MANUAL OSTEOPATHY, PEDIATRIC OSTEOPATHY, MASSAGE THERAPY, PRENATAL MASSSAGE THERAPY, REFORMER PILATES, MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY, HOLISTIC PEDIATRIC SLEEP, AND NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE
The Pura Vida Team
Robyn Tessaro
(formerly Brandt) B.Sc.(Hons) Osteopathy, Dip.O.M.T., RMT
She/Her
Monday-Friday (not available for online booking, email: bookings@puravidahealth.ca)
Robyn Tessaro is the dedicated owner and inspiration behind Pura Vida Family Health Centre. In 2008, her ambition to help others led her to open the professional clinic. Robyn relies primarily on word of mouth referrals for 90% of her clientele growth; however, she believes strongly in working with a great team of therapists who can combine their skills and hone in on achieving results for each client’s specific needs.
Robyn has been treating fussy infants since 2006 and has taken multiple post graduate courses on treating infants and children, studying with some of the best pediatric osteopaths in the world. Robyn completed a pilot study in which she had statistically significant results treating infants with colic. Robyn is a member of the Ontario Association of Manual Osteopathic Practitioners.
Robyn is a level 2 Hypopressive (c) exercise trainer and is available for one-on-one sessions.
Simone Valere
Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, Registered Massage Therapist
Monday - Thursday
Simone has been a registered massage therapist since 1997. Shortly after becoming an RMT she took many courses in manual therapy and eventually decided to formalize her practice of manual therapy by completing the Osteopathic program at the Canadian College of Osteopathy in Toronto. Simone also teaches Somatic exercise and ELDOA. Simone is a member of the Ontario Association of Osteopathic Practitioners (OAO).
Simone is available for online booking.
Kimberly Borges
Osteopathic Manual Practitioner,
Registered Massage Therapist, Athletic Therapy, Contemporary Medical Acupuncture
Wednesday 9:30-8
Kimberly graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Kinesiology and also completed the Athletic Therapy Certificate Program. Kimberly became a Certified Athletic Therapist in June 2008.
Dr. Michelle Peters, ND
Naturopathic Doctor
She/Her
By appointment only
Dr. Peters maintains a naturopathic family health practice providing patients, who have a wide-range of health concerns, with integrative or alternative healthcare. Dr. Peters focuses on individualized holistic treatments to help restore and maintain optimal health and wellness by utilizing the following natural modalities: Acupuncture, Clinical Nutrition, Botanical Medicine, Homeopathy, Hydrotherapy, and Nutraceuticals. Dr. Peters is a graduate from the University of Western Ontario where she earned an Honors Bachelor of Health Sciences degree. Following this, she completed the four-year program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Peters has been a registered Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine since 2006. She is a professional member in good standing with the College of Naturopaths of Ontario (CONO).
Kirstin May Anderson
Registered Massage Therapist
Monday and Friday 12-5:30, some tuesday hours
Kirstin has been practicing as a Registered Massage Therapist since graduating from Sutherland-Chan in 2008. She is open to new ideas and challenges and constantly researches new and innovative ways to heal the body.
Lori-Anne Viloria
Registered Massage Therapist
Wednesday 3-7pm
Lori-Anne Viloria RMT, BA has been in the industry for 27 years. As a registered massage therapist since 1997, she is an expert in classical Swedish massage techniques. Her style uses a range of moderate to deep tissue massage techniques to challenge the muscles without pain. Other specialty training includes pre/post natal massage, sports injuries, IMT (Integrated Manual Technique) and Scar Tissue Therapy using the Dolphin Stim Microcurrent. Her practice includes clients who are fitness enthusiasts, elite athletes (from kids to adults) and chronic pain sufferers.
Lori-Anne specializes in unique massage treatments such as a full-body, side-lying massage for those who do not like to lie in the face-cradle or are uncomfortable in a face-down position. Her Scar Tissue therapies focus on scars left from procedures such as c-sections, mastectomies, hysterectomies and breast augmentation to name a few.
Her approach to treatment leans heavily on her skills as an intuitive therapist; she lets her hands guide the treatment. Pre-treatment client chats about their pain, discomfort and overall goals are factors she uses to figure out how to approach each massage. Each treatment is tailored to her clients’ current needs to achieve effective results. Lori-Anne is available for online booking.
Raquel Charrington
Registered Massage Therapists, Pilates Instructor
Thursdays 10-4
Raquel has been a Registered Massage Therapist since 2004 and is an active member of the CMTO. She takes a holistic approach, drawing on techniques that include Swedish massage, trigger point therapy, and fascial release, and rehabilitative exercise. Both a student and a teacher of Pilates, Raquel believes in the importance of integrating movement into daily life for long‑term health. She is committed to providing patient‑centered, personalized care that fosters lasting relief, improved function, and greater body awareness.
Tara is a 2x certified sleep specialist (Isla Grace & PSAD) a registered dental hygienist with 24 years of clinical experience with advanced training in oral function, restricted oral ties, airway health, myofunctional therapy and holistic dental hygiene. She specializes in identifying how breathing patterns, oral dysfunction, and development can influence sleep quality in infants, children and adults. Through personal experience navigating through sleep disordered breathing with her children (and herself) and patterns she had been seeing with her clients, it quickly became a passion to help others going through the same thing.
Tara has extensive knowledge on restless sleep, airway health, oral tie restrictions, oral dysfunction.
Myofunctional therapy is a therapeutic program that uses a series of customized exercises to target and retrain specific muscles of the mouth, tongue and surrounding facial structures, on a neuromuscular level, that are contributing to oral dysfunction and suboptimal breathing patterns, including sleep disordered breathing.
Myofunctional therapy helps to support airway health by strengthening the appropriate muscles. Breathing through the nose leads to more oxygen delivery, filtration of allergens and bacteria, and better sleep quality. Myofucnional therapy is also billable under most health insurance plans when working with a registered dental hygenist.
Tara works with both children and adults on their journey to better oral function and breathing!
Tara is always taking new courses and learning more! When she’s not studying, she loves to be doing anything outdoors, enjoys gardening, farmers markets, trips to the cottage, traveling and spending time with her family.
Jessica Soulliere, D.Sc.O
Osteopathic Manual Practitioner, Registered Massage Therapist
She/Her
Tuesdays 8am-2pm
Through life experiences, Jessica has taken a keen interest in fertility, pelvic health, prenatal and postnatal and all things babies! She has taken additional training in pediatric osteopathic practice, tongue ties, the vagus nerve, cesarean birth (preparation and recovery), and multiple courses on the pelvic girdle (pain and the pelvic floor). Jessica is experienced in treating infants and children of all ages.
Jessica is currently a member of The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO), the Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners (OAO - student), and the American Academy of Pediatric Osteopathy (AAPO - student).
Additional courses → Lower Extremity Physiological Bony Development and its Clinical Ramification in the Pediatric and Adult Patient (2023) → What About Tongue Ties? (2022) - Osteopathy’s Promise to Children → Vagus Nerve- Philippe Druelle, D.O. Canadian College of Osteopathy (2022) → Stillness- Philippe Druelle, D.O. Canadian College of Osteopathy (2021) → Sutherland‘s Early Approach: Before the PRM (2021) (Osteopathy) → Cesarean Birth: The Role of Physiotherapy in Preparation & Recovery (2020) → trimesters Massage Therapy for Pregnancy (2017) → Non-Internal Introductory Pelvic Health (2017) → Pelvic Girdle Pain and the Pelvic Floor (2017) → Axial Joint Mobilizations (2021) → Prepare for Birth the Pelvic Floor and More (2017)
Gail Culligan
Remote Administration
Gail has been the front desk friendly face of Pura Vida Family Health Centre. Now she currently continues to support our practitioners and clients from the East coast. Gail brings her East coast charm to all that she does and makes everyone feel organized, and part of the Pura Vida family.