Okanagan Collaborative Professionals
You may start the Collaborative Process by contacting any of the professionals who will explain how the Process works and assist you in building your team of two Collaborative lawyers, one or two Divorce coaches, and a child specialist and financial specialist as required. Scan the member list below or click a city under a professional group.
Jenny Balko, , CPA, CA
Financial Advisor
I am a Chartered Accountant in the Kelowna office of Grant Thornton LLP. I have extensive experience in providing a broad range of taxation services to individuals, corporations, partnerships and trusts. I focus on providing Canadian taxation services in the areas of compliance, corporate reorganizations, estate, business and wealth succession planning and in developing tax minimization strategies.
Audra Bayer, JD
Lawyer
Audra Bayer is a senior family lawyer who has been practicing law since 2000 when she was first called to the Bar in Manitoba. She has been in BC since 2012 practicing primarily out of West Kelowna and has built a very strong and reputable practice with a focus on the use of education and mediation in highly volatile cases where family violence, mental health and addiction are factors.…
Alex Boland
Family Lawyer
Alex is a lawyer with a genuine love for the practice of family law, which shows both in how he works and how he relates to his clients. He approaches everything he does with a unique blend of intelligence, integrity and compassion, taking his role as a legal advocate to heart. Having seen firsthand how family law disputes can drain a client’s energy and resources, Alex believes one of his primary responsibilities is to minimize the stress and strain that can accompany separation and divorce.…
Leneigh Bosdet, , LLB
Lawyer
Leneigh is an associate lawyer at Pushor Mitchell and a member of our Family Law Group. Leneigh grew up in the South Okanagan and completed her undergraduate and law degrees at the University of British Columbia. She was active in law school where she managed a clinic for the Law Students Legal Advice program. She also participated in a judicial externship program where she worked at the law courts for a number of provincial Court Judges.…
Simone Brunton, CPA, CA, CBV
Financial Professional
I am a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and Chartered Business Valuator (CBV). I am a Partner in the Transactions group in the Kelowna office of Grant Thornton LLP. I specialize in business valuation and litigation support related to matrimonial and other shareholder disputes. I am the Secretary and former Chair of the Executive of the Okanagan Collaborative Family Law Group and have been a member of the group since 2008. …
Bev Churchill, , LLB
Collaborative Lawyer and Mediator
Let’s work together to create a positive resolution in your separation and divorce.
I have been practicing in the area of family law since 1986. I am married to a Chartered Accountant and have two children, a son, born in 1993 and a daughter, born in 1996.
During the first 14 years of my family law career, I spent about 50% of my working days in Court.…
Patrick Gaffney
Family Lawyer
Patrick has recently arrived from Newmarket, Ontario, to practice in Pushor Mitchell’s Family Law Group as an Associate Counsel. Patrick hails from the West being born and raised in Penticton, and Calgary. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Calgary. In 1996 he became a lawyer in Prince George, and in 2001 a lawyer in Ontario.…
Ana Carolina Gauthier-Ricciuti, BA, MACP, RCC
Counsellor & Neurotherapist
Ana is a highly skilled therapist with over 10 years of experience working with children and families.
A key aspect of Ana’s work with children is incorporating play therapy, which allows children to express their emotions and experiences in a safe and non-threatening way.
Ana’s expertise extends to collaborative law, where she assists families in navigating the complexities of legal matters while prioritizing the best interests of the children involved.…
Bree Hankins, , B.A., L.L.B.
Lawyer
Bree Hankins was called to the bar in May of 2009. She recently relocated from the Fraser Valley to Kelowna with her husband. Before moving to Kelowna, Bree worked for a large firm in the Fraser Valley and practiced in the areas of family law and personal injury.
Bree Hankins has extensive experience helping families resolve their family law disputes. …
Alexis Mawko, LLB
Associate
Originally from a small rural town in Eastern Ontario, Alexis attended Carleton University in Ottawa where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2018. She remained in nation’s capital and attended the University of Ottawa for law school.
Always seeking out hands-on experiences throughout law school, Alexis was a family law caseworker for the University of Ottawa Community Legal Clinic, offering pro-bono legal services to the public, and she placed first in the provincial Arnup Cup Trial Advocacy Moot.…
Mary Ellen McNaughton, , BSc, MSC, MEd, CCC
Divorce Coach
Mary Ellen has a Masters in Counselling Psychology from the University of British Columbia and is a certified member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
She has been working with individuals and couples since 1985, incorporating Marshall Rosenberg’s model of nonviolent communication (also called NVC) and mediation training into her counselling practice for the last 10 years.…
Taryn Moore, , LLB
Lawyer
Taryn is a member of Pushor Mitchell’s Family Law Group who provides family litigation services within a Collaborative Practice approach. Her top client priorities are clear communication, compassion and accessibility, and she considers a trusting relationship with her clients the single most important aspect of a good law practice.
Clients who need resolution to their family law issues, either through the court system or by alternative approaches such as mediation, rely on Taryn to help guide them towards their goal.…
Sam Reimer, RCC
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Dr. Sam Reimer from Restoration Counselling Services looks forward to assisting anyone who is looking for help to find, restore, and/or maintain a sense of wholeness, healing and balance in their life.
Restoration Counselling is located in downtown Kelowna, British Columbia. Dr. Sam provides counselling services to individuals, couples, family, and groups.
Our Kelowna area counselling services can help with many issues, such as :
- Abuse
- Addictions & Co-dependency
- Anger and Stress Management
- Depression and Grief
- Mental Health/Illness
- Spirituality and Christian Faith
- WCB, CVAP, & Insurance Claims – Emotional Healing
Dr.…
Tasha Ryder, RCC
Registered Clinical Counsellor
Tasha received her Master of Education degree in Counselling Psychology from the University of Victoria in 2002. Tasha has over 20 years of clinical experience providing mental health assessment and treatment, including crisis intervention, in community, hospital and residential treatment settings.
Tasha utilizes Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Emotion Focused Family Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Attachment theory as well as Collaborative and Proactive Solutions in her work.…
Derek Sanders, , CA, CBV, CFA
Financial Advisor
I have been working in the area of business valuations, mergers and acquisitions and litigation support services since 2004. I have experience with businesses operating in a variety of industries including a broad range of manufacturing industries, service, construction, distribution, technology, and retail.
I am a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of B.C., and the Chartered Financial Analysts Institute.…
Sharla Schofield, BA, BSW, MEd, RCSW
Child Specialist and Divorce Coach
CHILD SPECIALIST
I see my role of child specialist/advocate as being in the arena closest to everyone’s heart, therefore often the most challenging for families in their restructuring after separation/divorce. I have over thirty-five years experience working with children and families in multiple modalities and settings to draw from as I strive to bring the voice and needs of children to the table.…
Michael Smith, CPA, CA, CBV
Senior Manager Financial Advisory Services
I am a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators and the Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants of B.C. I graduated from Okanagan College and have been working at BDO Canada LLP in Kelowna since 2011. I obtained my CA designation in 2014 and joined the financial advisory group in the same year. I became a Chartered Business Valuator in 2019 and work primarily in business valuations and litigation support across a variety of industries.
Heidi Taylor, , BA, LLB
Lawyer
Heidi assists her clients in resolving family law matters including: parenting issues (custody), child support, spousal support, and property division. Heidi has a general law practice background which provides her with a unique skill set to address complex support and property division matters, including those involving professional practices and family businesses. Heidi is an active member of the Okanagan Collaborative Family Group with an emphasis on dispute resolution through mediation and negotiation.…
Iris Wagner-Ritzmann
Child Specialist, Divorce Coach
Always passionate about supporting healthy families, Iris Wagner-Ritzmann has supported families for over 20 years through coaching, mediation, and counselling. Iris pursued the expertise needed to provide practical and sustainable solutions for parents and children faced with the challenges of separation and divorce. She has helped many children to express their feelings of grief and loss following separation or divorce, and has consulted with parents on how to best support their child(ren) through this new and painful transition. …