Meet the Team at Aria Health and Wellness Clinic
Get to Know Us
![Amar photo](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/amar-chiropractor.jpg)
Dr. Amar Sandhu
At age 16, Dr. Sandhu took an interest in chiropractic after he sustained an injury while playing hockey. Always having an interest in injury rehabilitation from his experience playing sports, Dr. Sandhu’s passion for studying human kinetics emerged in undergraduate school. Dr. Sandhu has always believed that human movement and the bodie’s structure plays a large impact on one’s overall wellbeing and health! As such, Dr. Sandhu continues to learn and grow in the field of chiropractic biophysics, structural and postural re-correction of the spine and its impact on our biomechanics. Dr. Sandhu received a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Fraser Valley. Then, it was time to pursue a chiropractic education at Palmer College of Chiropractic West.
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![Dr. Mattson](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/mattson-chiropractor.jpg)
Dr. Mattson Haggard
Dr. Haggard has called Victoria home since childhood. After many years of playing competitive sports in Junior hockey, golf and baseball, where he learned the importance of health and wellbeing for injury prevention and optimal performance, he completed his Chiropractic Degree at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. It has always been his mission to return to his hometown and help his community achieve their optimal potential through Chiropractic care. Dr. Haggard believes that through movement and other health optimizing strategies, everyone has the opportunity to function at their best and be able to handle their day-to-day stresses.
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![Ariel photo](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/ariel-chiropractor.jpg)
Dr. Ariel Adair
Dr. Ariel Adair was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Science from the University of Victoria she moved to the Bay Area of California in 2014. Here, she achieved a Doctorate in Chiropractic from Life Chiropractic College West. One of Dr. Adair’s biggest influences has been her father and his passion for healthy and sustainable living. He was her first big advocate of chiropractic care and introduced it to her when she was a child. However, it wasn’t until she was involved in a car accident in 2011 that she experienced the incredible power that chiropractic plays in healing and restoring proper function to the body. It was ultimately this experience that lead Dr. Adair to follow her vocation and pursue her career as a Doctor of Chiropractic.
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![Chiropractor Dr. Richard Baxter](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/dr-richard-baxter-chiropractor.jpg)
Dr. Richard Baxter
Bio coming soon!
![Emma photo](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/emma-pilates.jpg)
Emma Sandhu
Emma commenced her journey of movement at an early age, entering ballet as a child and continuing until she achieved the royal academy of ballet pre-professional level. Her passion for dance led her to become intrigued with Pilates as a way to maintain her posture, flexibility and overall body control. With over 15 years studying the Pilates method, Emma fell in love with the classical system of movement that was created by Joseph Pilates. Emma completed her first of three classical certification programs in 2006, continuing to graduate from a 700 hour intensive classical teacher training program in 2017 approved by “The Pilates Education Institute.” Read more about Emma »
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![Rhiannon photo](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/rhiannon-pilates.jpg)
Rhiannon King
Rhiannon has been a fully certified Classical Pilates Instructor since 2022 and has been a life-long student of movement, dedicating herself to hot yoga for several years. She pursued and completed her first 9 week immersion teacher training course in 2010. Since this initial training she has gone on to study with multiple mentors and received training in hatha, power, rehabilitative, trauma informed, hypermobility/stabilization and many other branches of yoga. Rhiannon has also studied barre, essentrics and has a deep interest and passion for Pilates. Rhiannon became certified after she completed a comprehensive 900 hour classical Pilates program with 2nd and 3rd generation teachers. She is excited to share the authentic work of Joseph Pilates with her students.
![Rania photo](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/rania-RMT.jpg)
Rania Abdelhamed
Rania has been practicing massage therapy since 2022. She works with a variety of patients whose conditions range from acute to chronic. She is experienced in treating a wide range of conditions including overuse injuries, sports injuries, tension headaches, migraines, back and neck pain, plantar fasciitis, sprains, strains and frozen shoulder. She may use a combination of techniques such as Swedish massage, joint mobilization, trigger point release and muscle energy technique based on what will work best for your specific concern. As part of her practice, Rania believes in educating patients and encouraging them to become active participants in their therapy and recovery.
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![julie-hearn](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/julie-hearn-new-photo.jpg)
Julie Hearn
Treatments from Julie can be beneficial for chronic concerns and regular maintenance as well as acute issues. Her relaxation based approach uses varying depths of pressure (superficial to deep tissue) and techniques such as Swedish, neuromuscular, trigger point, myofascial, passive and active stretching, muscle energy, traction and gentle joint mobilization. If homecare is requested she prescribes it to support patients’ individual goals in one or more of the following forms: hydrotherapy, stretching, strengthening, changes to activities of daily living.
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![Upma Rai, Massage Therapist](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/upma-rai-rmt.jpg)
Upma Rai
Bio coming soon!
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![Meghan Burgess, RMT](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/meghan-burgess-headshot.jpg)
Meghan Burgess
Meghan is currently away on maternity leave. She has been a practicing RMT since November 2020 and has always had a passion for helping others in their wellness journey. She enjoys working with clients of all walks of life and has a special interest in working with pre- and post-partum clients, children and youth, as well as those with chronic neck tension and headaches. She uses an ever-growing variety of techniques including deep tissue, Swedish, Craniosacral, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, relaxation massage and more. She has always felt that the importance of movement is integral to wellness and that this pursuit of motion should be fun! She encourages her clients to take an active role in their rehabilitative process while promoting a calming and supportive environment.
![megan-tocher](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/megan-tochor-new-photo.jpg)
Megan Tochor
Megan graduated from UBC Okanagan in 2018 with a Human Kinetics degree, with a focus in clinical kinesiology. Since then, she has become a registered kinesiologist with the BCAK and completed her 240 hour certified yoga teacher training. In addition to training in ScoliBalance, a type of physiotherapeutic specific scoliosis exercise (PSSE), Megan has extensive clinical experience treating a wide range of chronic and acute conditions. Megan has a passion for movement and wellness and enjoys furthering her understanding of the human body through continuing education, physical activity, and clinical experience.
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![Dale Kirk](https://doc.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/398/files/dale-kirk-headshot.jpg)
Dale Kirk
Dale’s journey in the field of kinesiology began at the University of Victoria, where he earned his degree. Equipped with a comprehensive understanding of human movement and its science, he is passionate about helping individuals reach their full potential. For Dale, the most fulfilling aspect of his job is witnessing the transformative moments when a person realizes their own strength and gains newfound confidence. Whether it’s helping someone recover from an injury, improving their athletic performance, or simply enhancing their overall well-being, Dale finds it rewarding to be part of these breakthroughs. Outside the practice, Dale focuses on personal growth and self-improvement. Additionally, he has a passion for field hockey.