BOARD MEMBERS
Our board and team of volunteers from within our membership come from regions across the province and bring expertise from all different areas of practice in our field. As a result, those leading BCTRA forward form a broad collective that has their fingers on the pulse of therapeutic recreation across the province.
Hello BCTRA Members! I am excited to be continuing my involvement with BCTRA as co-President, sharing the role with Jenna Johnstone, while continuing to provide leadership to the regulations portfolio. I have previously been involved with BCTRA as the Northern Ambassador. I graduated from Brock University in the Fall of 2013 and soon after moved from my home province of Nova Scotia to British Columbia. I am passionate about the role of Recreation Therapy in the field of mental health and substance use and have been fortunate to have worked in inpatient psychiatric and rehabilitation sites across the province. When not at work, I am an avid cyclist and enjoy riding Vancouver’s bike lanes. In the winter, I can be found on my skis.
I have been previously involved with the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association as central director, secretary and president-elect as well as the older adult Community of practice co-chair. My experience as a Recreation Therapist has mainly been serving older adults. I am passionate about using non-pharmacological interventions first to support health and well-being. I am also passionate about learning and finding ways to help others increase their toolbox. It is my belief that through ongoing professional development, self-reflection, feedback and research we help elevate and advance the TR profession. I teach both dance and dance inspired fitness classes and take classes for myself. I enjoy my morning process which helps me be in alignment of how I want to show up each day and to make sure that I fill my cup first before serving others. I enjoy researching and reading journal articles. I like leisurely walks in nature, a cup of coffee, fitness and exercise, good company and a good book.
I am excited to continue working with my fellow BCTRA Board members to advocate for, and advance, the field and profession of therapeutic recreation.
As a Board we accomplished a lot over the past 2 years! In particular, we developed a strong brand for BCTRA giving us a clear identity and direction, created a suite of promotional tools for the practice of therapeutic recreation and updated our website. This year our focus is supporting members during the continuing pandemic and moving forward with strong advocacy efforts to ensure that the government and employers know the value and benefit of therapeutic recreation services.
I’m an ardent supporter of physical recreation in all people’s lives. It has always played a big role in my life and as I read more and more research extolling its benefits, not only its physiological benefits, but also its benefits for brain health, I’m motivated to continue to have it play a central role in my leisure. Currently walking, baking, reading, and zoom meet ups with family and friends gives me wonderful opportunities to experience “flow”. Post-pandemic I look forward to pursuing more travel adventures!
Hello BCTRA members! In early 2022, I joined the Regulations Task Group and was inspired by the work that was being done to advance our profession. I am so excited to join the Board of Directors to continue to advocate for, and advance our field! I graduated from Brock University in the fall of 2016 and made my way to British Columbia. Professionally, I am passionate about carving out new Recreation Therapy roles in acute care and have worked predominately in mental health and dementia care. Outside of work, I can be found in the pottery studio, in the mountains or at the beach with my dog.
Hello BCTRA members! I am excited to connect with everyone through my involvement as your Director of Communications. As a recent graduate from Douglas College in 2021, I am eager work alongside a team of wonderful and experienced practitioners. During my leisure time, I can be found exploring new restaurants in the city, hiking one of many available trails, attending concerts, travelling and exploring new cities, or watching the latest TV series.
Look forward to connecting with everyone through our social medias. Be sure to follow BCTRA on Instagram and Facebook!
I have been previously involved with the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association as central director, secretary and president-elect as well as the older adult Community of practice co-chair. My experience as a Recreation Therapist has mainly been serving older adults. I am passionate about using non-pharmacological interventions first to support health and well-being. I am also passionate about learning and finding ways to help others increase their toolbox. It is my belief that through ongoing professional development, self-reflection, feedback and research we help elevate and advance the TR profession. I teach both dance and dance inspired fitness classes and take classes for myself. I enjoy my morning process which helps me be in alignment of how I want to show up each day and to make sure that I fill my cup first before serving others. I enjoy researching and reading journal articles. I like leisurely walks in nature, a cup of coffee, fitness and exercise, good company and a good book.
Hello BCTRA Members! I am excited to be continuing my involvement with BCTRA as co-President, sharing the role with Jenna Johnstone, while continuing to provide leadership to the regulations portfolio. I have previously been involved with BCTRA as the Northern Ambassador. I graduated from Brock University in the Fall of 2013 and soon after moved from my home province of Nova Scotia to British Columbia. I am passionate about the role of Recreation Therapy in the field of mental health and substance use and have been fortunate to have worked in inpatient psychiatric and rehabilitation sites across the province. When not at work, I am an avid cyclist and enjoy riding Vancouver’s bike lanes. In the winter, I can be found on my skis.
Hello BCTRA! I am thrilled to bring my perspective, as a student in a Bachelors of Therapeutic Recreation, into the role of Student Liaison. Coming from a background of working with seniors and children, I find myself appreciative of the power purposeful recreation and leisure has on holistic well-being. As such, I cannot wait to explore and collaborate with such an experienced and diverse team on agendas relevant to our profession; alongside sharing the perspectives of my incredibly intelligent and talented peers.
Some of my favourite activities include connecting with friends and family, spending time with my dog, weightlifting, and learning about therapeutic recreation!
Hi there BCTRA! I am excited and grateful to join this inspiring group of Board of Directors. I am new to the board, however in early 2022 I became the Interior Regional Ambassador and was on the Strategic Planning Committee. From this work, I was inspired to get more involved with BCTRA and am excited to continue the incredible advocation work established. I graduated from the Douglas College Degree program in 2018 and passed my NCTRC exam in 2020. I have moved around since graduation going from North Vancouver to Calgary and now living in Kelowna. Professionally, I have had the privilege to work as a Recreation Therapist with Older Adults in both Long Term Care, Short Stay Transition & Assisted Living settings. On the weekends you can usually find me in my kitchen preparing for an elaborate dinner party for friends, doing yoga, spending time in nature, at a local brewery, thrift shopping, crafting or spending time with my amazing family & friends. I am honoured and grateful to be a member of the Board of Directors and I look forward to meet more of the members in the future!
Hello BCTRA! As a recent grad of the Douglas College Therapeutic Recreation Program, I am excited to be involved in such an important part of the field. I am passionate about moving the field of Therapeutic Recreation forward, and have special interest in working with children and families.
In my leisure time I enjoy spending the day at the beach, lifting weights in the gym, and cooking new recipes! My friends know I can never say no to a good cup of coffee, and I love trying new recreation activities. I am looking forward to my time on the board and hope to get to know more of you in the field!
Regions & Ambassadors
A Regional Ambassador represents a specific region of British Columbia outside of Metro Vancouver. This individual acts as a liaison to the BCTRA Board of Directors. This is a volunteer position with a 2-year term open to both professional and supporting BCTRA members.
Hello BCTRA members!
My name is Gerrit Dooris and I reside in the beautiful city of Campbell River on Vancouver Island. I will be completing my diploma in Therapeutic Recreation from Douglas College by the end of 2023. I am currently employed at Spark Therapy Group where I work with kids and youth who live with autism spectrum disorder. After graduating from the diploma program, I will be offering Recreation Therapy to my clients and their families. I am excited to be able to offer this much needed type of support, and I look forward to helping grow Recreation Therapy services on Vancouver Island.
During our downtime, my family and I enjoy taking advantage of the natural recreation activities we have, including hiking, swimming, and skating.
This position is currently vacant. Please contact: regionalambassadors@bctra.org if you are interested in this role.
My name is Jennifer Davis, I was raised in Northern British Columbia and I began my career in 2009 when I graduated from the College of New Caledonia with a certificate in Long term Care/Home support.
I worked for The Northern Health Authority in both a Long Term Care facility and in 3 Mental Health and Addiction group homes. In 2013, I continued my studies and completed a diploma in Therapeutic Recreation from Saskatchewan Polytechnic (SIAST).
In 2015 my husband and I moved to Kelowna and I began working as a Recreation Therapy Worker at the Interior Health Authority and Baptist Housing. I am planning on continuing my education as I am passionate about Therapeutic Recreation as a profession and helping those in need.
A few of my interests and hobbies include hiking, gardening, painting, baking, camping, fishing and spending time with my family.
After volunteering with the Education Committee, I am excited to join the board as the Vancouver Coastal Region Ambassador. I hope to engage members in this region to connect and collaborate.
I am a Douglas College graduate with a CTRS designation. I have experience in mental health and substance use, child and youth, as well as older adults in long-term care settings. I am constantly learning about new ways to support my clients to advocate for them and various social justice issues such as supporting the safe consumption of drugs. I love to provide safe, inclusive, trauma-informed programs using my creativity. I love taking every learning opportunity and just finished training in Motivational Interviewing skills, and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy basics.
My hobbies include maintaining my indoor jungle of tropical plants, knitting, embroidery and other fibre arts projects. I will never say no to a local East Vancouver coffee shop visit, love taking deep breaths in the forest for spiritual connection and try to support my community where I can, to create safe spaces for positive mental health and LGBTQ+ issues. And finally, I am a new bird watcher who loves to identify hawks!