Vernon Staff
Occupational Therapists
Aaryn completed her Bachelor of Science at the University of Waterloo before going on to do her Masters of Occupational Therapy at UBC. She is also a manager in the Vernon office. She loves clients discover their strengths, accomplish meaningful goals, and realize their potential. She’s also part of the medical-legal team and enjoys completing Functional Capacity Evaluations, Cost of Care Reports and Document Reviews. When not in the office, Aaryn loves getting outside in the beautiful Okanagan lakes and hiking trails with her husband and young daughter.
Qualifications and Memberships
Masters of Occupational Therapy – University of British Columbia
Bachelor of Science – University of Waterloo
Member of the British Columbia College of Occupational Therapists
Member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
Matheson Functional Capacity Evaluator; Certified Work Capacity Evaluator with Matheson
Certified Driving Instructor
Courses:
Concussion Management Workshop Levels 1 and 2 Functional Capacity Evaluations and Return to Work with Mental Health Conditions
Use of Standardized Assessments in Post-TBI Treatment Planning
Prolonged Exposure Training Motivational Interviewing Training
Pain Foundations
Seating and Positioning
Liz holds her Masters in Occupational Therapy from Dalhousie University and is a senior manager at Meridian. Her therapy interests include brain injury, chronic pain management, sensory regulation, mental health and functional capacity evaluations. She calls herself a “Pain Champion” and uses her Pain BC and PGAP training to help clients live fulfilling lives alongside their pain. Liz is passionate about working with clients experiencing chronic pain, mental health difficulties, and brain injuries. She enjoys spending free time with her husband on their hobby farm where they keep busy with their dog, Carlos, as well as their chickens, cat, and her kids, Blake and Malcolm.
Qualifications and Memberships
Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy – Dalhousie University
Honours Specialization in Health Sciences – University of Western Ontario
Member of the British Columbia College of Occupational Therapists
Member of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
Matheson Functional Capacity Evaluator
Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP)
Areas of Practice
Mental Health and Wellness
Chronic Pain
Brain Injury rehabilitation
Post-concussion rehabilitation
Functional Capacity Evaluations
Sarah obtained her Bachelor of Science at the University of Alberta before heading to Ontario to complete her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy at McMaster university. She has experience working with clients who have complex physical and neurological conditions in various settings including hospital, long-term care, and community. Originally from Edmonton, she was drawn to the beauty of the Okanagan and all the possibilities for outdoor activities that the area has to offer! Sarah loves to spend her free time skiing, hiking, doing agility with her dog, and has recently taken up golf.
Qualifications:
– Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy McMaster University
– Bachelor of Science University of Alberta
– Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment
– Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
– Seating & Mobility for Adult and Geriatric Populations
– Member of the British Columbia College of Occupational Therapists
– Member of Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy
Areas of practice:
– Chronic Pain Rehabilitation
– Concussion and Brain Injury Rehabilitation
– Mental Health
– Geriatrics
– Job Site Visits
– Hospital discharge support
– Neurological Rehabilitation
Lars is Meridian Rehab’s functional driving evaluation master. He recently left his own private practice to head our driving rehabilitation program at Meridian Rehabilitation. He finds fulfillment in seeing clients he has guided in the use of adaptive driving equipment and on-road rehabilitation successfully regain control of this very important “freedom” in their lives. Lars, himself, has been driving professionally with hand controls for 25 years and was the first adaptive driver in BC to qualify for a driving instructor’s license in 2006. He is enjoying working with the Meridian team after years of working solo. Outside of the office, Lars enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Arlana and their dog.
Qualifications & Memberships
Occupational Therapy – University of British Columbia
ICBC Licensed Driving Instructor
Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Diplomas – BCIT
Trades Certificate in Mechanical Drafting Technologies – BCIT
Areas of Practice
Driving Evaluation and Rehabilitation
Geriatric Rehabilitation
General practice
Kavreet was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She earned her Bachelor of Health and Physical Education from Mount Royal University and went on to complete her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Queen’s University. She is passionate about working with both the pediatric population and older adults in long-term care. Kavreet values compassion and a holistic approach when providing care, with the goal of creating meaningful change in people’s lives.
Alongside her professional work, she is a dedicated dancer specializing in Bhangra (Punjabi folk dance). She teaches and coaches competitive teams, sharing her love for dance and culture with the community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time at the lake, staying active in the gym, and embracing activities that keep her connected to health, movement, and creativity.
Leanne lives with her Husband, Justin, and daughter, Isla in the Ellison area between Kelowna and Vernon. Leanne also grew up in the Kelowna area, she loves Kelowna because of the lakes, mountains, and forests and the outdoor activities that these promote.
Leanne went to Rutland Senior Secondary. After graduating high school, Leanne went to culinary school and got her red seal. She worked in Scotland, mostly around Inverness, for 5 years in the culinary industry. She ultimately left the culinary industry because she wanted to make a more lasting impact on people’s lives and additionally wanted to leave behind the chaos of Scottish fine dining.
After moving back to Canada, Leanne got her undergraduate degree in Psychology from UBC Okanagan, then her Master’s in OT from U of A.
Leanne was drawn to OT because she wanted a career where she could really make a difference in people’s lives. She likes to help people function better in their day-to-day life and improve their health and wellbeing. She also likes that OT requires creative thinking.
Qualifications
Master’s Degree in OT
Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
Areas of Practice
Pediatrics
Emotional Regulation
Toileting
Feeding
Dressing
Sensory Processing
Kinesiologists and Rehab Assistants
Jan is Meridian’s RA/Kinesiology Practice Lead and Ergonomic Assessor. Her talents are infinite and stretch from recreation therapy to sawmill ergonomics. Other areas of expertise are traumatic brain injury, and vocational rehabilitation.
Qualifications and Memberships
Leisure Services Recreation Therapy Diploma – Mt. Royal College
Community Brain Injury Service Certificate – Okanagan College
PGAP – Progressive Goal Attainment Program Certificate
Matheson Work Hardening/Work Conditioning Course
Exercise and Fibromyalgia – DSW Fitness
BCRPA Weight Training Instructor
Matheson Ergonomic Evaluation Certificate Program
Matheson Essential Job Functional Analysis
Areas of Practice
Work Hardening and Work Conditioning Program
Job Site Visits and Job Demands Analysis
Ergonomic Evaluations
Gym-Based Exercise Programs
Aquatherapy
Post-Concussion Exercise Programs
Traumatic Brain Injury Programs
Lifeskills & Return to Homemaking Programs
Walking programs
Progressive Goal Attainment Programs
Lawrence graduated from University of BC Okanagan with his Bachelor of Human Kinetics. Lawrence’s interests include sport specific training, strength & conditioning, nutrition, rehabilitation, and is excited to provide support and oversee the progress clients make towards their goals. Outside of the office, Lawrence is an avid hockey player, playing for 15 years, and a “below average” golfer; however, he still loves to play frequently. If you’re also ever looking for a competitive crib match, Lawrence is your guy!
Qualifications and Memberships
Bachelor of Human Kinetics
Areas Of Practice
Work Hardening and Work Conditioning
Job Site Visits and Job Demands Analysis
Gym-Based Exercise Programs
Aquatherapy
Community Integration Programs
Vocational Consultants
Tami is Meridian’s Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant/Evaluator. Services she provides include: Vocational Assessments, Transfer Skills Analysis, Return to Work Preparation, Job Search and Studies Support Services. Tami also provides medical legal assessments and document reviews/critiques. Tami helps match clients of various abilities and backgrounds with employment best suited to their skills. Throughout Tami’s 15 years at Meridian Rehabilitation, she also completes Ergonomic Assessments, Traumatic Brain Injury rehabilitation and other rehabilitation programs as a rehabilitation assistant. In her spare time she loves camping, fishing and travelling.
Qualifications and Memberships
Canadian Vocational Rehabilitation Professional (CVRP)
Canadian Certified Vocational Evaluator (CCVE)
Registered Rehabilitation Professional (RRP)
Member of Vocational Rehabilitation
Association of Canada
Bachelor of Social Work – Okanagan University College
STRONG Interest Inventory Certification
Mindfulness Approaches for Managing Chronic Pain
BCRPA Personal Training Certification
Areas of Practice
Vocational Assessment and Consulting
Voc-Legal assessments and reports
Career Exploration
Labour Market Analysis
Resume Development
Job Search Skills Education Supported Job Search
Study Support Services
Return to Work Coordination
Ergonomic Assessment
Work Hardening and
Work Conditioning Programming
Post-Concussion Rehab
Chronic Pain Rehab
Legal expert witness assessment and report
Counsellors
Administrative Staff
Karen grew up in Oakville Ontario and completed her Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Ontario. She then went on to complete here B.Ed from Canisius College and taught in a primary classroom for 9 years before making the move to the Okanagan. After Karen arrived in Vernon she decided to make a career change and started working part-time for Meridian 15 years ago. She is now our full time Human Resources Manager. Karen has been vital in helping build Meridian up to the expanding company it is now. When she’s not liaising with our staff or working out an IT issue, Karen enjoys swimming, travelling, hiking, snowshoeing and spending time with her husband and two sons.
Bachelor of Science – University of Western Ontario
The dictionary defines superlative as: of the highest kind, quality, or order, surpassing all else, or others. Supreme. We define it as Jeremy Gavel. As a Controller, as an Admin Team leader, as a man. He is of the highest kind, quality, or order, surpassing all else, or others. Supreme.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta
Areas of Practice
Time sheet shaming
Financial stuff
Coming Soon!