Sonya Kelly is a registered occupational therapist working part-time at Play In Motion.
Growing up in a family with healthcare professionals, it was no surprise that Sonya followed this path as well. Growing up on Vancouver Island as well as a few years living in New Zealand, she decided to head East for university.
Sonya first heard about occupational therapy during her first year of university and she decided that this was the profession that she would pursue. She was drawn to the holistic values, the variety of areas of practice that OTs work in and helping people through the activities are meaningful to them.
After graduating from the University of Western Ontario in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree (Kinesiology and minor in Psychology), Sonya stayed in Ontario for 2 more years to continue her education. She graduated from McMaster University in 2003 with a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy.
Sonya moved back to the West Coast as soon as she graduated and worked for 9 years as an OT in Victoria, B.C. She gained experience in a variety of settings and areas of practice, including return to work programs, acute care, orthopedic rehabilitation, mental health and addiction services, seniors care in the community and long-term care. However, prior to working as an OT, she volunteered and worked with children and youth, and she loved her practicum experience at a Child Development Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario, so she was always looking for an opportunity to work in pediatrics as an OT.
In 2013, Sonya was expecting her first child and she moved to Squamish to be closer to the mountains. She fell in love with the Squamish community and the endless outdoor recreation it has to offer. Following her maternity leave in 2014, she was able to pursue to passion of working with children as an occupational therapist in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
When not working, Sonya enjoys spending time with her family, including 2 children and 2 dogs. She especially loves being in the forest, especially on her mountain bike. She also loves skiing, dancing, and being creative through art.

Chella is a registered speech-language pathologist. After completing her undergraduate degree in Linguistics at the University of Alberta, she attained her Communication Sciences and Disorders master’s degree from Western Carolina University in North Carolina (2010). She enjoys exploring through traveling, hiking, skiing, and gardening, and loves learning and trying new things.
Chella offers services for speech sound errors, language disorders, stuttering, and orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD). She is very passionate about her career and has a strong interest in stuttering and OMD.
Orofacial myofunctional disorders and speech- When there is a combination of an orofacial myofunctional disorder and a related speech error, it is often difficult to correct the speech problem through traditional speech therapy, until the OMD has been corrected.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is a neuromuscular re-education of the muscles in the face, lips, mouth, tongue, and neck. Therapy focuses on oral habit elimination, habituation of nasal breathing, correct oral rest posture, and oral phase swallow. This supports airway development and optimal oral and facial muscle function, balance, and development.
This is also recommended pre- and post-frenectomy.
Stuttering– is a neurophysiological difference that is significantly impacted by motor speech, language, auditory feedback, and emotional regulation. There has been a lot of research focusing on the causes of stuttering and that research continues. The research has found that people who stutter have differences in their brain wiring and functioning. Though other factors do not cause stuttering, there are many factors that can contribute to a person’s stuttering.
Her approach is to address emotional and physical barriers that inhibit spontaneous talking. Through addressing these barriers and learning strategies the goal is to help clients become confident spontaneous communicators.
Chella works with all ages from preschool to adulthood.

Hillary graduated from Concordia University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts and Art History. After traveling for a year her love for the mountains brought her to the west coast which she now considers home. In 2018 she decided to return to school to complete a certificate as a Rehabilitation Assistant at Capilano University. She feels fortunate to be triple trained to assist in the disciplines of Physio, Occupational and Speech and Language Therapy as she believes success in all aspects of life comes from fostering a holistic approach.
Having always felt most invigorated working with children it was an easy decision to return to paediatrics upon her graduation. Hillary’s practice is informed by her educational background, extensive work with children in the community as well as her passion for fostering positive mental health through skill building and leisure activities. Developing a strong connection with children and families is her top priority and the foundation of her therapy. She prides herself in being able to discover what excites children and find ways to incorporate those interests into safe and meaningful therapeutic activities.
Hillary looks forward to getting to know families in Squamish and empowering her clients to be their authentic selves in their daily life.