Team Bios
Tanya Momtazian
Title: Midwife
Bio:
Tanya is thrilled to have set some roots down in the Kootenays to raise her young and growing family and to become part of the Apple Tree team. She has been working as a midwife in Nelson since 2008 after graduating from the UBC Midwifery Program. In 2012, she completed a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins. She is currently the Board Chair of the BC College of Nurses and Midwives and an Adjunct professor at UBC Midwifery. She enjoys being part of this thriving community and spending time outdoors: snowboarding, hiking, and beaching as well as traveling to new places or visiting family and friends.
Lisa Sawyer
Title: Family Physician
Bio:
Lisa Sawyer has been practicing as a family physician in Nelson since 2004 after receiving her medical degree from Ottawa. She is a strong advocate and supporter of women receiving a holistic and supportive approach to maternity care. Lisa also works as a baby-doc, providing on-call support to newborns when needed at Kootenay Lake Hospital. She has a teenage son Evan and loves to play with the Moving Mosaic Samba Band.
Lisa Delorme
Title: Midwife
Bio:
Lisa became passionate about childbirth and midwifery after attending the birth of a family friend as a teenager. Over the next ten years she strengthened her love and commitment for supporting women during the childbearing cycle by working as a doula and also through the midwife attended births of her children. Lisa graduated from Bastyr University in 2013 with a Master of Science in Midwifery. Her thesis focused on the ethics of international training for midwifery students. In 2014 she completed the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program in order to become registered in Canada. Since then she has been working as a Registered Midwife in Ontario. As a longtime resident of the Slocan Valley Lisa is thrilled to be returning to the Kootenays and is excited to be joining the Apple Tree team.
Lisa Wiley
Title: Midwife
Bio:
Lisa was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Her passion to become a midwife blossomed from roots of women’s health advocacy and political activism for egalitarian, holistic, and empowering health care options for childbearing people and their communities. She earned her Master’s degree in the Science of Midwifery from Bastyr University in Seattle in 2013, transitioned into Canada through the International Midwifery Pre-Registration Program in Ontario in 2015, and has helped with nurturing new families in four nations. She is new to BC, feeling gratitude for such a warm welcome to the Kootenays, and reveling in becoming familiar with the beautiful community and surroundings here.
Helena Czubernat
Title: Family Physician (on maternity leave)
Bio:
Helena grew up in Ontario with Polish/French roots and completed her medical school at the University of Ottawa. She did her family medicine residency training in Chilliwack, during which she did a 2-month rotation in Nelson and fell in love with the people, the community and, of course, its nature. She is passionate about providing maternity care in an environment that nurtures holistic care that supports women throughout this experience alongside a multidisciplinary team. After doing family medicine and maternity locums across BC and The Yukon she is so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to work with the Apple Tree team again who have beautifully made her ideals reality and to finally set roots in Nelson with her husband and recently her daughter! She enjoys hiking, skiing, all water related activities and cares very much about sustainability and the environment.
Tay Ferrier
Title: Midwife
Bio:
I am so thrilled to be working alongside the lovely providers at Apple Tree Maternity. Since I grew up in Castlegar and completed midwifery training in Nelson, I feel a deep connection to the Kootenays. It is very meaningful for me to be back in Nelson providing midwifery care!
Growing up with parents who were both healthcare providers exposed me to the unique experience and importance of healthcare in small communities. Some of my earliest memories are of tagging along with my mum as she completed home visits for her clients as a Lactation Consultant and Public Health Nurse in this community. Even at a young age, I could appreciate how special it was to be able to access care right from your home.
Before studying midwifery at UBC, I completed a degree in Geography at McGill University focusing on topics of health and environment. I am really fascinated by all the amazing changes that occur during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and this, along with the strong connections midwives are able to build with their clients lead me to pursue midwifery.
Courtney Nicholl
Title: Lactation Consultant and Breastfeeding Facilitator
Bio:
After growing up in Nelson, Courtney moved away to Vancouver to pursue education. Courtney practiced as a Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula (DONA International) for 5 years prior to graduating as a Registered Nurse from British Columbia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Advanced Perinatal Nursing Certification in 2017. Courtney worked in both high and low risk Labour and Delivery at BC Women’s Hospital until 2020, alongside some of the most experienced specialists in the province, where she gained a vast amount of knowledge with dreams of bringing her experience back to the Kootenays. Courtney went on to obtain the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) designation, Certified Prenatal Educator designation, as well as Certified Practice for Contraception and STI Management in Nursing. Courtney supports clients at Apple Tree Maternity Clinic, Kootenay Lake Hospital Maternity, as well as the Nelson Options for Sexual Health Clinic as Clinic Supervisor. Courtney enjoys providing excellent and all-encompassing care to those who need it.
Jocelyn Bouchard (on maternity leave)
Title: Lactation Consultant and Volunteer Coordinator – Circle of Support
Bio:
I graduated from the University of Calgary as a Registered Nurse in 2014. My passion is preventative Health, especially working with young families, moms and babies. I’ve been working as a Public Health Nurse since graduating. After several years of experience with breastfeeding support, postpartum home visits, and well child clinic, I continued to develop professionally by becoming a Lactation Consultant in 2018. I happily moved to the Kootenays in February 2019 because I wanted to be in the mountains with outdoor adventure at my fingertips. I’m so happy to join the beautiful, active and diverse community Nelson and even more thrilled to be living my passion of supporting new families at Apple Tree Maternity.
Vicki Koehle
Title: Office Manager
Bio:
I have worked in the health and wellness field for over 20 years in Nelson. My husband and I both grew up in the Nelson area, raising our 3 adult children in the beautiful local mountains. We enjoy camping, kayaking and being outdoors with our family .
Emily Deschuymer
Title: Office Administrator
Bio:
While I have worked various office administrative and childcare jobs over the past 15 years, my education is in Social Work. I completed my diploma at McEwan University in Edmonton, AB. about 20 years ago. My hometown is Brule, AB at the base of the Rockies. My love of the mountains drew me to Nelson in 2003 and I have raised my two children here. My passions include playing guitar and singing, seeing live music, biking, hiking, camping and growing as many flowers as possible.
Darren Thomason
Title: Social Work/Partners Counsellor
Bio:
Darren has worked in the human services and mental health field for the last 15 years. He started his career in Vancouver but moved to the Kootenays in 2011. In 2019 he completed his Bachelors degree in Social Work at the University of Victoria and became registered the same year. Darren has a special interest in supporting perinatal/postpartum partners.
He spends his free time hanging with his family (he has 2 young and energetic kids), snowboarding, skateboarding, and walking his dog.
Lauren Andres
Title: Perinatal Educator
Bio: Bio not available
Leif Mjolsness
Title: Childbirth Educator
Bio:
Leif is a Birth Doula, Registered Therapeutic Counsellor, and Birth Photographer. She began attending births in 2003 as a friend and photographer. In 2013, she started on the path of becoming a Birth Doula and became DONA certified in 2016. Over the years she has supported many people through the journey of birth, and taken many photos that capture these precious moments. In 2023 she became a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor enhancing her ability to hold space for individuals not only during birth but also throughout their broader life experiences.
Leif is a co-facilitator of the group prenatal care at Apple Tree. In this role, she creates and maintains a nurturing environment conducive to learning, sharing, and feeling supported throughout the birth experience. Her dedication to providing compassionate care shines through in her facilitation of these sessions, ensuring that participants feel empowered and equipped for their birthing journey.
Joanie Mercier
Title: Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist
Bio:
Joanie is thrilled to have founded Wild Berry Pelvic Health Physiotherapy. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Physiotherapy from the University of Montreal in 2011. Her training in pelvic and Women’s health includes the completion of the Short Graduate Program in Perineal and Pelvic Rehabilitation (University of Montreal, 2014). Joanie completed a PhD in physiotherapy in September 2020, in which she studied the effects of a pelvic floor exercise program on perineal symptoms of menopause, which obtained encouraging results. Since 2012, she has worked in a private clinic and a research centre, mostly with women affected by pelvic floor issues. Joanie was also a lecturer at the University of Montreal, teaching on the subject of urinary incontinence assessment and treatment. She fell in love with Nelson and its community in 2016 and is so grateful to be part of it now.
Carlie Hickson
Title: Registered Massage Therapist
Bio:
Carlie graduated in 2013 from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in Victoria BC. Since then she has gained experience working in a variety of multidisciplinary settings including a lymphatic health clinic, physiotherapy clinic, and integrative health clinic. As an RMT she has always been drawn to caring for patients during their childbearing years. This led her to pursue further training in prenatal & postpartum massage therapy care, and breast massage & breastfeeding support. She is also a certified Manual Lymph Drainage practitioner and uses lymphatic drainage to support the diverse needs of her patients.
Carlie was born and raised in Nelson and couldn’t be happier to have joined the team at Apple Tree Maternity. Her practice is called The Nest Registered Massage Therapy, with the idea in mind that her little massage room at the clinic is the cozy “nest” in the Apple Tree. Although her practice focus is perinatal massage therapy care, she aims to have an inclusive practice where everyone is welcome.
Jess McNear
Title: 3rd Year UBC Midwifery Student (Sept – Dec 2026)
Bio:
Hello! My name is Jess, and I am proud to be in my third year of the UBC Midwifery Program, continuing to support folks throughout their pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey.
Midwifery first captured my attention at my very first birth as a doula in Brooklyn in 2019. While supporting close friends during the birth of their first child, I met a midwife whose skill, presence, humour, and compassion left a lasting impression on me and inspired my interest in the profession.
For over eight years, I have worked as a full-spectrum doula, supporting friends, family members, and individuals in the community. Grounded in reproductive justice, my work reflects a commitment to providing holistic, person-centered care. What draws me to midwifery is the way the profession encompasses the full spectrum of the human experience and offers the opportunity to support people through one of the most transformative periods of their lives.
Before pursuing midwifery, I earned a Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University. I spent 10 years working in the arts in New York City as a patternmaker and tailor, work that brought me to Vancouver 7 years ago. In many ways both professions are rooted in skilled hands-on work, attention to detail, and a deep appreciation for the unique wants and needs of each individual.
Outside of school, I love spending time with my husband and our pup, camping out on the top of a mountain, finishing a great book, having a laugh in the park with friends until dusk, trying any new restaurant, and going for a swim.
I look forward to learning alongside all of you and appreciate the opportunity to deepen my understanding of this magical profession.
Natasha Graziani
Title: 4th Year UBC Midwifery Student (Sept 2026 – April 2027)
Bio:
My name is Natasha and I am a fourth-year Midwifery student at the University of British Columbia. I am excited to be entering my final year of training. As I continue my journey toward becoming a registered midwife, I look forward to the many learning opportunities, challenges, and experiences that this last year will bring. Each clinical placement has helped shape my understanding of midwifery care and strengthened my passion for supporting families throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
I am deeply grateful to the families who welcome me into their care and allow me the privilege of learning alongside them. Their trust, resilience, and unique experiences continue to inspire me and contribute meaningfully to my growth as a future healthcare provider.
Throughout my training, I have had the opportunity to work in both rural northern communities and urban hospitals across the Okanagan. These diverse practice settings have provided invaluable experiences and perspectives, each contributing in meaningful ways to my development as a student midwife and future practitioner.
Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family on our farm in the North Okanagan, where I can often be found spending time for our animals and enjoying the slower pace of rural life. On my days off, I love curling up with a good book or watching sitcoms while enjoying an iced latte and a sweet treat—a simple combination that helps me recharge and find balance amidst the busy life of midwifery training.
Sandra Houde
Title: Occupational Therapist | English & French
Bio:
Sandra offers child and family-centered occupational therapy. She helps children and teens from 0 to 18 years old build practical skills for everyday activities, participation, confidence, and independence.
How Occupational Therapy Can Help
Fine Motor Skills
Hand strength, dexterity, tool use and handwriting
Gross Motor Skills
Balance, coordination, body awareness and movement
Sensory Processing
Regulation and participation in daily environments
Visual Motor & Perceptual Skills
Coordinating what the eyes see with purposeful action
Executive Function Skills
Attention, planning, organization and routines
Through Play-Based Activities
Sessions are shaped around each child’s interests, strengths, daily needs, and goals.
Free 15-Minute Consultation