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, 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 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, daughter, and two dogs.
Joanne is fluent in English and French.
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.
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.
Mays Sleiman, OT
Growing up in the nation's capital, Mays completed her Bachelor of Science degree with a specialization in Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. She then moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2017 to obtain her Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy at Dalhousie University. During that time, Mays completed an 8-week clinical placement in a chronic and complex illness clinic where she discovered her passion for community based chronic illness work and disability management.
Supporting people through the difficult time of rediscovering a purposeful life after a major accident or incident is what Mays loves most about OT-ing. Since moving to B.C. Mays has been working in the private sector as a community OT. Her clients include people living with moderate to severe mental health illness, post-concussion syndrome, SCI, and chronic pain. To better serve her clients, Mays has continued her education in planning and coaching return to work, prolonged exposure therapy, chronic pain management, and concussion rehabilitation. Mays has experience working with ICBC and WSBC, she is part of the WorkSafe BC provider network.
In her spare time, Mays enjoys all things active! Her interest in hiking, skiing, biking, and surfing have all peaked since moving out west 3 years ago. Mays also has a soft spot for anime, that she definitely thought would fade over time.
Mays is fluent in both English and Arabic.
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.
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.
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