MEET THE TEAM
Joanne Leitch, OT
Joanne completed her Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Ottawa in 2014 before making the move to B.C. She was inspired to start Pacific Peak Therapy to pursue her passion for bettering the lives of clients through the provision of exceptional care and collaboration with the best community partners. Her background includes work in community and facility-based rehabilitation with clients ranging from small children to seniors. Joanne understands the complexities in coping with illnesses or injuries and has completed additional training and coursework in Concussion Rehabilitation, Return to Work planning, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Sensory Processing, Self-Regulation, Ergonomics, Cost of Future Care assessment, and Functional Capacity Evaluation. Joanne mentors and trains other Occupational Therapists and Kinesiologists, including provisional registrants. Joanne has experience working with ICBC and is part of the WorkSafeBC provider network. Joanne is an approved provider on the Registry for Autism Service Providers (RASP) as a supervised registrant.
Joanne has been accepted as an expert witness in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in the fields of Occupational Therapy, Cost of Future Care, and Functional Capacity Evaluation. She is trained in the Matheson FCE and Metriks FCE protocols. She is experienced in conducting medical legal assessments, for both plaintiff and defence counsel, in the form of Cost of Future Care Assessments, Functional Capacity Evaluations, and Responsive Reports.
In her free time, Joanne can be found outdoors, enjoying all that the North Shore has to offer, including mountain biking, snowboarding, running, camping, and hiking with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.
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Joanne is fluent in English and French.
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Joanne is currently on maternity leave until September 2025 and will only be accepting clients under the age of 6 with AFU funding at this time.
Joshua Lim, OT
Joshua grew up in Burnaby and completed his master’s degree to be an Occupational Therapist at the University of Western Ontario. He has an undergraduate background in Kinesiology and is well versed in the therapeutic process as he grew up as an often injured (or concussed) athlete. He’s happy to be back in Vancouver because during his time in London, (Ontario) he missed the mountains and the ocean more than he thought he would.
Joshua has a diverse vocational background that has led to a passionate drive to be a holistic, empathetic, and person-centred Occupational Therapist. He has worked with a variety of populations having roles in the last decade as a lifeguard on the Vancouver beaches, hydro-therapist at a rehab pool, rehab assistant for a long-term care home, and summer camp coordinator for a children’s centre in the DTES of Vancouver. He enjoys reading or thinking about physical adaptations we can do to optimize mental health, the physiology of trauma, and sleep. Joshua has completed additional training in chronic pain management and prolonged in-vivo exposure therapy.
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Joshua hopes to hone his skills in being a well-rounded community occupational therapist and is excited to participate in each of his client’s journey to be a participant in their own lives whether it be in leisure, productivity, or self-care.
You can often find Joshua in the backcountry searching for fresh turns on his skis, in the ocean (no matter the temperature), speed-walking to find good but overpriced coffee, and being disappointed about the Canucks not making the playoffs again this year.
Zara Sovani, OT
Zara grew up in Vancouver and studied Neuroscience at Simon Fraser University. In 2018, she completed her Master’s in Occupational Therapy at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Zara worked in rural Northwest Ontario, Sioux Lookout, where she provided OT services in fly-in reserve communities to Indigenous clientele – paediatrics to seniors. In Halifax, she worked with Veterans in a return-to-work capacity, provided job coaching services and mental health support.
Zara uses a strength-based, trauma informed, holistic approach when working with clients. She recognizes that injuries impact both physical and mental health. She places value on helping clients return to function so they can live a quality life. Zara enjoys working with clients and hearing their unique stories - this is her favourite part of OT-ing.
Zara has completed training in Trauma Informed Care, Functional Capacity Evaluation (Metriks), Kinesiotaping, Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Exposure Response Therapy, Cognitive Rehabilitation, and Zones of Regulation (paediatrics).
In her spare time, you will find Zara taking courses to enhance her practice, rollerblading, working out at a gym, or on a hike with friends. She enjoys lazy days at the beach and stand-up paddle-boarding.
Heidi Perera, OT
Heidi grew up in Sri Lanka and moved to Canada in 2012 to pursue an undergraduate degree at the University of Winnipeg. After completing her degree in Business Administration, she started work as Support worker supporting children and youth in foster care. This inspired her to join the health care field to provide individualize support to those with mental and physical disabilities. She completed her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Manitoba in 2021.
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With her, Heidi brings her unique experience of growing up in a collectivistic culture and being an immigrant to Canada, therefore, considering a holistic approach to an individual's care. Bearing in mind that cultural beliefs and social aspects of each individual plays a vital role in a person’s recovery. She is passionate about mental health and spirituality and the understanding the significant role of one’s mind has on a person’s wellbeing. What she loves about OT is that occupational therapists work alongside clients to achieve their goals, assisting them to regain independence in their day-to-day life. After completing her placement in a community setting at stroke rehab, Heidi was drawn to working with individuals in the community.
She is a passionate yogi and practices mindfulness daily to tackle her busy life. After living in Winnipeg for 10 years, her love for the ocean brought her to B.C. When she is not working, she spends time with her 8-month-old daughter and partner, hiking, foraging mushrooms, and spending time by the sea. Heidi is fluent in English and Sinhala (National language of Sri Lanka).
Kate Naphtali, OT
Kate is our resident OT on the Sunshine Coast. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience working in a variety of public health settings before joining the team in 2023. Kate works with individuals injured in workplace incidents, as well as completes ergonomic assessments for employers/employees. Kate supports individuals who require assistance with home accessibility/safety through adaptive aids and support services, provides mental health support such as activation and exposure therapy, and provides support for individuals with concussion/mTBI. Kate has completed additional training in seating and mobility, In Vivo exposure therapy, and chronic pain.
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Jaclynn Nontell, OT
Jaclynn (aka Jackie) grew up in southern Alberta on a farm near Medicine Hat and completed her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2006 from the University of Alberta. She has an undergraduate background in Kinesiology, also from the U of A, in 2004.
Jaclynn's career as a OT has spanned from Alberta, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and finally British Columbia where she has worked with all ages, in private, and public settings, and with various populations, including work with interpreters. Her passion is working with mental health clients, long-covid, and indigenous populations. Jaclynn has experience working with ICBC and is a part of the WorkSafeBC provider network.
Jaclynn's approach is heart centered, holistic, and trauma informed. What she loves about being an OT is problem-solving and guiding clients to achieve their goals.
In her "spare time" Jaclynn loves photography and is a part time wedding photographer. She lives in Kamloops, BC with her husband Brent, and dog Max, where they love to go camping and softroading. She is excited to continue to serve the Interior of BC.
Rachel Lager, OT
Rachel is a dedicated occupational therapist passionate about providing quality, collaborative care. She takes a strengths-based approach, focusing on each client’s unique abilities to empower them in their rehabilitation journey. With a foundation built on trust, compassion, and mutual understanding, she strives to meet clients where they are, supporting them in regaining independence, confidence, and joy in daily life.
Rachel earned her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Kinesiology from Western University in 2018, followed by a post-graduate certificate in Gerontology from Fanshawe College. She later returned to Western to complete her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2021. She is passionate about mental health, integrating evidence-based practices with creative problem-solving to ensure the highest standard of care. She is looking forward to expanding her knowledge base on neurodiversity-affirming care for paediatric populations.
Beyond her professional work, Rachel is deeply reflective and values growth and authenticity. She enjoys hiking, connecting with friends, testing her knowledge in trivia, and journaling by the ocean. You can catch Rachel on the mountain where she is a volunteer with Vancouver Adapted Snow Sports.
Sarah Weseen, OT
Sarah was born and raised in North Vancouver and completed her Master’s of Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia. She has experience working in both community and facility rehabilitation settings with a wide range of individuals and families, from young children to older adults. She enjoys learning and has most recently completed additional training in autism & sensory processing differences and advanced bimanual upper extremity therapy for children.
Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, Sarah worked with a variety of populations including school-aged children as an education assistant, adults with developmental disabilities as a residential care worker. She is also a passionate volunteer with Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports, where she has supported individuals with disabilities to access the North Shore mountains for the last five years.
Sarah’s approach to occupational therapy is person-centered, collaborative, and neurodiversity- affirming, meaning she is passionate about supporting you and your family in creating solutions that embrace your child’s uniqueness and facilitate their independence in tasks they want and need to do every day.
When Sarah isn’t working, you can find her mountain biking in the North Shore forests, or spending time by the rivers and ocean any time of the year.
Jo Ellen is our go to for billing, invoicing, and other administrative needs. Her keen organizational skills makes sure that things run smoothly behind the scenes so our therapists can focus their energy on providing the best care to their clients.
When she isn't helping ensure our accounting is up to date, she can be found enjoying the outdoors, French cuisine, and spending time with her family.
Jo Ellen, Admin support