Team
Jo Hall
, RN, MSN
Program Nurse
Jo comes to the Roots to Thrive team with a nursing background in palliative, psychiatric, medical and minor-surgical patient care. Years of disrupted mental health inspired her to seek healing in a variety of alternative treatments. This lived experience informs her deeply compassionate approach and ability to create healing connection with others who struggle. Having been a participant in the first RTT-KAT group, she has found deep resonance with the principles, practices, and processes of Roots to Thrive. She is incredibly honoured and excited to pass the gifts forward.
Other Facilitator
RN, MPH, EdD
Visioning and Development Lead & Organization Steward
Shannon Dames (maiden Magnus) is a third generation immigrant with mixed ancestry from Britain, Norway, and Germany. She is a descendant of GT Magnus and Lianne Telnes, the proud mother of Piper and Beckett Dames, and the life partner of Phil Dames. She lives and serves as a Health Professional ...
Development Integrator (focus on curriculum and evaluation)
Wes’s core practice is recognizing the heart and beauty in everyone. Joining in the early days of the Roots to Thrive community was therefore a no-brainer. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, he worked as a therapist in addiction and trauma recovery in the US and Australia. He focused on providing advanc...
RPN, BSN, MBA
Intake lead, Nurse Facilitator
Julia comes to the Roots to Thrive team with over twenty years experience as a front-line registered psychiatric nurse. Julia completed her nursing training in New Zealand before becoming certified in California and then Canada. Julia has practiced in a wide variety of clinic areas including inpa...
M.Ed., RCC
Lead Therapist, Facilitation and Alumni Lead
Todd is a Registered Clinical Counsellor. He entered the field of mental health and substance use as a peer support worker in 1998 and his work since that time, has been focused supporting humans heal impacts of trauma, mental health, substance use challenges. Todd brings experience in various r...
BHSc, CCAC
Alumni Facilitator
Kelsey first came to the Roots to Thrive team as a patient-participant and is thrilled to transition into a co-facilitation role. She has experience working as a counsellor with adults, youth, and families; her expertise is in the areas of mental health, substance use, and trauma. Kelsey is passi...
RPN BscN
Nurse Facilitator
Kerrie has been a Registered Nurse for nearly 20 years, working in inner city public health for nearly a decade, before moving to Vancouver Island where she has worked in mental health and substance use, primarily as a crisis nurse.
Kerrie has been part of the Roots to Thrive team since June 2021...
MA, RCC
Alumni Facilitator
Graham comes to the Roots to Thrive team with a passion for supporting people on their journeys of healing and growth. He has worked as a clinical counsellor since 2011 using an integrative therapeutic approach that includes the mind and body while honouring people’s inherent wisdom to heal thems...
M.Ed., B.H.Sc., C.C.C
Facilitator and SFN Liaison
Ryan lives and works on the traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw people. Ryan grew up in Northern Alberta, moving to Nanaimo, BC in 2018. Ryan has a strong passion for working with diverse and often times marginalized populations and loves being connected to people who are engaged in their own...
RN, BScN
Nurse Facilitator
Laura joins the Roots to Thrive team as a co facilitator following patient participation in cohort 3. She is accompanied by her 25 years as an oncology registered nurse specializing in Leukemia\ Bone Marrow transplant as an inpatient RN, outpatient RN and most recently a case manager. Having iden...
Facilitator
Hello Fellow Roots to Thrivers, My name is Allan Campbell and I am excited to be a part of the Roots to Thrive team. I come to this work as a curious participant with a desire for other means of supporting those I work with. I have been a counsellor over 20 yrs and have spent the majority of my c...
PHD, RCC
Facilitator, Sea to Sky RTT
As a clinical therapist and supervisor, Christine is informed by narrative and collaborative therapy practices. She has over 20 years experience working in the field of substance use, disordered eating and trauma. She has developed curriculum and taught group work, addiction counselling, and indi...
MA, RCC
Facilitator, Sea to Sky RTT
Ryan comes to RTT as a former participant (cohort three) and is excited to be guiding others through the program as a facilitator. He is motivated by the potential that therapeutic psychedelic experiences have to move people through places of long standing "stuckness". When not working with the R...
MA, RCC
Facilitator
Jolene is of mixed Northwestern European descent and feels grateful to live, work, and play on the traditional, unceded, and ancestral territories of the skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and shíshálh (Sechelt) First Nations; colonised as The Sunshine Coast, BC.
She is a Registered Clinical Couns...
MD, CCFP(PC,AM), FCFP, cGTT, CMAc, CAPM, PGcPain
Facilitator
Barb is thrilled to be a part of the RTT team as a facilitator after being a participant in Cohort 5. She is of European (German) ancestry living on the unceded territory of the K’omoks First Nations in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island since 1998.
Barb has been a Family Physician for 25 years...
