Our team
The people behind VICCIR
Counsellors, interpreters, staff and volunteers from many backgrounds, working as one team so that every client can be heard in the language they know best.
Leadership, operations and administration
Staff
9 team members
Adrienne Carter
Acting Executive Director/Senior Clinical & Strategic Consultant
Phil N. Rossner
Communications & Fundraising Manager
Laura Lee
Community Services Manager
Ismat Musafir
Admin Clinical & Data Coordinator
Sarjina Trima
Fund Development & Communications Coordinator
Henry McKenzie
Coordinator of Youth Resilience and New Horizons Grants
Sepideh Akhavan
Administrative Coordinator
Martin Townson
Acting Volunteer Assistant
Matthew Holme
Grant Writer
Clinical leadership
Clinical supervisors and consultant
6 team members
Our clinical supervisors guide and support VICCIR’s counsellors, alongside our psychiatric consultant.
Dr. Susanna Ruebsaat
PhD, MA, T.Ed, DVATI, BFA, BCATR, RCC, RCC-ACS, Clinical Supervisor
Sonya Boya
MSc, RCC, Clinical Supervisor
Ingrid Haagmans
MSc, MA, RCC, Clinical Supervisor
Rewa Grewal
Clinical Supervisor
Alison Miller PhD
Clinical Supervisor and originator of Parenting Workshops
Dr. Jaswant Guzder
MD, Psychiatric Consultant
Counselling
Counsellors
16 team members
All of our counsellors are experienced Master’s-level members of their professional associations. They come from many backgrounds, speak several languages, and are specially trained and supervised to meet the needs of VICCIR’s clients.
Miream Rabba
BA, DCiiat, AT, Art Therapist
Crystal James
MSW, RCSW
Counsellor
Afrah Ashoor
MSc, RCC
EMDR Trained Therapist
Maria Medrano
MC, RCC, ACS Candidate, Registered Clinical Counsellor
Dr. Shannan Nobahar
Counsellor
Paola Soto Flores
Counsellor
Panida Pongpanich
Counsellor
Gehad Khadr
RCC, Counsellor
Yiana Belcher
Counsellor
Christine Alevizakis
Counsellor
Lee McLeod
RCC, Counsellor
Anastasiia Khromova
RCC, Counsellor
Barb Imlach
MA, RCC, Counsellor
Jean Ellis
BEd, MEd, SEP, CAIET, Counsellor
Macayla Yan
Counsellor
Doina Serea MA
RCC
Counsellor
Language support
Interpreters
19 team members
Our clinical interpreters are trained and supervised to work alongside counsellors. Many have lived experience of the issues our clients face.
Xi Yao
Interpreter Supervisor, Associate Member STIBC, Mandarin Interpreter
Lemlem Ogbasilassie
Tigrinya Interpreter
JiaRui Zhu
Interpreter: Mandarin
Chui Ying Luk
Interpreter: Cantonese
Marilynn Quigley
Interpreter: Tagalog/Filipino
Michael Isaac
Tigrinya Interpreter
Victoria Grando
Ukrainian/Russian Interpreter
Spohzmay Oriya
Dari, Pashto, Farsi Interpreter
Besmillah Sultani
Farsi/Dari Interpreter
Miriam Beechey
Spanish Interpreter
Samuel Oweis
Arabic Interpreter
Manasi Shaha
Hindi and Punjabi Interpreter
Kaveh Sarmast
Persian and Serbo-Croatian Interpreter
Nelio Buongermino
Portuguese Interpreter
Latifa Elalaoui
Arabic Interpreter
Jasroop Chauhan
Hindi and Punjabi Interpreter
Iana Zavaloka
Russian Interpreter
Kim Chi Nguyen
Vietnamese Interpreter
Jasmin Gerwien
Manager/trainer of Interpreting Services, (temporarily on leave)
Governance
Board of Directors
7 volunteer directors
Our volunteer board provides governance, fiduciary oversight and strategic stewardship so VICCIR can keep providing responsive care for newcomers and refugees.
Ben Ingham
Chair
Zainab Ibrahim
Secretary
Len Wechsler
Treasurer
Raghda Alhaddad
Director
Robin Pike
Director
Adrienne Carter
Director
Lynne Chobotar
Director
Want to work with us?
We often look for counsellors and interpreters with the languages our clients need, and for volunteers with time to give.