Our Team
Physiotherapists
Emily Hik
Emily developed a passion for working with clients with neurological impairments and children with a variety of developmental conditions, both in the clinic setting & in the pool.
Experience:
- Pediatric Vestibular Rehab
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Parkinson’s
- Adult Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Cerebral Palsy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Spinal Cord Injuries
Qualifications:
- Pediatric Vestibular Rehab Course
- Reflex & Sensory Contributions to Postural Control & Movement
- Decoding the Autistic Brain
- Parkinson’s Exercise Prescription
- BOBATH Technique
Languages:
- English
Outside of the clinic, Emily enjoys caring for her young son, cycling, traveling, camping, hiking, cooking, reading and gardening.
Gosia Mikszan
Gosia strives to provide treatments that are patient/family centered and meaningful. She truly enjoys working with children, helping them to achieve their goals by providing just enough challenge, motivation and enjoyment.
Experience:
- Torticollis
- Plagiocephaly
- brachial Plexus Injury
- Brain tumors
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- CP
- Stroke
- Post Taylor Spatial Fram Surgery
- Neurodevelopmental conditions
Qualifications:
- Co-Chair Fraser Health Paediatric Professional Practice Committee
- Health Care & Policy Initiatives – including Patient Education classes & pamphlets
Languages:
- English
When not working she likes spending time with her husband and three children often hiking and travelling. She likes heights so she has done some extreme zip lining, bungee jumping and now hoping to do paragliding.
Grace Antonio
Grace has developed a passion for working with seniors & children in her 25+ years of working in hospitals & different team-oriented rehabilitation centers in Canada & abroad, specializing in neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics and pediatrics.
Experience:
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Cerebral Palsy,
- Global Developmental Delay
- Muscular Dystrophies
- Genetic Disorders
- Brain injury
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s Disease
Qualifications:
- BSC Physical Therapy, Emilio Aguinaldo College (Philippines)
- Member of the Physiotherapy Association of BC
- Member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association
- Community Brain Injury Program for Children & Youth in BC Registered Therapist
Language(s):
- English
In her spare time Grace loves spending time with family and friends, hiking, and traveling.
Sarah Dorsey
Sarah has a passion for working with individuals of all ages helping them meet their mobility goals.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Kinesiology (UFV)
- Masters of Physiotherapy (Queen’s University)
Language(s):
- English
Sarah enjoys spending her weekend hiking with friends, as well as running. Recently she trained for & ran her first ½ marathon. She enjoys reading and watching movies (the book is always better though)
Occupational Therapists
Joty Khangua
Joty has a special interest in working with children with feeding concerns.
Experience
- Fine Motor skills
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Sensory Concerns
- Infant Swallowing & Feeding disorders
- Cognition / Social Skills
Qualifications
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Power of Play Strategies for kids with ASD
- BEST Strategies for ASD
- SOS Approach to Feeding
Languages
- English
- Punjabi
When she is not working, Joty enjoys spending time with friends and family, going on walks, and trying new cafes!
Elissa Dykstra
Elissa has a passion for working with children of all ages.
Experience
- Developmental Delay
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Languages
- English
Speech Therapists
Anmol Dhillon
Anmol has a special interest in working with clients experiencing speech/language delay.
Experience
- Dysphagia
- Aphasia
- Late Talkers
- Literacy Difficulties
- Social Communication / Pragmatic difficulties
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Developmental Language Disorders
- Stuttering
- Lisps
Qualifications
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Registered Speech Language Pathologist
- Master of Speech Pathology
Languages:
- English
When not working, Anmol enjoys hiking, travel, and reading.
Rehabilitation Assistants
Justine Chiba
Justine is passionate about educating individuals on how to optimize their physical function and mindset to enjoy life to the fullest. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, running, traveling, music, and spending time with her people.
Pawan Chera
Pawan brings experience as a Speech Assistant, having worked both virtually and in person with a diverse age group from adults to children.
When she is not working, Pawan enjoys drawing, calligraphy, creative writing, playing volleyball, and dancing!
Stefanie Pemble
Stefanie was the first employee of Abilities. She enjoys working with children with a wide variety of neurodiversities, and has a gift for making therapy sessions fun and engaging.
When she is not working, she enjoys white water kayaking, or spending time with her family.
Clinic Admins
Harjinder Dyal
Mindi Lazeo
Physiotherapists
Grace Antonio
Grace has developed a passion for working with seniors & children in her 25+ years of working in hospitals & different team-oriented rehabilitation centers in Canada & abroad, specializing in neurology, orthopedics, geriatrics and pediatrics.
Experience:
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Cerebral Palsy,
- Global Developmental Delay
- Muscular Dystrophies
- Genetic Disorders
- Brain injury
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s Disease
Qualifications:
- BSC Physical Therapy, Emilio Aguinaldo College (Philippines)
- Member of the Physiotherapy Association of BC
- Member of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association
- Community Brain Injury Program for Children & Youth in BC Registered Therapist
Language(s):
- English
In her spare time Grace loves spending time with family and friends, hiking, and traveling.
Sarah Dorsey
Sarah has a passion for working with individuals of all ages helping them meet their mobility goals.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor of Kinesiology (UFV)
- Masters of Physiotherapy (Queen’s University)
Language(s):
- English
Sarah enjoys spending her weekend hiking with friends, as well as running. Recently she trained for & ran her first ½ marathon. She enjoys reading and watching movies (the book is always better though)
Veronika Vlckova
Veronika has a passion for working with adults in the field of neurorehabilitation, particularly with those diagnosed with stroke, MS, and Parkinson’s disease, and has a growing interest in the area of vestibular rehab.
Experience:
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
- Post Concussion Syndrome
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Bells Palsy
- Vestibular Rehab (Vertigo/Dizziness)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Plyneuropathy
- Guillain Barre
- Cerebral Palsy (adult)
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Cerebellar Ataxia
Qualifications:
- Bobath Certified
- Vestibular Rehab
- Post-Concussion Managment
- Member of Physiotherapy Association of BC
- Member of Canadian Physiotherapy Association – NeuroSciences division
Language(s):
- English
- In her spare time Veronika enjoys spending time with her family and dog, hiking up the beautiful local mountains of BC, fitness, and traveling.
Occupational Therapists
Matthew So
Matthew is passionate about working with kids (Paediatrics) and especially enjoys his role in supporting and collaborating with families to work towards achieving their goals.
Experience:
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Developmental Coordination Disorder
- Cerebral Palsy
- Sensory Processing
Qualifications:
- Comprehensive Intro to Sensory Processing & Autism
- Bachelor of Kinesiology (UBC)
- Master of Occupational Therapy (UBC)
Language(s):
- English
Outside of work, Matthew enjoys trail running, ultimate frisbee, yoga, and spending time with friends and family. He is also an avid fan of the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Raptors.
Speech Therapists
Anmol Dhillon
Anmol has a special interest in working with clients experiencing speech/language delay.
Experience:
- Dysphagia
- Aphasia
- late talkers
- literacy difficulties
- social communication / pragmatic difficulties
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Developmental Language Disorder
- Stuttering
- Lisps
Qualifications:
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Registered Speech Language Pathologist
- Masters of Speech Pathology
- BSc biology
Language(s):
- English
When not working, Anmol enjoys hiking, travel, and reading.
Kira Shelton
Kira has a passion for supporting children in developing the skills & tools needed to communicate.
Experience:
- Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)
- Expressive & Receptive Language Disorders
- Vocabulary Development; Grammar & sentence structure
- Difficulties with reading, spelling, & phonological awareness
- Speech sound Production / Disorders
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech
- Sound difficulties due to Hearing Loss
Qualifications:
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Alternative & Augmentative Communication (AAC) training
- Gestalt Language Learners coursework
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech coursework
Language(s):
- English
Kira enjoys teaching others about her profession & helping expand their scope of practice. In her spare time, she also enjoys knitting, DND, and singing.
Scott Van Vliet
Scott enjoys working with people of all ages, and has a passion for speech sound disorders, particularly childhood apraxia of speech and phonological disorders.
Experience:
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Articulation Disorders
- Phonological disorders
Childhood Apraxia of Speech - Post Cleft Palate/Resonance disorders
- Late talkers
- Developmental Language disorders
- Social Communication Skills
- Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)
- Aphasia / TBI
Qualifications:
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech Course
- Cycles Approach to treating Phonological Disorders
- Treating children pre/post Cleft Palate Surgery Courses
- AAC Courses
- Language facilitation in preverbal children Course
- Natural Language Acquisition / Gestalt Language Processing
- Stuttering
Language(s):
- English
In his spare time, Scott has lots of creative hobbies that he enjoys, including leather craft, wood working, soap making and knitting. He plays the guitar, and also loves outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, and foraging for wild berries.
Rehabilitation Assistants
Jori-Lee Reed
Justine Chiba
Justine is a Rehab Assistant and a member of the British Columbia Association of Kinesiology (BCAK). She earned her bachelor’s of Kinesiology from the University of Calgary in 2020. Justine is continually expanding her toolbox as a rehabilitation assistant.
While at University, she played soccer for the University of Calgary and through her own struggle with injury and concussion became passionate about helping others with their own recoveries. She has experience working with individuals of all abilities through coaching young kids in soccer to her volunteer work for the Rehab and Fitness program and the Joint Effort program at U of C. Justine aspires to continue to support her clients to the best of her ability while also developing her skills in neurorehabilitation as a Rehabilitation assistant.
Justine is passionate about educating individuals on how to optimize their physical function and mindset to enjoy life to the fullest. She enjoys exploring the outdoors, running, traveling, music, and spending time with her people.
Jyotnoor Kanwar
Stefanie Pemble
Stefanie was the very first employee at Abilities. She completed a diploma program as a Rehabilitation Assistant. Stefanie is a very competent and dedicated Rehabilitation Assistant. She is able to add fun to the work she does with our clients to keep them motivated. She is the mother of three lovely girls and enjoys being out in the great outdoors.
Clinic Admin
Candace Sparks
Nicole Chalmers
Physiotherapists
Francis Bowers
Francis has a passion for working with neuro clients of all ages
Experience:
- Post-Stroke
- Acquired Brain Injury
- Post-Op Rehabilitation
- Hydrotherapy
- Exercise Prescription
Qualifications:
- Masters in Medical Rehabilitation: Physiotherapy
- BA Kinesiology
- Diploma of Advanced Orthopedic Manual and Manipulative Therapy: Level 1
Languages:
- English
When he isn’t working, you’ll find Francis exploring the big city, site-seeing, searching for new places to eat and craft beers to drink. If he’s not in the city, he’ll be out exploring what nature has to offer: hiking, camping, and swimming in the ocean. Whichever the setting, he loves to be surrounded by friends and enjoys meeting new people.
Occupational Therapists
Karen Wong
Karen enjoys helping people of all ages engage meaningfully in their goals, and has a special passion for supporting children and youth to explore their strengths in a fun way.
Experience:
- Fine Motor Skill development
- Developing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
- Printing/Writing
- Executive Functioning
- Sensory needs
- Anxiety and Self-regulation
- Interoception Skills
- Mild Cognitive concerns
Qualifications:
- Social Thinking Curriculum
- Autism Community Training (ACT BC) coursework
- Co-Op Approach – Foundation & Application course
- Motivational Interviewing Level 1 and 2
- Sensory Processing courses
- Cognitive Function coursework
- Upper Limb Rehabilitation
Language(s):
- English
When she isn’t working, Karen enjoys music, gardening, her pets and spending time outdoors.
Leeza Pertsev
Leeza enjoys creating engaging activities through therapy, while working to integrate personalized goals.
Experience:
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Cerebral Palsy
Qualifications:
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Master of Occupational Therapy (UBC)
- Bachelor of Kinesiology (UBC)
- Sport Science Diploma (Douglas College)
Language(s):
- English
In her spare time, Leeza enjoys playing sports – hockey & soccer in particular – as well as reading and spending time with her dog.
Speech Therapists
Cheryl
(Wing Hei)
Cheung
Cheryl has a passion for working with school aged children & adults with literacy or speech sound disorders.
Experience:
- Aphasia
- Dysphagia
- Literacy
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Developmental Language Disorders
- Social Communication / Pragmatic Difficulties
- Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)
- Early Language intervention
- Bilingual Speech Therapy
Qualifications:
- TouchChat Partner program
- Beckman Oral Motor Protocol
- The Biber Protocol
- Inro to IDDSI
- LSVT LOUD for Parkinson’s
- The Ultimate play-based Speech Therapy Course
- A Structured Approach to the School Year
Language(s):
- English
- Cantonese
Rehabilitation Assistants
Romina Allameh
coming soon
Clinic Admins
Maureen Bolli
Maureen enjoys learning about the different aspects of the medical field, reading about new research and medical discoveries.
When she is not working, Maureen enjoys baking, reading, camping (S’mores anyone?), and traveling.
Physiotherapists
Cindy Gilray
Cindy has a passion for working with children & their families, with a focus on helping them achieve their functional goals and enhance their mobility and independence.
Experience:
- Early Intervention
- Paediatrics
- Acupuncture
- Manual therapy
Qualifications:
- Orthopaedic Manual Therapy Level 1
- Certification in Acupuncture
- B.Sc in Physical Therapy
Language(s):
- English
When not at work Cindy enjoys watching her children’s sports and school activities, camping, travel and singing in choir.
Jessica Chow
Jessica enjoys helping kids learn a new skill or achieve a new motor goal. She has a passion for disguising challenging therapeutic activities as fun games.
She also enjoys working with acquired neurological conditions quite soon after their injury.
Experience:
- Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Cerebral Palsy
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Post-Fall Recovery
Qualifications:
- Discover the World of Scoliosis
- PD (Parkinsons) Warrior Level 1 and 2
- BOBATH concept
- Brief Action Planning, Centre for Collaboration, Motivation and Innovation
- Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) Level 1
Language(s):
- English
- Cantonese
Jessica’s favourite way to spend her free time is staying active through hiking, biking, swimming and sports – including volleyball and badminton. She also enjoys thrifting, traveling, and reading about skin care ingredients, and eating out (bubble tea, noodle soup and sushi in particular)!
Veronica Newell
Veronica seeks to empower children and youth with physical differences to accept their bodies while also working to make physical improvements.
Experience:
- Early Intervention
- Developmental Delay
- Cerebral Palsy
- Gait/Walking
- General Weakness
Qualifications:
- Former Director of Physiotherapy Department with The Centre for Child Development
- Bachelor of Physical Therapy (UBC)
Language(s):
- English
- French
When not working, Veronica enjoys painting and creative arts, fitness classes, nature walks, social activities, and family time.
Occupational Therapists
Christine Chiu
Christine is passionate about working with children to develop the tools they need to succeed.
Experience:
- Fine Motor Skills development
- Handwriting
- Developmental Delay
- Concentration skills
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy
- Diploma in Infant Development & Supported Child Care
Languages:
- English
- Mandarin
Karen Wong
Karen enjoys helping people of all ages engage meaningfully in their goals, and has a special passion for supporting children and youth to explore their strengths in a fun way.
Experience:
- Fine Motor Skill development
- Developing Activities of Daily Living
- Printing / Writing
- Executive Functioning
- Sensory needs
- Anxiety and self-regulation
- Interoception skills
- mild Cognitive concerns
Qualifications:
- Social Thinking Cirriculum
- Autism Community Training (ACT BC) coursework
- CO-OP Approach – Foundation & Application course
- Motivational Interviewing Level 1 and 2
- Sensory Processing courses
- Cognitive Function coursework
- Upper Limb Rehabilitation
Language(s):
- English
When she isn’t working, Karen enjoys music, gardening, her pets and spending time outdoors.
Nehzat Fadaei
Nehzat has a passion for early intervention – working with younger children to develop the tools to succeed.
Experience:
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Sensory Integration
- Attention & Concentration Skills
- Play Therapy
- Cognitive challenges
Qualifications:
- M.Sc. in Occupational Therapy
Language(s):
- English
- Persian/Farsi
In her spare time, Nehzat enjoys hiking, walking, dancing, and spending time with her family, especially her nieces and nephew.
Speech Therapists
Manisha Loodu
Manisha is passionate about working with children and adults with speech or language difficulties.
Experience:
- Speech sound difficulties, including Lisps
- Sound difficulties due to hearing loss
- Language Disorder
- Language Delay
- Vocabulary and sentence development
- Fluency
- Stuttering
- Social Communication
- Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC)
- Dysphagia in Adults
Qualifications:
- Registered Speech Language Pathologist
Language(s):
- English
Rehabilitation Assistants
Ashley Fleming
Avneet Channa
Ciana Saretsky
Megan O’Shaughnessy
Clinic Admins
Avneet Kaur
Mansimar Kaur
PHYSIOTHERAPISTS
Erin Reeds
Erin pursued her Masters of Science degree in Physiotherapy at UBC in 2007 after completing her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Victoria in 2005. After graduating, Erin worked at Royal Columbian Hospital for a year where she developed a passion for neurological rehabilitation. After gaining experience in the acute setting, Erin started working for a private neurological clinic in Vancouver BC. During this time, she took numerous courses to enhance her knowledge and expertise in the area of neurological rehabilitation, including a 3 week Bobath course that focused on treatment specifically for neurological impairments. In September 2009, Erin began working with adults at the Abilities Surrey location.
Her passion for rehabilitation and the desire for her clients to achieve their goals energizes Erin to challenge her clients in a functional, goal directed manner. Erin has completed numerous NDT, vestibular rehabilitation and concussion management courses. She also holds certification in acupuncture with AFCI. Erin has completed several courses in Parkinson’s rehabilitation including the LSVT BIG Certification and PWR! Therapist course. Erin is a certified yoga instructor and enjoys teaching weekly adapted yoga courses to her clients at the Surrey Abilities location.
Outside of the clinic, Erin enjoys spending time with her dog Bruce as well as exploring local trails.
Nafeesa Brown
Nafeesa has a passion for working with children of all ages, and a special interest in Spinal Cord Injuries
Experience:
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Brain Injury
- Stroke
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Guillame-Barre Syndrome
- Parkinson’s
- Vestibular Rehab
- Neuro-Respiratory Rehab
Qualifications:
- Advanced Wheelchair Seating & Positioning
- Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)
Language(s):
- English
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
Leeza Pertsev
Leeza enjoys creating engaging activities through therapy, while working to integrate personalized goals.
Experience:
- ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Cerebral Palsy
Qualifications:
- RASP (Registry of Autism Service Providers)
- Master of Occupational Therapy (UBC)
- Bachelor of Kinesiology (UBC)
- Sport Science Diploma (Douglas College)
Language(s):
- English
In her spare time, Leeza enjoys playing sports – hockey & soccer in particular – as well as reading and spending time with her dog.
Natalie Gant
SPEECH THERAPISTS
REHABILITATION ASSISTANTS
Avneet Channa
Comin Soon
Avri Penner
Comin Soon
Romina Allameh
Comin Soon
CLINIC ADMINS
