Mental Health Team
Julia Tartal, Mental Health Therapist (Canadian Certified Counsellor)
Supporting Clients Across Canada
I strongly believe that no one should have to handle big feelings on their own, so this is where I come in. I will support you to navigate through those feelings and help you achieve your goals. I have extensive experience working with mental health having worked in the field for over half a decade in different areas such a youth mental health and addictions. I hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Yorkville University and completed my clinical practicum in private practice.
My experience includes, but is not limited to, supporting clients with:
- Depression and anxiety
- Disordered Eating and Body Image Challenges
- Addiction
- Anger
- Perfectionism, and OCD
- Grief
- PTSD
- ADHD, ADD
- Self-harm
- Assertiveness
- Emotion/behaviour regulation
- Resilience
Additionally, giving back to the community is very important to me. I ran a non-profit organization raising awareness and funds for eating disorder treatment and sat on the board of the Eating Disorder Action Committee. I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor, a Counselling Therapist, and a professional member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association and the Association of Counselling Therapy of Alberta.
Dietitian Team
Karyn Sunohara, RD, Chef, President
Registered in: BC, AB, SK, & ON
Food and culture were things I have always had a love for. When I was younger, I would sit at the kitchen counter and help my parents or grandparents cook. At a young age, I was fortunate to travel to all over the world, which strengthened my love for food and culture. I became even more invested in learning about the different cultures, food, languages and culinary techniques.
This love for food lead me to culinary school where I was immersed in both food and culture. I spent endless hours in the kitchens at SAIT trying to absorb and learn everything I could from my amazing Chef mentors and instructors. I graduated from the Professional Cooking Program at SAIT in the spring of 2008, but felt a piece of my career was missing; it didn’t feel complete yet. After graduating, I worked at numerous restaurants, culinary institutions, and held a number of cooking positions. I still had a love and passion for food and culture, but I wanted more.
While at SAIT, I was blessed to meet Mary-Sue Waisman, a Registered Dietitian and Chef. Mary-Sue spent introduced me to the career of a Registered Dietitian, and looking back now, meeting her changed my life! I found a path where I could combine all of my passions into one amazing career as a Registered Dietitian!
My dream is to share my love for food, nutrition and cultures in a hands on and interactive way. I believe that if you read something, you may remember it for a while, but if you do something, you’ll remember it for a lifetime! I strive to find fun, practical approaches to nutrition with my clients.
Karyn Specializes in Family Nutrition and Paediatrics. She currently see patients for:
- Infant Nutrition:
- Introduction of Solids, Constipation, Diarrhea, Failure to Thrive
- Picky Eating
- Taste and Texture Challenges
- Food Allergies and Intolerances:
- Oral Allergy Syndrome, FPIES, and FPIAP
- Gut Health:
- Celiac Disease, IBS, IBD (Crohn’s and Colitis), Diverticulitis, Reflux
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Food Relationship Including Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
- Chronic Disease Management:
- Fatty Liver Disease, Diabetes, High blood pressure,
- High cholesterol, Heart Disease
Fabijana Jakulj BSc, RD, CDE
Chronic Disease Management/Prevention, Pre/Post Natal, & Paediatrics Dietitian — Registered in: Alberta & Ontario
Fabijana has over 10 years of experience as an outpatient dietitian, working with adults, children, families and groups. She specializes in metabolic syndrome, pre-diabetes and diabetes; heart health, blood pressure, and gut disorders (IBS, constipation, diarrhea etc); psychological principles to support behaviour change and promote positive relationships with food; pre and post-baby, child and family nutrition.
Having grown up in the Mediterranean region, Fabijana has always had an enthusiasm for food that nourishes the soul, the body and the community. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Health Psychology at the University of Calgary, and discovered her passion for nutrition while working on her thesis that explored the relationship between diet and stress.
Her passion soon led her to complete a second degree in Nutrition/Dietetics at the University of Alberta. Her background in health psychology provides her with additional skills and experience with behaviour change strategies, health promotion and a client centred approach. Fabijana is a mom of 2 and understands that life can be busy! She is ready to listen and offer practical, evidence-based solutions that are specific to you, and tailored to your unique lifestyle.
Fabijana’s Specialties Include:
- Chronic Disease Management and Prevention
- Pre and Post-Natal Nutrition – Including Gestational Diabetes
- Paediatric and Family Nutrition
- Gut Health – IBS, IBD (Crohn’s, Colitis), Celiac Disease
Hannah Chapeskie, Dietitian
Chronic Disease Management/Prevention, Pre/Post Natal, & Paediatric Nutrition
Hi! My name is Hannah Chapeskie and I am a graduate of the Acadia University Nutrition and Dietetics Program. I was born and raised in Ontario and grew up as a competitive dancer, which ultimately influenced my passion for health, wellness, and nutrition.
Areas of Interest
- Paediatrics
- Food Allergies and Intolerances
- Picky Eating
- Eating disorders
- Sports Nutrition
- GI disorders
- Long Covid
Kathryn Holt, MS, RD
Paediatric and Chronic Disease Management Dietitian
Supports clients in: Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, NWT
Kathryn Holt, MS, RD is a registered dietitian and health coach practicing in Kingston, Ontario. She completed her dietetics training through Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, and subsequently pursued a Masters of Science in Nutrition through the University of Nebraska. She has a sound understanding of nutrition science and is passionate about learning and teaching others. She has worked in clinical settings in both Canada and the United States. Her practice is guided by evidence-based recommendations and she is available for consultations from both the paediatric and adult population. She has a special interest in complex paediatric nutrition, weight loss and diabetes management.
Kathryn can often be found running to raise money for local charities, horseback riding or exploring new foods and cuisines with friends. She is a dog enthusiast, an amateur ornithologist and enjoys traveling, scuba diving and spending quality time with her family.
Kathryn’s Specialties Include:
- Family Nutrition
- Picky Eating
- Food Allergies
- Infant Nutrition (Failure to Thrive, Introduction of Solids)
- Paediatrics
- Maternal Health (pre/post natal nutrition)
- Diabetes Management
Catherine Michaud, Registered Dietitian
Gut Health and Chronic Disease Management Dietitian Bilingual (French & English)
Supports clients in: Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland
Catherine graduated from the University of Ottawa in nutrition and is a member of the Ordre des diététistes-nutritionniste du Québec (ODNQ).
Passionate, empathic and a good listener, Catherine will guide you towards achieving your goals by going at your own pace and respecting your concerns. For her, establishing a good relationship of trust with her clients and accompanying them in their changes towards a healthier lifestyle is a priority. Prevention, a non-restrictive approach and a vision of global health are at the heart of her approach.
Her mission: to help you find a balance that suits you, learn to trust yourself and discover the pleasure of eating without guilt. We eat at least three times a day, so we might as well have fun and enjoy what we eat!
Catherine strives to help her clients and families improve their health, discover the pleasure of food and optimize their nutrition in an inclusive manner.
Catherine’s Specialties Include:
- Gut health
- Food Relationship
- Chronic Disease Management
Bo Tang, Registered Dietitian, CDE
Trilingual (English, Chinese-Mandarin & Cantonese, French)
Supports clients in: Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland
Bo Tang was born and raised in the beautiful city of Wuhan, China. The city is well known for its cuisine and street food. Growing up, she was surrounded by food connoisseurs in her family. They helped her in developing sophisticated palates at a young age. She moved to Montreal at the age of 16 and soon found herself immersed in French Canadian culture. As her passion for food intensified, fate led her to McGill University, founder of the Human Nutrition program. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Human Nutrition in 2012 and completed her internships at various hospitals in Montreal including the Montreal General Hospital and the Jewish General Hospital.
Bo is a Certified Diabetes Educator, Certified Craving Change Facilitator, as well as a Certified 200HR Yoga Instructor. She is currently enrolled in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture studies. Her dream is to combine her knowledge and experience in western clinical nutrition with the eastern food philosophy to help women in achieving optimal health.
Specialties:
- Chronic Disease Management and Prevention
- Gut Health
- Women’s Health – Premenstrual Syndrome, PCOS, Infertility
- Food Relationship
Renee Racine, Registered Dietitian, IOC Diploma Sports Nutrition, Sports Nutrition Dietitian
Bilingual (French & English)
Supports clients in: Ontario, Quebec New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland
Renée is a Registered Dietitian specializing in sport and human performance. Renée graduated top of her class with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia University, completing an integrated internship in Nova Scotia. Renée worked in clinical nutrition before specializing in sports performance, obtaining a Diploma with the International Olympic Committee in Sports Nutrition.
Renée works in professional hockey with the Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket, has worked in tactical nutrition with the Canadian Special Forces and with the Canadian military sports program. She works with a variety of clients in a multitude of sports, from recreational athletes to international competitors.
Renée is passionate about seeking and applying the best evidence to optimize physical performance. She can help you optimize body composition for your sport, dial-in hydration and fuelling strategies, support recovery from training or injury, maximize adaptations in training, and support top performance in competition.
Book with Renée today to achieve your peak performance.
Renée’s Specialties Include:
- Team Sports (Hockey, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer)
- Individual Sports (Gymnastics, Bouldering, Swimming, Skiing, Powerlifting)
- Endurance Sport (Cycling, Triathlon, Ironman, Ultra-Distance Events)
- Military Training and Operational Fitness
- Injury Recovery and Return to Play
- Mountaineering and Altitude Nutrition
Marni Larsen, MSc, RD
Chronic Disease Management/Prevention, Pre/Post Natal, & Long Covid Dietitian
Supports clients in: Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland
Not accepting new patients at this time.
Marni is a self-proclaimed foodie and lover of the outdoors. She became interested in the field of nutrition after having her own struggles with food and her health. As a result, she started to research how food can impact your overall wellbeing – and through this process she realized that she also had a passion for nutrition! She decided to study nutrition at the University of Alberta and graduated with distinction 4 years later. After completing her dietetic internship in 2005, she officially became a Registered Dietitian and in 2016 she went on to complete a Masters of Science degree in Nutrition and
Health Promotion, expanding her expertise and knowledge of nutrition even further.
Most recently, Marni has struggled with Long Covid. This has led her down the path of researching evidence-based nutrition solutions to help herself and others improve their health and get back to living their lives. Prior to private practice, Marni worked in a variety of settings including clinical primary care, prenatal outpatient care, pharmaceuticals (nutrition supplements and maternal and infant nutrition) and long-term care. She believes in balanced nutrition and works with her clients to help them achieve their nutrition goals, with the philosophy that all foods fit and that you should love the food that you eat!
Marni’s Specialties Include:
- Chronic Disease Management and Prevention
- Pre and Post-Natal Nutrition – Including Fertility
- Long Covid Nutrition
Admin Assistants
Gillian Skippon BSc Nutrition and Dietetics
Admin Assistant, VA & Social Media Manager
Gillian has always had a passion for nutrition and living an active and healthy lifestyle. Growing up, Gillian participated in team sports and learned about the importance of fuelling your body both for activity and for daily living. This led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at Acadia University. Gillian enjoys being organized, assisting others and looks forward to being a part of the For the LOVE of FOOD team to help clients achieve their goals!
Brooklyn Marshall, BA English and Spanish
Virtual Assistant
Brooklyn is a graduate of the University of Lethbridge, with a passion for organization and administrative assistance. During University, she had the opportunity to live in Mozambique running a school, which began her love of administrative assistance. She spent the year working as a personal assistant, creating schedules, writing documents and developing curriculum. As a Virtual Assistant, Brooklyn manages Social Media accounts and email inboxes, writes blog posts and generates client leads.