Jason Joly, RMT
Jason graduated from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 1997 and started practicing as an RMT the same year.
Jason was introduced to massage therapy after a downhill skiing accident left him with a neck injury as a teenager. Massage was a critical part of Jason’s rehab from whiplash and quickly became his career aspiration.
Jason takes a holistic approach to health and wellness, combining clinical assessment and treatment with a strong focus on homecare and lifestyle recommendations tailored to each patient’s individual needs. His approach has helped patients with a wide variety of conditions such as whiplash, low back pain, scoliosis, tendonopathies, sports injuries and headaches.
He has volunteered in a wide variety of aspects in Massage Therapy including power-lifting, marathons, cycling races, rodeos, bodybuilding competitions, local fundraisers and mentored in-clinic interns from OVCMT (Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy) from 2000-2006.
Since becoming an RMT, Jason’s goal has been to run a clinic that reflected his professional values and his approach to patient care. Riverside Massage Therapy is the realization of that goal.
Damon Marchand, RMT
Damon has been practicing in Port Coquitlam ever since graduating as an RMT from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 1997.
Damon discovered massage therapy in his teens as a way to deal with the sprains, strains and pains that came with two of his favourite pursuits: hockey and basketball. He is passionate about helping people with their posture and structure as well as their overall health and wellness. He has also completed post-graduate training in massage therapy techniques to help people with the treatment and prevention of soft tissue injuries of anyone from pregnant women to injured workers and from weekend warriors to high performance athletes.
In addition to treating patients, pursuing advanced training in massage and being co-owner of Riverside Massage Therapy, Damon is committed to advancing the profession of massage therapy; serving as President of the Board of Directors for the Massage Therapists’ Association of BC since 2004 and serving one term as President of the Canadian Massage Therapy Alliance (2005 to 2007).
Laura Johnson, RMT
Growing up as a competitive gymnast in the Tri-Cities, Laura realized the power of massage therapy to prevent and treat injuries at an early age. She graduated from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2005 and has been practicing in Port Coquitlam ever since.
Laura works with each of her patients to achieve a healthy lifestyle free from the restrictions of pain and injury. She has developed effective, patient-focused treatment plans for conditions ranging from Temporal-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) syndrome and tendonitis to workplace and sports injuries.
In addition to treating patients and the meeting the demands of being co-owner of Riverside Massage Therapy, Laura enjoys camping and spending time with her family.
Sarah Lalonde (nee Stroud), RMT
Sarah has always been intrigued with the body and how it functions. She pursued a Bachelors of Kinesiology from the University of the Fraser Valley, graduating in 2008. After working as a kinesiologist for two years, Sarah wanted to take her career a step further with massage therapy, graduating from West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2012.
She has had experience with many different conditions, ranging from Tension Headaches to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Also, she has worked in many different setting such as Canucks Place, Friends for Life, BC Woman’s Hospital, VGH Burn unit, Grand Fondo Bike Ride, Wheels to Heal, and a Multiple Sclerosis clinic.
Sarah believes homecare that is customized to each patient’s individual lifestyle is an important tool in achieving treatment goals.
Taryn Gibson, RMT
Taryn graduated from West Coast College of Massage Therapy and started work as an RMT in 2015. She has been working at Riverside since 2018.
Taryn works with many patients with injuries related to motor vehicle accidents, and open claims with ICBC. She finds this line of work interesting and rewarding. Taryn bills direct to ICBC and is familiar with communicating and sending reports to ICBC adjusters as needed. Taryn plans on focusing her continuing education on common injuries related to MVAs including concussion and whiplash.
During her time as an RMT, Taryn has treated people with many different conditions. She is very comfortable and enjoys treating common issues like acute and chronic low back pain, upper back, neck and shoulder tension, and headaches/migraine. She also understands the benefit of relaxation massage and stress management. Taryn has also worked with many people with auto immune disorders like MS and Fibromyalgia and treats based on the individual patients needs. Taryn frequently treats people who are pregnant and/or recently gave birth.
Taryn aims to make massage therapy an overall enjoyable experience. She believes that tolerable levels of pain or discomfort may be beneficial at times during treatment but should be mixed with some enjoyable modalities and levels of pressure as well. Taryn naturally works at a moderately deep pressure but can use more or less pressure when indicated. This means that although most of her patients are being treated for pain, she aims for you to leave feeling better than when you came in. Taryn takes the time with each patient to come up with a specific treatment plan, and encourages you to think about what you want to get out of massage therapy before your appointment.
Kyla Beck, RMT
As an athlete in her teens and early twenties, Kyla developed an interest in Massage Therapy and how the body functions. Kyla graduated from West Coast College of Massage Therapy in 2007, and began practicing as an RMT that same year. After working for years in Vancouver, she began working at Riverside Massage Therapy Clinic in 2018.
Kyla has treated patients with many different symptoms, injuries and health concerns over the years. She has treated patients ranging from children to folks in their 80s and everywhere in between. She also enjoys working with patients through pregnancy and the postpartum period. Kyla uses a variety of techniques including Swedish massage, myofascial release, trigger point release, manual lymph drainage and stretching. She aims to create a safe and comfortable environment to help patients meet their treatment goals.
Kevin Chang, RMT
Kevin graduated from Vancouver College of Massage Therapy in 2019, fulfilling a long-time goal to be a Registered Massage Therapist. He has successfully treated diverse patients from many age ranges and walks of life, through such organizations as Ronald McDonald House, The Aids Walk, and St. George’s Senior School sports teams.
Committed to evidence-based treatments, Kevin is committed to continually expanding his skills through continuing education classes, furthering his ability to provide optimal care.
Clara Mai, RMT
(Bio unavailable)
Chung Luc, RMT
(Bio unavailable)
Stephanie Evans, RMT
Stephanie graduated from the West Coast College of Massage Therapy program in August 2017. She enjoys creating a comfortable and compassionate treatment environment and is committed to providing treatments that are effective for her patients personal healthcare needs and objectives. Stephanie integrates a combination of both relaxation driven techniques with specific focal point work to create unified treatments for the body and mind. Stephanie’s education and manual skills include, but are not limited to, Swedish Massage, Myofascial Release, Trigger Point Release, Joint Mobilizations, Muscle Energy Techniques and Stretching.
Matthew Gauthier, RMT
(Bio unavailable)
Savannah Currie, RMT
(Bio unavailable)