Our Team

Rolande Barbon is a registered dietitian passionate about helping individuals and families grow well, play well and live well. She believes that the foundation for feeling great comes from nourishing our bodies with food that we love. Rolande has gained a wide range of experience over her many years as a dietitian. Through working in acute care hospitals, facilitating workshops, and providing nutrition counseling for families and individuals, she understands firsthand the important role nutrition plays in healing, harmony, and health. Rolande prides herself on always providing evidence-based, sound nutrition advice while preserving the pleasure of eating.

When she is not helping others eat well, Rolande loves running, yoga, catching the occasional fish, and of course, enjoying a great meal with friends and family.

Rick has been practicing massage therapy since 1990. Rick practices deep tissue therapy and earned his ART (Active Release Technique) Provider certification in 2002. He has always had an interest in working with athletes and sports teams, and has been the massage therapist for the Canadian Wrestling Team since 2000. Rick has travelled with the team to many competitions, including the Olympics in Athens and Beijing, the Commonwealth Games in India, as well as the World Championships in Moscow. Rick is also the massage therapist for several nationally ranked track and distance runners.

Rick has completed 14 Ironman triathlons, and over 100 triathlons of varied distance. He has also completed 12 marathons. Rick’s many years of training for triathlons and marathons has given him a wisdom and insight that can only come with experience. Friends and acquaintances wishing to compete in triathlons began contacting Rick for training advice. Rick’s motto of quality over quantity has proven its effectiveness in not only getting his athletes to the starting line, but also has guided several of them to their best times.

Rick still trains for triathlons, and now occasionally competes in sprint or Olympic distance races. Rick also enjoys downhill and cross-country skiing, reading mystery novels, and spending time with his family.

Jeanie Bezdan, RMT graduated from West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 1995.  Over the years Jeanie’s continuing education has included numerous courses such as neuromuscular therapy, muscle energy, and craniosacral therapy.  She has most recently completed the 162 hour Integrated Fascial Therapy program, a series of 9 modules focusing on various types of fascial therapies.  Jeanie is also an infant massage instructor.

Jeanie’s therapeutic treatment approach incorporates a variety of techniques customized to her clients’ needs.  Her ongoing professional education goals include pursuing more advanced skills with craniosacral therapy and visceral manipulation, as well as post-graduate courses in Integrated Fascial Therapies.

Jeanie divides her time at the clinic between managing operations and helping clients.  Outside of clinic hours Jeanie enjoys time with her family, and as a hobby attends Rally Obedience classes with her dog Charlie.

Mike had started his post secondary career with an Associates degree in Sciences. He was completing his 3rd year of the Bachelor of Kinesiology program at the Simon Fraser University, when he was first introduced to massage therapy and has sparked his interest. He then attended West Coast College of Massage Therapy in New Westminster, from where he graduated and has been practicing as a Registered Massage Therapist since 2009.

His treatments consist of fascial work, muscle energy technique, Swedish deep tissue massage techniques, joint mobilizations, passive & active muscle stretching, along with various other techniques. Mike’s focus is to help patients through assessment and treatment, along with preventative and rehabilitative goals.

Mike’s personal interests include volunteering his time with minor hockey, spending time with family and friends, refereeing and playing hockey, participating and watching many other sports. Mike also fluently speaks Punjabi.

Julia’s diverse educational and training background includes being a Registered Massage therapist, , a Bachelors Degree in Kinesiology from the University of British Columbia and a diploma in Sport Science from Douglas College.

As an RMT, Julia believes utilizing massage therapy can directly lead to physical health improvements and that a hands-on, natural approach can assist people with their pain, whether acute or chronic. She has practiced this approach at a number of volunteer placements including: Summit Health Center; George Pearson Hospital; and at the maternity ward of Royal Columbian Hospital. In addition, Julia is a practicing Kinesiologist where her focus is on assessment, rehabilitation and exercise with a diverse range of clients whom have unique goals and objectives.

In her spare time Julia enjoys traveling and staying active. Her interests include health and nutrition, fitness competitions, swimming, running, hiking and dancing.

Davina graduated from the Massage Therapy Program at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in Victoria and is a member of the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia.  Davina is trained in a variety of massage therapy techniques, including: Deep Tissue Massage, Manual Lymph Drainage, Myofascial Release, Trigger Point Therapy, Passive and Active stretching and strengthening, and Swedish Massage .

Davina pursued Massage Therapy because she wanted to help people and assist them with the opportunity to heal in a natural way.  Davina has a passion for using her hands and energy to assist her clients in the healing process.

Rebekah is a young vibrant new grad from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy. She has experience working with a multitude of conditions varying from spinal cord injuries, stress, pregnancy, athletes, and many orthopedic conditions. She has a passion for working with others and looks to help patients get back to their best selves and doing what they love best with comfort and ease.

Rebekah pursued becoming a RMT after seeing how much Massage Therapy helped a family member heal after suffering trauma from being involved in a car accident. She saw how beneficial massage therapy can be for one’s not only physical, but also mental well-being, and knew that she wanted to help others through the benefits of massage as well. She believes strongly in the power of patient education along with the importance of a treatment plan based on assessment for the fastest recovery, injury prevention, and overall mental and physical health.

In her spare time Rebekah loves to stay active by hiking, biking and swimming and is a self proclaimed ‘foodie’ that loves to travel and spend time with her family and friends.

Ernesto is the latest graduate from West Coast College of Massage Therapy.  He is mindful of utilizing the variety of modalities in order to find the one that best fits his patient’s needs.  After all, he feels that the treatment must fit the person, not the textbook.

Ernesto has worked with the BC Women’s Hospital maternity ward, UBC & Douglas College varsity athletes, multiple sclerosis patients, as well as patients with disabilities.  He desires to play a part in his patients’ well-being and recovery, using a variety of applications with a focus on home care and remedial exercises.  Ernesto believes that true healing does not start or end with the clock on the wall.  His services may boost the healing process, but ultimately it is the body itself that does the repair.

Ernesto currently provides relaxation massages to help with tension relief, tired and achy muscles, general fatigue, sports or work-related posture, and more.

Not to sound all serious, Ernesto (or “just call me Ernie” he says) also likes to kick back and just take it easy most of the time. He has an interest in classic films, automobiles, traveling… the normal people stuff. Oh, and pro-wrestling. Ernie loves his pro-wrestling.

Chris Velkov graduated from the Registered Massage Therapy program at Vancouver Career College (VCC) in August, 2021, and is working as our intern massage therapist while awaiting his registration with the College of Massage Therapists of BC.

During his high school days, Chris participated in a number of sports, including competing competitively in track and field, and playing tennis recreationally. In his spare time, Chris loves to tutor French to children of all ages and to volunteer at Elite Track and Field Academy as a trainer for the youth. Having been born in Bulgaria, Chris is fluent in Bulgarian and Macedonian, as well as French and English.

With a passion for helping others, Chris one day hopes to become a registered Acupuncturist and a registered Physiotherapist, as well as passing the board exams for Massage Therapy. Chris’s ultimate goal is to help as many people as possible, and he believes it starts with one patient at a time.

Hanah was training to become a physiotherapist in the Philippines before moving to Canada.  Shortly after arriving in Vancouver, she decided to pursue massage therapy and studied at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy.  Throughout her years of schooling Hanah has acquired valuable experience treating neurological and musculoskeletal conditions such as sprain, plantar fasciitis, frozen shoulder, headaches/migraine, fibromyalgia, thoracic outlet syndrome, gastrointestinal concerns such as constipation, geriatric and general day-to-day muscle tensions.  She believes that effective treatment and optimum healing requires open and clear communication and a team-oriented approach.  Hanah adheres to the motto “teamwork makes the dream work!”  As a Registered Massage Therapist, her goal is to provide relaxation treatments and customized homecare plans for her patients on their journey towards a pain-free lifestyle!

In her spare time, Hanah enjoys working out, biking, jogging, hiking and going on “food adventures” with friends and family.

In 2006 Nick completed his BSc in Kinesiology and received his health and fitness certificate at SFU. In 2009 Nick completed his Masters of Physiotherapy at the University of Alberta. Post graduate training includes level I orthopaedic manual therapy, Mulligan mobilization training, completing the sports first responder course, and completing his certificate in myofascial trigger point and proprioceptive therapy.  Nick has attained his certification in Vestibular Rehabilitation, TMJ dysfunction, and Musculoskeletal Acupuncture. He has also fully certified in Gunn IMS needling.

Nick is very interested in sports physiotherapy and has worked with various sports teams at the high school, provincial, and college levels, including Douglas College soccer, New West Hyacks football, and BC Soccer and BC Field Hockey. Nick was a member of the Simon Fraser University soccer team from 2000-2002 and currently plays for the Norvan soccer club of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League. He has run several marathons and recently completed his first Triathlon.

Nick was selected, two years in a row, as one of the Top 3 Physical Therapists in New Westminster.

Pramod completed his MSc. Kinesiology (exercise and work physiology) in 2012 from Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN). Originally from Delhi, he completed his Bachelors of Physiotherapy in 2009 from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU). As a result of his position working at Vancouver General Hospital, Pramod has good knowledge and experience in the area of acute care as well. He has had two research papers published in reputed international journals. Pramod is interested in orthopedic and sports injury rehab and completed his post-graduate Level 2 Orthopedic Manual Therapy. Pramod is also certified in Mulligan Techniques for upper quadrant, Dry Needling and TMJ Dysfunction. When not working, Pramod enjoys spending  time at the gym, playing sports, and staying outdoors.

Victor recently completed his Masters of Physiotherapy at the University of British Columbia and also holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition. He has experience in the health and fitness industry, where he worked as a personal trainer at Fitness World. In this setting he was able to apply his knowledge of nutrition and passion for physical activity to help clients achieve their health and fitness goals. Victor has an interest in sports/orthopaedic injuries and promoting optimal health. He believes in not only treating the injury but also improving performance so that a second injury is less likely to occur.

Victor has completed post-graduate education in Orthopaedic Manual Therapy Level 1 and Soft Tissue Release.  His interests outside of physiotherapy include basketball, weight lifting and martial arts. He is also able to speak basic conversational Cantonese.

• Certified Gunn IMS (Intramuscular Stimulation) provider
• American Balance Institute Certified in Vestibular Rehabilitation
• American Balance Institute Certified in Concussion Assessment and Management

Mandeep graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy in 2002 from the University of Bangalore, India.  Since then Mandeep has pursued many continuing education courses with a special interest in orthopaedic rehabilitation and manual therapy.   These include TMJ, knee and hip complex as well as IMS and acupuncture. Mandeep uses his skills in effectively evaluating and treating different acute, degenerative, traumatic non-traumatic and neurological conditions.

Mandeep finds personal fulfillment in being able to make a difference in the lives and physical well-being of his patients, through understanding his clients’ needs and assisting them with attaining their goals.   Mandeep enjoys playing Badminton and Cricket and spending leisure time with his family.   Mandeep is currently accepting new patients and is available 3 days a week with late appointments available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays

Samantha completed her Masters of Physiotherapy at the University of British Columbia and holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from UBC Okanagan.

Samantha is a competitive athlete and competes for Team Canada as a member of the Gymnastics Trampoline Team. She was the alternate for the 2012 Olympics, and hopes to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games.

Samantha strives to promote health and pain-free movement, and is passionate about sports and orthopedic rehabilitation. She believes in addressing the root cause of your injuries, and her treatment approach includes manual therapy, patient education and personalized functional exercise programs.

In addition to gymnastics, Samantha enjoys any activity that takes her outside such as skiing, mountain biking, and paddling.

Samantha is now accepting new patients and looks forward sharing her passion for lifelong active living with you!

James has a unique mix of counselling experience developed within the context of more than 20 years of community based counselling, Child & Youth Mental Health work and private practice. He has extensive therapeutic experience working with a variety of challenging client issues and is known to be flexible and creative with his approach to counselling.

James has worked with a wide variety of ages specializing in youth, families and adults as well as young athletes. His areas of expertise include mental wellness, anxiety and depression, grief and loss, suicidality and survivors of suicide, trauma, family counselling and stress in the workplace.

James also brings over 10 years of coaching youth sports teams in hockey, soccer and ball hockey and has worked with young athletes to help maximize their performance potential.

Currently, James is the Director of Counselling Programs & Services at a not for profit agency in the Lower Mainland and enjoys coaching youth in New Westminster.

Kevin is a Registered Professional Counsellor (RPC) with the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association (CPCA).  He approaches counselling from a compassionate client centred approach helping people to see their situation in a different light and providing a space to change.  Kevin utilizes a number of therapeutic approaches catered to the needs of his clients including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Regression Therapy and mindfulness.

Kevin also helps men who are struggling with anger, relationships, depression and anxiety.  This is a passion of his since he has been on a number of men’s retreats, has benefited greatly from it, and recognizes the need to give back and help other men in his community.

Maggie Callander is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor RTC with the Association of Cooperative Counselling Therapists of Canada (ACCT). As well as her experience and work helping clients cope with anxiety, grief and change, Maggie is currently focused on building and healing communities through her experience working as a crisis counsellor with the homeless and disadvantaged population in Whalley, BC, where she continues to work as a counsellor with Nightshift Street Ministries and facilitates a successful, weekly art therapy class in this community. Maggie loves the balance of volunteer community work, clinical counselling and working as a counsellor in the school setting.

Sonika is a recent graduate in administrative science, with a specialization in global health and human services administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Vancouver campus. She also has her undergraduate degree in dentistry from south India. Sonika is a new addition to the front desk team since October 2019, and her experience working as an allied medical office admin inspired her to be a part of the administrative team at Royal City Health & Manual Therapy. She looks forward to pursuing her dental licensure exam in the upcoming years, and aspires to practice dentistry in Canada.

Sonika spends her free time volunteering to help cerebral palsy patients at the Residence For Independent Living Society. She has enjoyed her time there for the past two years and has gained valuable experience in elder care. This involvement has been helpful when assisting seniors at the clinic. Sonika also enjoys pencil sketching, watching movies and reading books, with a goal of eventually completing a book she has been working on. She has also created a blog to assist in her writing endeavors.

Sonika believes that hard work will never go in vain, and will always be paid off with beautiful results.

Maria (Thess) graduated as a Medical Office Assistant and received numerous honors as being one of the top students at Douglas College in April 2005.  She joined Royal City Health and Manual Therapy in August 2005 and has thoroughly enjoyed working here since.  The friendly staff, therapists, owners and most especially patients have made it a very pleasant atmosphere to work at.  Maria (Thess) has extensive medical office experience working at a walk-in clinic and a general practitioners office.  Aside from doing administrative work, she is also a registered nurse and a nursing clinical instructor.

In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, walking her dog, going out with friends, and watching hockey.

Raj graduated from the Unit Clerk program at Stenberg College in 2009. Raj has experience in working in clinics as well as hospitals, and thoroughly enjoys helping patients. Raj has also volunteered at Surrey Memorial hospital with their Way-Finding program, assisting with patients in finding their appointments within the hospital.

In her spare time, Raj loves to go to the movies, shopping and spending time with family and friends.

Ariyana joined Royal City Health and Manual Therapy in August of 2017. She is currently studying at Cariboo Hill Secondary School in French Immersion, and completing her senior year. Ariyana hopes to study business when she graduates.

In her spare time, Ariyana plays soccer in a league and coaches volleyball at her high school. She also enjoys volunteering within her community and spending time with her family.

Maria (Malou) graduated from the Medical Office Assistant program at Douglas College in June 2016. Working in a health related field is one of her interests and passions. She enjoys helping and assisting patients of all ages.

In her spare time, Malou loves to cook, creating new recipes in the kitchen; as she’s inspired by celebrity chefs. She likes to read and go shopping as well. She also enjoys travelling with her husband while capturing great moments and scenery with her camera.

Marriane is a graduate of Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant Program at CDI College, Surrey Campus. She did her practicum (Physiotherapy assistant component) at Royal City Health and Manual Therapy and officially joined the team to work as a Medical Office Assistant shortly after.

During her spare time, she loves to cook for her family, play with her niece, and go out with friends.

Angela is a graduate of Rehabilitation Therapy Assistant at CDI College in the city of Surrey. She finished her Physiotherapy internship at Royal City Health & Manual Therapy and joined the team right after her graduation.

Angela plans to pursue her dream as a Physiotherapist in the near future and believes that “If life opens up opportunities to you, it’s either you take them or you stay afraid of taking them”.

Away from work, she loves to hangout with her family and friends, paint, exercise, and meditate. Angela is also fond of doing make-up and collecting shoes.

Sheena took the Medical Office Assistant Program at Vancouver Career College and graduated May 2015. Sheena completed the practicum part of the program with Royal City Health & Manual Therapy, and soon after joined the team!
Prior to working with Royal City Health & Manual Therapy, Sheena also has experience in working with nursing homes and thoroughly enjoys helping others.

In her free time, Sheena loves to go out to dinner, movies and outdoor activities such as trekking, wakeboarding and snowboarding with her family and friends. Sheena also has a passion for travel and loves to capture every moment with mobile photography.

Safiya Dina joined Royal City Health and Manual Therapy last October, at the age of 16. She is currently an Honours student at Cariboo Hill Secondary School. Safiya’s aspiration is to work in the medical industry when she graduates. She enjoys her various employment facets, such as communication, organization, scheduling, all while maintaining a positive attitude.

In her spare time, Safiya enjoys dancing, reading, listening to music and playing tennis & netball. She participates in many aspects of volunteering within the community, working with all types of people on the age spectrum. She is also fluent in French.

Jill’s love for food and its impact on our lives and our health led her to complete her Bachelor’s of Science in Dietetics. She graduated from UBC in 2012 following a one-year internship with Fraser Health. Jill’s experience ranges from hospital based acute and intensive care of both pediatric and adult populations to providing family-based education and one on one counseling.

Jill believes in empowering her clients with the knowledge and skills to make lifestyle modifications to meet their personal health goals. Should your focus be on general nutrition and overall health, chronic disease management, food intolerance, weight management, or beyond, Jill believes that food should always be delicious and most often nourishing…which includes those intended to nourish the soul! (insert favourite chocolate here).

Particular interests of Jill’s include infant and family feeding, building positive relationships with food, and diabetes. Jill is a Certified Diabetes Educator and has five years experience helping clients of all ages learn how to continue to enjoy food as part of their diabetes care.

Outside of the office, Jill is likely exploring the mountains with her four-legged best friend or creating something new in the kitchen.