Therapists
Get to know your Massage Therapist. Below you can read a brief intro on all of our therapists with links to their full bios.
Leah N.P. Castel BSc, RMT
(co-owner)
Leah graduated with honours from ICT Northumberland College in 2000 with
a diploma in Massage Therapy. She then headed to Toronto where she successfully
completed her Ontario Board Exams and returned to Halifax to begin her
practice at The Physioclinic in Cole Harbour. This experience afforded
her the benefits of working with physiotherapists and kinesiologists in
a multidisciplinary approach to treatment of injury.
Read Full Bio
Sarah K.S. Letcher, BScKin, RMT
(co-owner)
Sarah graduated from Dalhousie University in 1997 with her Bachelor of
Science in Kinesiology (the study of body movement). She then attended
ITC Northumberland College for their 2200 hour massage therapy program
and graduated in 1999.
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Melanie Wheaton, RMT
Melanie studied English at Saint Mary’s University for several years
before enrolling in the 2200 hour Massage Therapy program at Northumberland
College in Halifax. She graduated with honors in 2001 and continued her
education in Advanced Myofascial Release (“Journey in Hands”,
instructor Brad McCutcheon, 2001), Level 1 Reiki (2005) and Muscle Energy:
Cervical Spine/ Shoulder (Murray Pickering, 2006).
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Lucy van den Brink, RMT
Lucy graduated with honours from Northumberland College with a diploma
in massage therapy in 2007 and was pleased to represent her class as
valedictorian.
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Katherine Tidman, RMT
Katherine graduated from Saint Mary's University in 1999 with a Bachelor
of Arts in Psychology. In January of 2004 she enrolled in the Massage
Therapy Program at The Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy
and graduated in June of 2005 with honors.
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Leila Shaw, RMT
Leila graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University in
1988. After working for Body Shop Canada in Toronto for five years she
moved back to Halifax, returned to Dalhousie to begin a Bachelor of
Science. Part of the way through, she applied and was accepted to the
West Coast College of Massage Therapy in Vancouver, B.C.
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Kathleen Slaunwhite - Colon Hydrotherapist
Kathleen now operates Halifax Hydrotherapy & Holistic Health.
She practices Colon Hydrotherapy and Holistic Nutrition Consulting.
Kathleen is a Certified Colon Hydrotherapist (CCT) and RHN. She has trained
with Amanda McCarthy Searle (CCT) following Edgar Cayce Colonics from the
Cayce/Reily School of Massotherapy, Virginia Beach, as well as completed a
Colon Hydrotherapy program at the Canadian Natural Health & Healing Centre
in Toronto, Ontario. Former studies in Psychology, Women's Studies and
Philosophy at both Cape Breton University; Sydney, N.S. and St. Mary's
University; Halifax N.S. foundational in leading Kathleen toward further
education and her present Passion: holistic health, wellness and nutrition.
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Melissa Rose RMT, Bowen
Melissa has been practicing Massage Therapy for over 6 years. She graduated
from the 2200 Hour Program at ICT Northumberland College in 2002. Melissa
started working at Personal Care Physio after graduation where she developed
her Massage skills and treated numerous injuries at the multidisciplinary
clinic. In 2004 Melissa began her journey with Bowen Therapy. Bowen Therapy
is a dynamic system of muscle and connective tissue. Gentle moves are
applied to soft tissue which stimulates physiological changes and energy
flow allowing the body to heal itself.
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Dr. Pamela Purcell, BSc. ND
Dr. Pamela Purcell BSc. ND has been teaching and assisting individuals
and groups with their health and fitness goals for over twenty years.
She completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 1994 from Dalhousie
University in Halifax and graduated with her Doctorate in Naturopathic
Medicine in 2003 from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine
in Toronto. While working in private practice, as an integrative medical
practitioner, Dr. Purcell experiences fast improvements with her clients
in short periods of time by educating each client on what they need
to do to improve their specific health conditions.
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Elizabeth Vandenberg RMT
Elizabeth graduated from University of Guelph with an honours Bachelor
of Science. She went on to work in research labs in the US and at Dalhousie
University. Throughout the years, she was drawn to the field of massage
therapy and other alternative therapies. She completed 2 separate yoga
teaching trainings and has been teaching yoga since 2005. In 2007 she
decided to leave academic research and go back to school for a career
in massage therapy full time. After two intense years with a pregnancy
and raising her son, she graduated with honours from ICT Northumberland
College in 2009, and also received the award for clinical excellence and
professionalism.
After passing her board exams in Ontario, Elizabeth was thrilled to join
the amazing team at Total Kneads. She is dedicated to helping others obtain
wellness through massage and yoga and looks forward to increasing her
knowledge of myofascial release, Thai massage, cranial sacral therapy,
reflexology and hot stone treatments in the future