Sandra McLaren RMT
I am excited to welcome you to our new Pemberton practice.
After graduating from the Registered Massage Therapist program from the West Coast College of Massage in 2005, I moved to Pemberton and began working at one of the hotel spas. Since then, I have taken several courses, mostly in the field of Cranial Sacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Fascial Release. In 2009 I took a year off and began doing an integrative series with these modalities as the focus. In 2010 I began working at the Scandinave Spa. In 2013, I completed the Cranial Sacral Therapy Certification Program at Langara College in Vancouver, and immediately following my graduation, I completed level I, II, III Cranial Sacral workshops with the Upledger Institute as well as the level I Pediatrics and Obstetrics course. I am currently continuing my studies with Visceral Manipulation with the Barral Institute.
I offer Massage in Pemberton with Cranial Sacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Fascial release as my passion.
I enjoy spending time with my husband and three beautiful girls here in beautiful Pemberton BC, and I am looking forward to building my practice here in my hometown.
Contact Sandra directly at 604-698-5377, or book online below
Laura MACMURCHY RMT
***Please Note Laura is curently away on maternity leave***
Laura is a Registered Massage Therapist and a Certified Athletic Therapist. She graduated from Sheridan College with a Bachelor of Applied Health Science (Athletic Therapy) Degree in 2012. After successfully completing the required certification exams, she then began her career as an Athletic Therapist. Throughout the following years she realized her passion for clinical work, which drove her decision to go back to school for additional education in massage therapy. Laura graduated from the Vancouver College of Massage Therapy in April 2018, and became a Registered Massage Therapist in November 2018.
Laura’s preferred style of work includes an orthopaedic approach where she takes into consideration any biomechanical issues and muscular imbalances. Her approach seeks to find the root of the issue, rather than chasing pain. She loves working with athletes and weekend warriors of all ages and capabilities, but she also appreciates the power of a relaxation massage in reducing stress in our everyday lives.
Laura is thrilled to have this opportunity to work in her hometown of Pemberton, and is excited to work alongside other highly regarded health professionals while helping locals achieve their health goals!
Contact Laura directly at 604-902-5080, or book online below
Julie Sickel RMT
A love for health and activity led me to massage for my own body maintenance and repair growing up. I graduated from Ontario’s Centennial College in 2003 and have been practicing ever since. I have always been intrigued by how the body moves, builds and breaks down patterns and how it can heal and hinder itself. These curiosities lead me to take further education in myofascial, visceral and joint kinesthetic therapy.
Since moving to British Columbia I spend my free time in the outdoors. I love Mountain biking, hiking, LOVE the snow and getting up the hill whenever I can. I found these activities help me relate to and create treatments plans for/based on my client’s lifestyles.
Also due to a love of women’s health and wellness, I attended Douglas College in 2015 to become a Certified childbirth educator (prenatal education teacher) and I have been a birth doula for 15 years.
Contact Julie directly at 604-966-4952 or book online below
Chloe Portia RMT
Hi, I’m Chloe.
A Registered Massage Therapist practicing in both Pemberton and Whistler BC and I love what I do!
Being able to connect and collaborate with my clients to help meet their health & wellness goals is a privilege and I pride myself on my compassionate nature and ability to hold space for others.
My passion for extreme sports and personal health journey rehabilitating from injuries inspired me to study at the Vancouver College of Massage Therapy. Since graduation, I have stayed committed to continually learning and growing as a practitioner. I really enjoy treating athletes of all abilities and I have gained experience working sports events with the Canadian National Big Air & Slopestyle Snowboard Team and the Vancouver Canucks.
My focus is to help clients heal as quickly as possible by taking a holistic approach to restoring and maintaining balance. Each session begins with an assessment which allows me to determine the cause of any dysfunction and tailor my treatments and homecare recommendations to the specific needs of each client.
I blend a variety of therapeutic techniques into my treatments including Deep Tissue Therapy, Biodynamic Myofascial Mobilization, Trigger Point Therapy, Dynamic Stretching, Joint Mobilizations, and Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM).
Outside of the clinic, I love to spend my free time mountain biking, snowboarding, practicing yoga and meditation and playing guitar.
Contact Chloe Directly at 604-967-1529 or click on the link below
STEPH BALL RMT
Steph Ball RMT – Registered Massage Therapist
Steph Ball believes that a well-tuned body allows you to be mentally and physically ready for life’s adventures and daily grind. Living a very active lifestyle, playing competitive sport in Australia, and then immersing herself in mountain biking, hiking, skiing and snowboarding since moving to Whistler in 2010. Steph understands the importance of a pain-free and well performing body.
To fulfill her passion for the human body, fitness and adventures she completed a Certificate IV in Fitness and Diploma in Outdoor Recreation before arriving in Canada. Steph then completed the CrossFit Level 1 so that she may lead people through their journey of reaching their fitness and strength goals through functional movement at Opus Athletics – CrossFit Whistler.
Combining movement and remedial exercise with massage therapy has been an integral part of Steph’s own personal well-being, injury management and rehabilitation from surgeries. Seeing the results of massage therapy was the main driver for pursuing Registered Massage Therapy. Steph begun with spa massage, before immersing herself in a Diploma of Massage Therapy where she gained experience treating specific conditions and injuries with assessment and a wide variety of techniques including deep tissue, myofascial release, trigger point release and joint mobilization. Graduating from West Coast College of Massage Therapy in Victoria BC, she has in-depth knowledge to assist clients towards their goals and needs.
Steph is excited to be a positive part of your day!
Contact Steph directly at 604-906-1723 or click the link below
Andrea zimmering RCC
My name is Andrea Zimmering, and I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. I am also a Certified Meditation Teacher and Certified Holistic Nutritionist.
As your therapist my focus is on making you feel comfortable and at ease while in session. In a session I will work collaboratively with you to establish meaningful insights and solutions to your present challenges.
In my therapeutic practice I use an integrative approach, meaning I combine different therapeutic tools to fit the needs of each individual client. Common areas of exploration in session will include values, internal and external resources, self-talk, goal setting and the impact of the many systems in your life.
I have experience working with a diverse range of individuals with varying challenges. My clients, who include adults, couples, and youth, come to me wanting support in areas such as:
- Anxiety and Depression
- Life transitions / adjustments
- Relationship concerns
- Self-confidence and self-esteem
- Career exploration and workplace challenges
- Body Image and disordered eating
I come to this line of work passionate about providing support to individuals seeking change and growth. I strive to show up with integrity in my work and ensure that my clients feel seen, heard, and safe to show up authentically as they are throughout the counselling process.
I am honoured and look forward to working with you.
Please note: Counselling offered by Registered Clinical Counsellors is often covered through extended medical plans. Please check with your benefits provider to see if you are covered.
If you would like to learn more about Andrea and her practice, please visit: www.andreanaomicounselling.ca
Please click on the link below to book online
Kerrie Palmer RCC
Hello! I am excited to be offering a limited private practice at Leaning Cedar on Saturdays working with children, youth and adults beyond my existing counselling work at Lil’wat Health and Healing.
It is my belief that we are experts in our own life; as children, youth and adults. Trust is sacred and it is an honour to share the journey with others who are choosing to do the work in counselling to learn, grow and feel better. Regardless of age, I believe that everyone is an expert in their life. My counselling process is collaborative and I use expressive play therapy, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and EMDR (when indicated by my clinical assessments) to support my clients in their therapeutic journey.
As a registered counsellor with both BC Association of Clinical Counsellors, and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, I have the following credentials: RCC and CCC. Many insurance plans have RCC’s or CCC’s as acceptable providers for insurance coverage. Please consult with your insurance provider before booking an appointment if you plan to use your benefits when accessing counselling.
My counselling career includes offering child and youth therapy at Xet’olacw Community School (September 2007- June 2021), casual Concurrent Disorders therapy with Vancouver Coastal Health (July 2012-September 2015). I earned my Bachelor of Education at the University of Toronto in 1995, and worked as a Special Education and Family Studies teacher in both Ontario and British Columbia. In 2009, I earned my Masters in Counselling Psychology through City University of Seattle in Vancouver, British Columbia. I have additional certification in expressive play therapy (Part 1 2009 & Healing Complex Trauma 2019) from The Center for Expressive Therapy in Parksville BC. Most recently, I completed EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) comprehensive basic training, (June 2020), as well as additional training focused on somatic (body focused) interventions for enhancing EMDR Effectiveness,
(May 2022).
What is Expressive Play Therapy? Expressive play therapy describes the use of a variety of art and play tools (drawing, painting, puppets and sand-tray) to assist children in processing what is happening for them. Play is the language of children and this counselling modality honours that pathway for expression.
What is EMDR therapy? “EMDR is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to focus briefly on the trauma memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements), which is associated with a reduction in the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.” (www.emdira.org). EMDR therapy requires pre-assessments for suitability as well as a commitment to approximately 12-20 sessions. In addition to the standard EMDR protocols, there are many therapeutic EMDR tools such as the flash technique that assist in reprocessing traumatic memories and experience.