Hi! I’m Mélanie Boothe (she/her/hers). I am deeply grateful to the Sinxt Peoples and all the Keepers of the land, on whose traditional, unceded territories I have the honour to live, work and play. I am an art therapy student at the Kutenai Art Therapy Institute, and I am so excited to be starting a placement at Movin’ Mountains!
I grew up in rural Manitoba and earned a Bachelor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Winnipeg, followed by a Bachelor of Education at l’Université de Saint-Boniface. I moved to Rossland in 2007 and gained over ten years of experience teaching children and youth of all ages in our local schools. Working with young people with diverse needs really inspired me to explore with them different ways of practicing self-regulation and creative expression, building understanding, and celebrating strengths. These passions eventually led me to art therapy.
My focus is on providing individuals a safe therapeutic space to express and process their emotions so they can discover and benefit from the healing and life enhancing qualities of their own creative process. I present art invitations and materials, opportunities for fun experimentation, and mindfulness and movement exercises as required to foster engagement and meet the needs of individuals in the present moment.
When I am not being creative or studying, I enjoy spending time with my partner, my two sons and our two cuddly cats. I also love connecting to nature as much as possible, especially by hiking, biking, paddleboarding, and just simply admiring the beauty that surrounds me.
My quote: “Trust the process.” We may not always understand where life (or our artwork!) is leading us, but meaning emerges over time. We often discover that the steps we were taking were setting up the foundation we needed to move big mountains all along!
Hi! I’m Mélanie Boothe (she/her/hers). I am deeply grateful to the Sinxt Peoples and all the Keep...
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My name is Jason and I am thrilled to be joining an amazing team at Movin’ Mountains as a Kinesiologist/Rehab Assistant. I completed my Bachelor of Human Kinetics from the University of Windsor in 2018 and my Graduate Diploma in Professional Kinesiology at Lakehead University in 2019. After living my entire life in Ontario I am excited for the opportunities that Trail and the rest of the Kootenays will bring.
After initially pursuing work with sports conditioning and injury, I found new interest in pediatrics following a placement at a pediatric bariatric clinic. I found meaning helping children and families reach their goals through the introduction of fun physical exercise. Since then, I have continued my work in pediatrics, helping to develop and support the delivery of complex therapeutic exercise, intervention for sensory regulation and executive functioning, as well as the use of adaptive aids in sport and exercise. I have had the pleasure of working with a primarily Indigenous population, where I learned how to implement traditional medicine and community values into westernized therapeutic techniques. I enjoy exploring different methods of intervention, including a child’s interests in their program whenever possible.
I love adventure and trying new things. In my free time you can find me hiking with my golden retriever, camping, running, biking or skiing. My dream travel itinerary is to backpack the John Muir trail in California.
“The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.” -J.R.R Tolkien
My name is Jason and I am thrilled to be joining an amazing team at Movin’ Mountains as a Kinesio...
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My name is Sarah and I am overjoyed to be working collaboratively with incredible team here at MM. I graduated in 2020 with my Master’s in Occupational Therapy from Brighton University in the UK and in 2016 with my Bachelor’s in Kinesiology from the University of Alberta. Since setting out on my academic path, I have had a vision to work with children, youth and their families. I can’t think of a better place to begin this journey than here at MM.
A bit about me: I was raised in Central Alberta, but as an outdoors enthusiast I quickly fell in love with the Kootenay’s and decided this was the place I’d call home. I consider myself a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’; I have no special talents, only a passionate curiosity to try new things. I have also been a yoga teacher for 11 years and frequently draw from evidence-based mindfulness techniques and breath work in my OT practice.
Albert Einstein said: ’If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid’. This quote wisely elucidates the impact of the environment and task on yielding successful outcomes. As an OT, I look at problem solving environmental, occupational, and person-related barriers with my clients in order to optimize engagement, independence, and quality of life. Together, let’s create avenues in which we can all flourish as our unique and beautiful selves.
Looking forward to working (and playing) with you!
My name is Sarah and I am overjoyed to be working collaboratively with incredible team here at MM...
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Hi! My name is Jenna (She/Her/Hers) and I am Registered Speech-Language Pathologist with
over ten years of experience with pediatric populations. I was born and raised in the Kootenays,
and was very excited to move back to this area with my family in 2021. I am privileged to work,
live, and play on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the sngaytskstx (Sinixt)
People.
I completed my Bachelor of Science at the University of Victoria majoring in Linguistics in 1999,
and my Masters of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Alberta in 2001. I am
thrilled to be joining and collaborating with the amazing team at Movin’ Mountains!
I have worked in a number of pediatric settings including Alberta Health Services in Edmonton,
Thom Child and Family Services in Boston, and Pacific Spirit Community Health Centre in
Vancouver. I was also incredibly lucky to have the experience of volunteering at one of the first
schools for children with severe physical disabilities in Kigali, Rwanda, where I lived for a year
and a half.
Helping children improve their communication skills and working with their families brings me
so much joy. I feel honored to be a part of their journey, and strive to provide the best care
possible to my clients that is family-centered, evidence-based, and fun!
When I am not providing speech and language therapy, I love to be outside playing and having
adventures! My favorite activities include exploring the backcountry with my partner and two
boys, mountain biking, hiking, paddling, and skiing.
“You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” ―Martin Luther King Jr.
Hi! My name is Jenna (She/Her/Hers) and I am Registered Speech-Language Pathologist with
over ten...
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Hi, I’m Mary, and I’m a physical therapist! I graduated from U of A in 2017 with a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy. Before physiotherapy, I completed an honours science degree in Physiology & Pharmacology at U of S.
Prior to moving to Rossland in 2023, I worked mainly with adults at private practice clinics in Saskatchewan. I’ve always been interested in pediatrics, and I have a strong passion for mountain sports, so when I had an opportunity to move to the Kootenays and jump into the world of pediatric therapy, I couldn’t pass it up!
I have absolutely loved learning more about growth and development, connecting with all kinds of kids, and finding ways to make therapy enjoyable and successful both in the clinic and at home. I can’t wait to help you move mountains!
Hi, I’m Mary, and I’m a physical therapist! I graduated from U of A in 2017 with a Masters of Sci...
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Hello! My name is Kerry Lee (She/Her/Hers) and I am thrilled to be joining the skilled and compassionate team as Clinical Counsellor at Movin’ Mountains. I am grateful to work, live, and play on the unceded traditional territory of the Sinixt, Ktunaxa, Sylix, and Secwepemc.
I am a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University. I completed my clinical practicum placement with Child and Youth Mental Health at MCFD in Trail, BC and for the last 3 years provided counselling services as a District Elementary Counsellor for SD20.
During my experience counselling children, I noticed that as much as young people were curious and brave during counselling sessions, they struggled with traditional talk therapy. Therefore, I created a sequential play-based model of therapeutic intervention for children and youth to help make the counselling experience more relaxing and fun. This play-based model allows youth to learn mental health skills such as co-regulation, self-regulation, emotional awareness and healthy coping strategies in a fun, caring space. My trauma-informed and client-centered therapeutic approach draws from many modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Play & Art therapy, Attachment theory and Mindful Self-Compassion.
When I am not providing counselling services, you may find me teaching Yoga classes, playing with our puppy Sophia and having fun with friends and family adventuring on the water or in the mountains!
Hello! My name is Kerry Lee (She/Her/Hers) and I am thrilled to be joining the skilled and compas...
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Hi! My name is Jill and I am extremely excited to be joining the Movin’ Mountains team as an Occupational Therapist.
In 2020 I completed my Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto, after completing my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Victoria. Since graduating, I have worked in the community with adults who have experienced car accidents, trauma, and mental health challenges; however, having a child of my own recently has pulled me back to my passion for working with children and youth. In the past I have worked extensively with children and youth in life skills, recreation, and education settings, including roles as a community support worker, special olympics coach, life skills leader, and inclusion leader and educator. These experiences have taught me the importance of using a fun, strengths-based, family-centred approach in order to support a child and their family in participating in the activities that they love to do (as well as supporting them in doing those activities that they may not love, but need to do!).
As per the things that I love to do; you can find me mountain biking, learning winter sports, and playing with my son and husband in the beautiful kootenays.
I look forward to meeting you and your family soon!
Hi! My name is Jill and I am extremely excited to be joining the Movin’ Mountains team as an Occu...
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My name is Ashley and I completed my masters in occupational therapy at UBC in 2020. After two years in Vancouver, My husband and I are very excited to have moved back to the small town of Nelson.
During my time in Vancouver I had the opportunity to work in an early concussion program, which led to a deeper interest in helping individuals with their concussion recovery to return to work, sports and school. I hope to bring this knowledge and experience and work together to help those in the Kootenay region who may experience post-concussion symptoms.
In addition to concussions, I have always had a special interest in pediatrics and child development. Prior to my OT school, I spent summers working with children through canucks autism network, Special Olympics, at private autism centers, and through summer camps for children with various abilities. These experiences led to me developing a strong desire to become a pediatric OT so I can help children to build confidence and skills to participate in meaningful activities such as school, play, and daily tasks.
I am very excited to be joining a collaborative team at Movin Mountains which values fun, creative sessions, and a family centred approach. I look forward to using your child’s imagination and unique characteristics to guide occupational therapy sessions.
Aside from work, you can find me hiking, camping, skiing, and exploring our new home mountains. I also love DIY projects and enjoy quiet time painting.
I look forward to meeting you!
My name is Ashley and I completed my masters in occupational therapy at UBC in 2020. After two ye...
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