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 as a Massage Therapist. Early in her career Leah worked in a multidisciplinary environment which afforded her the benefit of co-ordinating treatments with physiotherapists and kinesiologists. She has experience addressing the needs of athletes, facilitating recovery from motor vehicle accidents and repetitive strain injury, as well as promoting relaxation.
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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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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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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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Pauline Surkan, RMT
Pauline Surkan graduated with Honours from ICT Kikkawa College in Toronto
in 2002 with a diploma in Massage Therapy and certificates in Myofascial
Release and Pre and Postnatal massage.
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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
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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Dr.Sasha Zevenhuizen
Sasha is a Halifax native that graduated from Dalhousie University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2006. She then travelled for a year abroad and later that year was accepted to the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto.
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Debra Holman, B.Sc.PT, R. Acup
Debra is a recent graduate from Nova Scotia’s first ever acupuncture program offered through Eastern College. This program, taken from the well established, 3-year diploma program at Grant MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB, was brought to NS after its tremendous success in NFLD. Debra was first exposed to the profound effects of acupuncture treatment in 1997 during her career as a physiotherapist when she took part in acupuncture training courses and began using it as a tool in her practice. Debra is eager to share her new, expanded knowledge and to WOW her clients with the impact of this ancient, wondrous medicine. From minor aches and pains to multi-symptom disorders, from general fatigue to advance mental health conditions, acupuncture can set you on the road to recovery and rebalance!
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