeutic relationship, we can create new meaning from past experiences and change the way we go on living in the present. My therapeutic approach is to help you make direct contact with the knowledge in your body through what is called the felt sense. By helping you set aside old narratives and cultivate a relationship with your felt sense, change arises freshly from the body. A real change is a shift in the bodily felt way you experience yourself in the world; a coming forward of your whole person.
Amichai Amar, PhD
Associate Psychotherapist
I'm an insightful therapist trainee (Practitioner Clinical Counselor Trainee and Marriage and Family Therapist Trainee) who specializes in making sense of complexity and overwhelming experiences. My approach blends analytical depth with warmth and playfulness, bringing both intellectual curiosity and lightness to our work together. Whatever you bring to therapy—the beautiful and the messy—I'm comfortable witnessing it all with you.
Robin Dogrucu
Associate Practicum Trainee
Medical Partners
Kwasi Adusei
DNP - Medical Partner
Dr. Kwasi Adusei is a compassionate and inquisitive psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner Ghanaian native who has dedicated his career to exploring the intersections of community and wellbeing. Dr. Adusei co-founded the Psychedelic Society of Western New York and established the Sanctuary Project, a grassroots organization focused on psychedelic risk reduction. His extensive involvement in the psychedelic field includes serving as a consultant to Usona, and on boards such as the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute, Reconsider, the Source Research Foundation, and the Psychedelic Medicine Association, as well as adjunct faculty for the California Institute of Integral Studies, Vital Psychedelic Training, Soundmind Institute, and more..
Motivated by his personal experiences with the war on drugs and community mental health, both as a patient and clinician, he served as a participant in the Diversity Working Group for MAPS and continues to further his commitment to fostering inclusivity and diversity in mental health and psychedelic research. His background as an educator and community organizer, combined with his clinical expertise, allows him to make notable contributions to these fields while continually striving for innovative approaches to healthcare and community well-being.
Journey Clinical is a platform for licensed psychotherapists to incorporate science-based psychedelic therapies in their practice safely and effectively, starting with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP). Journey Clinical’s in-house medical team takes on patient eligibility, prescriptions and outcome monitoring, while I take on the therapy. Their collaborative care model is designed to deliver personalized treatment plans to meet your individual needs and improve long-term outcomes.
Associate Paw-tner🐾
Lucy joined Rooted Ethos in December 2024, after her original owners passed and Gwen adopted her. She is now thriving and living her best city life - attending conferences and gatherings, training as a therapy apprentice. She is a registered Service Dog (ID #113141874) with USA Service Dogs, and a registered Therapy Animal (US-SAR-179526928) with US Service Animal Registrar. Her cuddles are top-notch, and her favorite toy is her squeaky turtle. When she’s not playing in the grass or sand, she is likely on Gwen’s lap, napping or taking notes.
Lucy G
Associate Therapy Pawtner 🐾
