Meet Our Facilitators

(Dr) Jenny Bell is described by friends as full of vitality, enthusiasm and someone inspired by whole person health. Originally from Vancouver, she trained at UBC for medical school and her family medicine residency before working internationally (Kyrgyzstan, the UK, and South Sudan). She is a proud Mom of two adult sons and families – and particularly enjoys spending time with her two granddaughters. In her spare time, she finds further inspiration in the great rainforest and shores of Vancouver Island and cooking – her friends never turn down her baking! She loves facilitating CBT classes as she feels the tools are ones we can all use in everyday life.

Dr. Marjon Blouw is a family physician who has been facilitating CBT skills groups since 2015 when this program started as a pilot project. She has used CBT in her work doing GP consultations in Sexual Medicine since 2000. She works clinically with 4 gynecologists. She is an outdoors enthusiast particularly hiking, cycling and kayaking focusing also on local plants and birdwatching. She enjoys facilitating interactive CBT skills groups.

Erin Burrell (she/her) is a psychiatrist who co-founded the CBT Skills Group program and currently serves as a leader of the program’s provincial spread. She is passionate about therapy and uses CBT, DBT, mindfulness, interpersonal therapy and psychoanalysis in her practice. In her groups, Erin emphasizes that everyone, including herself, is a learner and she respects each person’s process to discover what is most helpful for them. She encourages group curiosity and discussion and fosters learning from each other as one of the most valuable aspects of the course. Erin calls Vancouver home, honouring the land that is the unceded ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples.

Hannah Burton is a psychiatrist working in Vancouver. Her interest in CBT Skills Groups began during her residency at UBC, and she is thrilled to be working as a facilitator and trainer for the program. 

Joanna Cheek (she/her) is a psychiatrist and co-founder of CBT Skills Association.  She has trained in many styles of therapy that have influenced the development of the course curriculum: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness-based strategies such as MBCT and MBRP and a 2-year Mindfulness Teacher Training with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach, interpersonal therapy, the Daring Way and Rising Strong facilitation with Brene Brown’s team, and many forms of longer-term psychodynamic in trauma-oriented therapies.  She values deep connection and vulnerability and tends to have a style that makes a lot of room for more depth in the group process.  She works from Victoria on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen peoples known today as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

Dr Jenna Creaser is a rural family physician, health coach, hypnotherapist, yoga teacher and founder of Rising Rose Wellness. She enjoys sharing the many paths to wellness with all who are interested in a more holistic approach to their health. Her hobbies include hiking & wandering in nature, travel, music and spending time with her mini dachshund Hanz.

Dr. Lauren Dake is a family physician and co-founder of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Skills Group, the Victoria Youth Clinic, and the British Columbia Association for Living Mindfully (BCALM). She has been a facilitator of mental health related group medical visits since 2013 and has served on the Shared Care Mental Health and Substance Use Advisory Committee. Dr. Dake introduces these practical, relevant interventions with clarity, enthusiasm and humour. She uses these tools daily in her personal and professional life and finds it extremely rewarding to share them with patients, medical students and colleagues.

Dr. Lisa Gaede (she/her) is a family physician who lives and works on the traditional unceded homelands of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (also known as North Vancouver).  She has a passion for Family Medicine and is a Fellow of the College of Family Physicians of Canada as well as a Past President of the BC College of Family Physicians.  She has a family practice in North Vancouver and has trained to facilitate these courses as she feels these skills are so important. We can learn to use our brains to help us live fuller lives and improve how we interact with others.

Allison Gamble is a psychiatrist based out of Nanaimo. She recently completed CBT Skills group facilitation training during her psychiatry residency at UBC. Allison is passionate about the CBT Skills program, and is excited to be involved as both a facilitator and trainer.

Melissa is a psychiatrist based in Lekwungen territory (aka Victoria BC) with a special interest in psychotherapy, mindfulness and compassion practices, and supporting new parents. For Melissa, facilitating groups is a reminder of the healing power of community and an inspiration for ongoing practice.

Dr. Grimminck (she/her/hers) is a psychiatrist living on the unceded traditional and present day territories of Quw’utsun Tribes on Vancouver Island.  She is of mixed European descent. She is grateful to call such beautiful land home. She brings a wide variety of clinical experience from emergency and inpatient psychiatry to outpatient psychiatry working with a wide range of psychiatric conditions.  She is passionate about groups and has repeatedly witnessed the healing power of groups.  She has been leading groups since 2012 and is a certified group psychotherapist through the International Board for Certification for Group Psychotherapists.  She is excited to co-leading the CBT Skills level 2 group program with Dr. Emma Koopmans. Dr. Grimminck is also teaching MBCT in the level 2 program and is passionate about mindfulness based psychotherapies. She has lived and worked in many Canadian provinces and in southern and eastern Africa.  She loves spending time in nature and enjoys arts and culture with her friends and family.

Hi, I’m Jen, and I’m a family doctor living and working in Victoria, the traditional territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən peoples. My pronouns are she/they. I’m currently working as a physician on the student health team at the University of Victoria. My special interests in medicine include mental health and palliative care. As a physician and a human, I believe in holistic care which integrates healing of the mind, body, and spirit. As a CBT skills group facilitator, I aim to create a safe and compassion space where we can work together to learn the basics of cognitive-behavioural therapy, and to practice tools and techniques to live a fuller life. Outside of my work, I am a meditator, a scuba diver, an avid hiker, an amateur astronomer, a dog-enthusiast, and an aspiring writer. I look forward to working with you! 

Hello! My name is John and I am a family doctor in Victoria. I moved to Victoria in 2013 and I am a visitor on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱ŚANÉC traditional territories. My pronouns are he and him.  I graduated medical school from the University of Toronto, and completed my family medicine residency at the University of British Columbia. My current practice includes a large portion of working with young adults and mental health.  As a CBT Skills Group facilitator, I wish to share what I have learned having been a participant of CBT Skills Group myself.  I wish to support participants of my group with their journey towards CBT skills development and well-being.  At this time, I only facilitate the CBT Skills Foundations group and adhere to the workbook closely.  My style is best suited for those gaining first exposure to CBT Skills Foundations or for those wishing to repeat the CBT Skills Foundations course in a way that closely adheres to the workbook.  I have particular interests in supporting the Asian community, male participants, and young adults, yet I welcome everyone who feels suitable to join my group as I believe we are all “young adults” at heart!  My personal interests include sports, such as soccer and ultimate frisbee, and spending time with my nephews.  I look forward to meeting you!

I am a settler of European descent, and live on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territory. I use the pronouns she/her and identify as queer. I am a family physician for the communities of Takla and Yekooche First Nations, where I am often found giving out milk bones to dogs and taking scenic runs. I also work as an emergency physician in the lower mainland.

Dr. Lai has practiced family medicine in Vancouver since 1986. He is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Family Practice at the University of B.C., enjoys teaching medical students and family practice residents as well as participating in initiatives with local medical organizations to improve primary care. Helping his patients manage mental health challenges throughout their life stages is a strong focus of his practice. Since training to be a group facilitator in the CBT Skill Group program with the Vancouver Division of Family Practice in 2017, he has regularly facilitated groups, first in person and now online. Dr. Lai is part of the passionate team of family physicians and psychiatrists in the CBT Skills Groups Society dedicated to providing timely, cost effective and quality mental health care to patients across British Columbia.

Dr. Jennifer Lorne has enjoyed working as a family physician in Vancouver for more than 15 years. She feels it is a wonderful privilege to care for patients of all ages, and to help people with a wide variety of diagnoses. In addition, Dr. Lorne has a special interest in Mental Health. She feels that mental health struggles affect the body as much as they do the mind, and that one of the best ways to help a patient is by addressing both their physical and mental well being. Having experienced the benefits of CBT in her own family, Dr. Lorne is pleased to be one of the CBT Group Facilitators, and fully believes in the skills this program offers to patients. When not at work, Dr. Lorne enjoys Pilates, walking, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her friends and family – in particular, her two energetic and imaginative daughters.

Ashley Miller, MD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at BC Children’s Hospital and a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia.  She is a family therapist, writer, media expert, speaker, award-winning medical educator and the co-author, with Dr. Adele Lafrance, of What to Say to Kids When Nothing Seems to Work: A Practical Guide for Parents and Caregivers. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and two children.

Dr. Ellie Parton (She / Her) is a Family Physician based on the traditional lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, colonially known as Victoria. She is First Nations from the Wei Wai Kum Band of the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation. As a wife and mother of 3 spirited kids, mindfulness and CBT have both helped her navigate the stressors of life and practicing medicine. A special interest in mental health combined with a personal core value of community had led Dr. Ellie to train as a facilitator for the CBT Skills Groups. When she is not practicing medicine, she can usually be found at the sewing machine making her own clothes, or at the beach with her kids. To learn more about her approach to groups, visit drellieparton.com

Fiona completed medical school at UBC and was a graduate of the Calgary Residency Program. She practices full scope family medicine and obstetrics, and is a strong advocate for mental health, which led her to join the CBT Skills Group Program. Fiona is the Family Physician Lead for Physician Wellness Groups and has a passion for delivering CBT groups to patients and physicians. She has a love for languages and speaks Gujrati, Urdu, Hindi, and conversational French, Spanish, and Mandarin. When not at work, she can be found skiing, mountain biking, and trying to keep up with her two children.

Sari (she/her) is a family physician of Eastern European ancestry that lives and works on the traditional unceded homelands of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (also known as Vancouver). Her other work focuses on maternity care, youth health and anti-racism. She has a passion for teaching and mental health and feels it is a privilege to facilitate these classes as she learns something herself each time.

Trish is a Family Physician in Victoria. She has seen that what makes people optimally healthy (no matter their diagnoses) is a result of their attitudes and their emotional resilience. She absolutely believes that well-being is a skill and can be learned! Her practice is an eclectic one including technical work as a surgical assistant with the Head and Neck service at the Royal Jubilee Hospital. In addition, she has an office/ coaching practice that helps people prevent and treat metabolic issues such as obesity, diabetes and PCOS. And, since 2013 she has been teaching groups of patients, physicians and medical students mindfulness skills and cognitive behavioural tools they use to revitalize their mental health and improve their quality of life.

Dr. Spratt is a full-service family physician in Victoria with interests in maternity care and breast-feeding medicine as well as mental health. She is on clinical faculty at the University of British Colombia, actively teaching and mentoring residents and medical students. Since 2017 she has been facilitating the CBT Skills groups for patients, and physicians, and continues to be inspired by sharing these skills and learning from all the members of her groups.

Dr. Stasiuk is a family physician with experience in both full scope family practice and medical education.  She has worked on Cortes Island and has done maternity and transgender care in Victoria, BC.  She currently has a practice in Halifax, NS, but believes in the effectiveness of CBT Skills so much that she has decided to continue this practice remotely.  The power of the groups is truly transformative and it is such an honor to be able to guide participants through this work.

A warm hello to everyone. So glad you’ve engaged with this CBT Skills program – it’s helped my patients and also myself personally from when I first took this course in 2017. Before studying medicine, I was a social worker with disadvantaged seniors in Los Angeles for eight years. I returned home to British Columbia for medical school and graduated from UBC Family Medicine. Since 2012 I have been a physician at InspireHealth, a BC government-funded supportive cancer care organization providing individual and group programs including counselling, yoga, mindfulness, exercise, and cooking/nutrition classes at no cost to adults with a cancer diagnosis. For nearly 10 years I have also been teaching in group work with UBC medical students. My teaching style is simple with a focus on highlights and practical applications of the course, and with engaging participants in sincere regard for one another throughout our time together.

Dr. Lesley Thomas (she/her) is a Family Physician of South Indian descent that lives and works on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations (known as “Vancouver”). In addition to facilitating CBT skills groups, her work includes general family practice, mental health counselling and anti-racism work. She feels immensely privileged to have the opportunity to walk alongside individuals on their path to healing, growth and empowerment. 

Dr. Rohit Vijh (he/him) is a family physician working in Vancouver, BC. He works as a community family physician as well as a STI physician. He has an interest in public health, mental health and health equity.

Suzanne Walter is a family physician on the Sunshine Coast. She works in a busy family practice clinic as well as at Sechelt Hospital doing inpatient and addiction medicine. She has a special interest in mental health, chronic pain, trauma and addiction medicine. When she’s not working she loves to spend time with her family preferably outdoors in the trees or on the water. She has recently started teaching the CBT Skills groups and really enjoys the content and the supportive group dynamic.

Jen Whyte is a family physician facilitator of the foundations course in the cbt skills program since 2016. Jen also facilitates all of the booster groups in the program, and the cbt for insomnia group. Jen has worked in most areas of family medicine -including office-based practice, small town emergency room work early in her career, along with prenatal, labour and delivery care, youth health clinic work, long term care, and most recently older adult mental health outreach team work. All of it has been a privilege, but facilitating cbt skills groups is Jen’s most rewarding work ever-working with groups of folks dedicated to improving their health! Jen had a hard time after high school deciding whether to go into education or medicine. What a dream come true to have this opportunity to teach as a physician! And these skills are useful indeed! Practicing cbt skills along with each group Jen facilitates has enriched all aspects of her life and continues to. Bonus!

Jennifer Wide (she/her) is a psychiatrist trained in neurosciences, mental health and addictions, working in both acute care and community settings.  Her special interests are in emotion regulation and trauma care therapies. She enjoys bringing life to the material in a genuine and engaging manner. In her spare time, she enjoys sampling culinary delights, traveling and spending time with her two littles.​

Dr. Janice Lynn Wong completed medical school at the University of Manitoba and residency in family medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Wong has long had an interest in cognitive behavioural therapy and is very pleased to be facilitating CBT skills groups. In her other roles she practices full-service family medicine in East Vancouver and also provides care to residents in a long term care home. Dr Wong enjoys reading, biking, going for walks, and spending time with her family.