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The team at Cedars at Cobble Hill is a diverse group of knowledgeable, highly-trained and compassionate individuals from varying professional and educational backgrounds. Many members of Cedars staff have had first hand-experience with addiction and are not afraid to share their personal experiences with honesty, empathy and humility.
At Cedars, our approach is invitational, instead of confrontational. We foster connections and establish trust with our patients by being transparent and involving them in their own individualized treatment process. By courageously sharing our stories, we can create the authentic connection that is essential to healing from addictions.
We believe that it truly “takes a village” to create an environment for individuals to grow and thrive. Regardless of their particular area of expertise, each team member is united in their goal of helping each individual find success in long-term recovery. Each staff member has their own unique skillset and our team is proud of our collaborative approach to treating addictions. Our entire complement of multi-disciplinary staff form an integral part of what makes Cedars one of the premier recovery centres across the country.
Below, we invite you to learn more about our incredible team members at Cedars.
Leadership
Dr. Carson McPherson
Managing Director
As Managing Director, Carson is responsible for all operations at Cedars Cobble Hill and Acorn Recovery ensuring all patients receive high quality, evidence based, patient-centred ...
Lisa Shields, BA, MC
Director of Operations
As the Director of Operations, Lisa is responsible for ensuring quality, safety and efficiency at all operational levels of the organization. Lisa is excited about the possibilitie...
Dr. Gerrit Prinsloo, MD, MbChB, CCFP, DABAM
Medical Director
In addition to his prominent role at Cedars, Gerrit is an Addiction Medicine Research Fellow with the BC Centre on Substance Use and a UBC Clinical Instructor on the Addiction Medi...
Ethan McCandless
Director of Admissions
Ethan showcases his enthusiasm for recovery and provides genuine compassion for individuals and families suffering from addiction disorders. Ethan is grateful for the opportun...
Elizabeth Loudon, MA
Clinical Director
With 17 years of experience in the addictions and recovery field, Elizabeth has had a lengthy clinical career working in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Prior to joining th...
Bill Caldwell, BA, CCAC
Director of Community Care
Bill is the Director of Community Care at Cedars and has been working in residential treatment for more than 14 years. This experience has included being a counsellor and superviso...
Patrick McNary, B.comm, CPA
Director of Finance
Patrick grew up in Edmonton, followed a girl to Vancouver in 2009, married her in 2011, and settled with her and his two wonderful kids in Chemainus in 2017. He ...
Medical
Dr. Pouya Azar
Addiction Psychiatrist
Dr. Azar, is a physician specializing in psychiatry and addiction medicine. He attended medical school at University of British Columbia where he also completed his psychiatry resi...
Dr. Ian Forster
Physician
Dr. Ian Forster, is a key member of the Cedars team as well is a consultant for Addiction Medicine at Edmonton’s Life Mark Health Institute. Currently a member of the American So...
Meghan Weir
Nurse
In addition to being a nurse and certified life coach, Meghan is a Kundalini Yoga and meditation instructor. She has always been extremely passionate about mental health and addict...
Amber Bumbacco
Nurse
In addition to nursing, Amber is a flight attendant with WestJet. She attending Sault College in Ontario for nursing and now resides on Vancouver Island. She provides Cedars patien...
Marnee Wilson
Nurse
Marnee is a lifelong resident of the Cowichan Valley. She obtained her Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) diploma at Discovery College in Nanaimo and continues to pursue training in ...
Clinical
Jo Dumont, MA, RCC
Counsellor
Jo comes to Cedars with three generations of recovery in her family, including her own. She worked as an adult educator, paramedic, and first aid trainer for 25 years until an inju...
Dana Kistemaker
Counsellor
Dana was born in Ontario, and spent ten years living in the Yukon before settling in British Columbia. Dana completed a history degree with a focus on First Nations Peoples, and is...
Terry Ketteringham, MA, RCC
Counsellor
Terry joins the Cedars team with an impressive educational background and Master's Degree in Arts of Counseling Psychology. He has acquired fast knowledge from previous work experi...
Joe Petriccione – M.Ed, LPC
Counsellor
Joe is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 36 years of experience working in psychiatric, dual diagnosis, and chemical dependency programs. Graduating from George Washingto...
Leah Saari
Counsellor
Leah grew up in Bamfield, a small remote community on the west coast of Vancouver Island. She spent time living in both Northern Alberta and Yukon as a heavy duty equipment operato...
Nicole McEwen, MA
Counsellor
Nicole was born in British Columbia, and grew up in Alberta before making her home here on Vancouver Island. Nicole achieve her Baccalaureate in Psychology (University of Alberta) ...
Asheleigh Narey
Clinical Coordinator
Asheleigh comes to Cedars with a diverse background in nursing, has a Diploma in Counseling, and Certification in Addictions. She plays an instrumental role in helping individuals ...
Bruce Dumont
Indigenous Program
Bruce grew up in central Alberta in a small rural town. He completed his Red Seal Apprenticeship in Electronics at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in Edmonton. He has ...
Mohammed Elewonibi
Counsellor
Nigerian born and Vancouver Island raised, Mohammed brings a breadth of skills and compassion to his work at Cedars. Mohammed’s varied career began in professional sports includ...
Jeff Saunders
Counsellor
Jeff grew up in the Cowichan valley on Vancouver Island and now lives in Nanaimo with his partner and two beautiful children. Jeff attended Vancouver Island University where he stu...
Stephanie Clark
Counsellor
Stephanie grew up in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and was overjoyed to move to Vancouver Island to further her career here at Cedars. Stephanie holds a Baccalaureate in P...
Rebecca Denham, MPCC
Clinical Counsellor
Rebecca was drawn to Cedars after seeing many of her personal and professional values reflected in Cedar’s work and philosophies. Rebecca brings 20 plus years of experience in th...
Wellness Team
Amanda Graham, BA
Yoga Instructor
Amanda joined Cedars in the first year of operation as a Support Staff team member. In February 2007, she became an integral member of the Cedars Discovery Family Practice and has ...
Greg Darjes
Spiritual Advisor
As one of Cedars' spiritual advisors, workshop facilitators, and lecturers, Greg creates a safe container for our patients to explore their spirituality. He is an ordained minister...
Tim Kearney
Personal Trainer & Group Fitness
Tim is Cedars' one and only personal trainer and group fitness instructor. With over 20 years of involvement in the fitness industry, he teaches patients about the importance of ph...
Rev. Pierre Leroux, CACII
Spiritual Advisor
Rev. Pierre Leroux is an Ordained Minister with the Canadian Baptists of Western Canada and holds a certification of Addiction Counseling (CACII) with the Canadian Council of Profe...
Robert George
Indigenous Program
Robert grew up in the Duncan area where he mentors youth in his community and participates in cross cultural workshops. He joined the Cedars team after assisting his brother who wo...
Facilities
Toni Hulan
Facilities Supervisor
Originally from Alberta, Toni moved throughout Alberta and BC before residing on Vancouver Island. She joins us in the housekeeping department at Cedars. Toni is a very warm and fr...
Patrick Beaulieu
Second Cook
With nearly 20 years of experience in the culinary field, Patrick says that Cedars is by far the job he has enjoyed the most. He brings creativity, humour, responsibility, and a ha...
Chrissy Wilson
Second Cook
Chrissy may be new to the staff at Cedars but she quickly became a treasured member of the team with her compassionate and humanistic nature. With ten years of experience under her...
Brandon Elderton
Food Services Manager
Brandon is our new Food Services Manager and newest culinary team member. Brandon has 15 years of professional experience with his most recent role as a Culinary Director for Amica...
Administration
Aidan Hughes-Toal
Admissions Lead
After the overdose-related loss of his twin brother, Aidan decided to attend Cedars as a patient in 2014 and has since applied his personal experiences to connect with patients. As...
Aaron McCluskey
Special Projects Lead
Aaron began his own recovery from addiction through our programs at Cedars. Before joining the staff, he was a very active member of the Cedars Alumni network and volunteered on th...
Maria Clancy
Administrative Support
Born and raised in Ireland, Maria moved to Canada in 2012 and currently resides in Cobble Hill. She attended school in Ireland in the healthcare and special needs fields. Before jo...
Meaghan Roberge
Administrative Support
Meaghan was born and raised in Calgary, AB and moved to Victoria to pursue her undergrad in psychology, where she graduated in 2016, then moved up island, to Duncan. Meaghan’s wo...
Chelse Upton
Accounting Assistant
Hailing from Southern Vancouver Island, Chelse was born in Victoria, and spent most of her life in Deep Cove before settling into the Cowichan Valley. Chelse spent time attending C...
Support Staff
Annelies Briggs
Community Support Supervisor
Annelies has been caring for Cedars since it opened, over 10 years ago. Her role has evolved from housekeeping to managing Cedars’ ongoing maintenance operations. Annelies can of...
Louise Gibson
Community Support Supervisor
Louise has an educational background in Criminology and has worked as an outreach worker with high-risk teenagers for many years. Louise brings empathy and compassion to Cedars and...
Sheila Humber
Community Support Supervisor
Sheila has been a lead housekeeping with Cedars since early 2013. She enjoys seeing the positive transformation of patients as they gain ground in their personal recovery. Sheila i...
Colin Reid, B.Sc.
Community Support Supervisor
Colin obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Biology-Psychology in 2018 from the University of Victoria. Originally from Edmonton, Colin considers working at Cedars the perfect fit fo...
Maia McPherson
Community Support Worker
Maia started her journey at Cedars as a volunteer driving female patients to meeting. After teaching in the community for 35 years, she applied for the Support Staff position with ...
Joanna Blaszczyk
Community Support Worker
She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Victoria in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Born in North Vancouver, Joanna has lived in Haida Gwaii, Kitimat, Vancouve...
John Blaszczyk
Community Support Worker
As a current student at the University of Victoria, John is continuing his undergraduate studies in visual arts and is a member of the Cowichan Valley Arts Council. John is passion...
Don MacLeod
Community Support Worker
Don began working at Cedars in the fall of 2006 and has since become a chief member of the Support Staff team. For a short period of time, he was booking Cedars’ Wednesday Speake...
Barb McWhirter
Community Support Worker
Before becoming a part of the Cedars team, Barb was employed by BC Ferries and has been in the housekeeping industry for over 24 years. With her easygoing and zany personality, it ...
Deanna Robinson
Community Support Worker
Born and raised in Ditidaht, BC, Deanna has always been passionate about her culture and the different aspects of First Nations. In her role as Support Staff, Deanna brings w...
Emma Larose
Community Support Worker
Emma has always had a passion for working with people, and in 2014, after completing the Community Mental Health and Addictions Worker Certificate Program at Vancouver Island Unive...
Jamie Kemp
Community Support Worker
Jamie was born in Comox, raised in Nanaimo, and currently resides in Victoria, BC. Throughout his time at the University of Victoria, he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Science a...
Alan Carreck
Community Support Worker
Born and raised in the Cowichan Valley, Alan spent 18 years as a Red Seal chef working across Canada. In 2014 Alan made the life changing decision to go back to school to work towa...
Bronwen Thorburn
Community Support Worker
Bronwen grew up in the Cowichan Valley and recently returned home after 25 years abroad. Along with a loving and calm demeanor, Bronwen brings her own endeavours in recovery into e...
Courtney Johnson
Community Support Worker
Courtney grew up in Cowichan Lake and now resides in Duncan. She received her BA in Psychology and Certificate in Addiction Studies at Vancouver Island University. She joined Cedar...
Glen Crichton
Community Support Worker
Glen comes to Cedars with an extensive working knowledge of recovery and addiction, bringing over 5 years experience working with marginalized populations, addictions and the homel...
Tiffany Wagner
Community Support Worker
Tiffany grew up close to Cedars in Lake Cowichan, and returned to the island after a brief stint working at a lab in Summerland. Tiffany completed her Bachelor of Psychology and is...
Brittany Kiertucki
Community Support Worker
Brittany was born and raised in Ontario and recently moved to Vancouver Island. She attended college and studied support work that focused on nursing homes and the educational syst...
Michael Whitehead
Community Support Worker
Michael was born in California but has called British Columbia home since the age of 6. With education in a variety of sciences, Michael joins the Cedars team with versatility, com...
Myles Heaven
Community Support Worker
Myles was born in Whitehorse and grew up in Campbell River before finally settling into the Victoria area in 2010. Myles began his career as a front line worker with the Victoria C...
Amber Rabey
Community Support Worker
Amber divides her time at Cedars working as Support Staff and as Administrative Support. Her career at Cedars began through a practicum offered by Camosun College in the Mental Hea...
Peter Permack
Community Support Worker
Peter was born in Calgary but moved to Victoria to get his degree in sports management which he has since completed. Peter is a Cedars alumni who is passionate in helping those in ...
Aleesha Norton
Community Support Worker
Aleesha was born and raised on Vancouver island and grew up locally in the Cowichan Valley. She recently graduated from Camosun College’s Mental Health and Addiction...
