Meet the team at our 51st Street location.
Occupational Therapists
David Ambrose
MSc; BMR (OT); OT Reg (SK)
David opened Theraplay’s doors in January 2005. David has dedicated his career to providing high quality individualized occupational therapy treatment to children and adults with dvelopmental needs. He has a special interest in using the responsive interaction style as a therapy tool to help individuals build skills and meet goals.
David completed a Bachelor of Medical Rehabilitation in Occupational Therapy from the University of Manitoba in 2000 and a post-professional Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Dalhousie University in 2019. He is proud of the two research papers he has published in academic occupational therapy journals. He has completed advanced training in the area of sensory integration and in the use of developmental approaches to help children with autism.
David, originally from small town Manitoba, has lived in Saskatoon since 2001. He is married to Sherrie, and together they have two adult children. In his free time David enjoys puttering around the house, reading, cooking and using his back yard hoop to perfect his free throws.
Elissa Cooper
BA (T. Rec); MSc (OT); OT Reg (SK)
Elissa is originally from Saskatoon and moved to Ontario for her post secondary education in 2006. Elissa completed her Bachelor’s of Arts in Therapeutic Recreation at the University of Waterloo before moving on to completing her Masters of Occupational Therapy at Queen’s University in Kingston.
In 2012, Elissa began her Occupational Therapy career in early intervention services in Yorkton, SK working with children birth until kindergarten entry. Elissa was then given an opportunity to make the move back home to Saskatoon to begin working with Theraplay. Elissa's time at Theraplay is split between working with clients in the sensory motor gym and within schools across central and northern Saskatchewan. Elissa practices within a sensory integration frame of reference and is specializing in working with children and young adults who have experienced childhood trauma. Elissa has experience and certifications in various therapeutic modalities, such as Therapeutic Listening and Integrated Listening Systems. Elissa is continuing to work towards further certifications in understanding the role of functional vision and the effects on occupational performance, focusing on movement of the eyes and visual perception skills. Elissa has experienced volunteering as an occupational therapist with Team Canada Healing Hands in Belize, which has strengthened her love and passion of her work.
Elissa and her husband, Brent, have two wonderful sons, Brooks and Sullivan. In her spare time, Elissa loves to spend time with her family, particularly, her 4 nieces. Over the past few years, Elissa and her dog, Lily, have begun the dog sport of sheep and duck herding. Elissa also enjoys traveling, woodworking, knitting and reading.
Ellyn Byrns
BA Psych (Hons); MSc (OT); OT Reg (SK)
Ellyn was born and raised in Saskatoon, where she is happy to once again call home after various periods of travel and living away. After completing a year of high school sailing around the world, she returned to Saskatchewan to earn her Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Saskatchewan in 2019. Much of her undergraduate research focused on youth and family health, as well as supporting families raising children with diverse needs.
Before beginning her career as a pediatric occupational therapist, Ellyn worked in a variety of youth- and community-focused roles, including teaching sailing across Saskatchewan and internationally, teaching English in rural Ecuador, coordinating volunteer and peer mentorship programs in Saskatoon, working as a neurofeedback therapy technician for youth accessing learning disability services, and running a national science and entrepreneurship enrichment program for adolescents in British Columbia and Saskatchewan in her summers. Her first career was in emergency first response as a 9-1-1 operator and emergency service dispatcher before pursuing her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy graduate degree at the University of Alberta, which she completed in 2024.
Ellyn joined Theraplay in 2024 and continues to be passionate about and committed to providing collaborative, relationship-based therapy that supports her clients and their families. By focusing on sensory needs, regulation, and connection, Ellyn helps children, adolescents, and young adults build confidence and a sense of belonging at Theraplay while working towards diverse goals, empowering her clients and their caregivers to feel understood, supported, and equipped along the way.
Outside of work, Ellyn enjoys baking, crafting, thrifting, playing piano, going to the lake, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family — especially as “Auntie E” to her many nieces and nephews.
Hannah Jay
BSc (Kin); MSc (OT); OT Reg (SK)
Hannah was born and raised in Saskatoon. She completed her Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology in 2019 from the University of Saskatchewan. Hannah joined the Theraplay team in January 2022 after completing a Master’s in occupational therapy from the University of Alberta.
Hannah is passionate about supporting children in what they need to do, have to do, and desire to do. Everyone is the expert of their own being and Hannah recognizes and acknowledges this when working with her clients.
In her spare time, Hannah enjoys camping with her family, canoeing, reading, gardening, cross country skiing, and exercising.
Lynn de Haan
MSc (OT); OT Reg (SK)
Lynn is originally from Ontario and completed her Bachelor of Applied Science in Child, Youth and Family Studies at the University of Guelph. During her undergraduate studies she began working with children with autism and was drawn to the occupational therapy field due to the focus on building strengths around what was meaningful to individuals. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at McMaster University in 2010. She worked in a variety of practice areas before moving to Saskatoon with her husband in 2013. At this time, she joined the Theraplay team, providing services in the clinic and school settings.
After taking 9 years away to be at home with her growing family, Lynn returned in 2024 and is excited to continue working with the pediatric population. She values working collaboratively with individuals and their caregivers to establish goals that are important to them and their everyday functioning at home, school and in the community. Using theoretical principles as a guide, she sees the importance of finding realistic and practical ways of working towards those goals.
In her spare time, Lynn and her husband, along with their 4 children, love to try new things and build memories together: swimming and camping being the favourites.
Marissa Iula
BASc; MSc (OT); OT Reg (SK)
Marissa was born and raised in Saskatoon. After completing her Bachelor of Arts and Science in Health Studies at the University of Saskatchewan in 2022, she moved to Edmonton to complete her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta. Immediately following the completion of her Masters degree, she began working at Theraplay in the Fall of 2024.
Marissa has had an interest in working with pediatrics from a young age, starting with being an assistant dance teacher at her childhood studio, to then teaching community association dance classes for children aged 3-12, as well as working as an educational assistant for children with various abilities.
Marissa is passionate about helping children gain the confidence and skills to engage in activities that they need and want to do in their home, school, and community environments. She values the power of collaboration with parents and caregivers to set meaningful goals and support each child’s unique journey to reach their full potential.
In her spare time, Marissa enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends, cooking new recipes, exercising, and spending time outside golfing or playing pickleball.
Melissa Latos
BMus; MSc (OT); OT Reg (SK)
Melissa completed a Bachelor of Music in 2011 from the University of Saskatchewan before completing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at McGill University in 2016. As a musician and music lover, she loves to incorporate the modality of music into her occupational therapy practice to help clients meet their goals.
Following her schooling, Melissa began her occupational therapy career in 2017, working for the Saskatchewan Health Authority in Lloydminster, SK. During this time, she specialized in supporting children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. Melissa began working at Theraplay in 2022 and enjoys being able to work with children and youth of all ages and abilities.
Melissa practices within a relationship-based and neurodiversity affirming framework and values the importance of creating connection with her clients. She strives to empower parents and caregivers to feel confident in supporting their child’s individual needs. She has completed advanced training and professional development related to mealtime challenges, sleep, sensory processing, autism spectrum disorder, interoception, trauma-sensitive practice and transfer-lifting-repositioning (TLR). Melissa’s time at Theraplay is spent working with a wide range of diverse clients in both the clinic setting and within schools across central and northern Saskatchewan.
In her spare time, Melissa enjoys baking, reading, curling, and yoga. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends on camping trips, weekends at the lake and during other travel adventures!
Shana Yates
BSc (Kin); MSc (OT); OT Reg (SK)
Shana completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2016 at the University of Saskatchewan. Shana spent years learning American Sign Language (ASL) and working with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in Saskatoon before completing her Master of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta in 2023. Shana began her occupational therapy career working for a mental health organization in Edmonton, supporting children and youth mental health. Shana has experience completing standardized motor and sensory assessments as well as providing individual and group therapy in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Shana recently began her position here at Theraplay, following a move back home to Saskatoon.
Shana has a passion for providing treatment to support a child’s development and enjoys working as part of a collaborative team with the client, family, and allied health professionals to determine empowering modifications and activities to support her client’s goals. Shana believes every client is unique and values the importance of creating connection and learning with her clients. She has taken advanced training in the areas of sensory processing, feeding and mealtime challenges, therapeutic crisis intervention, motor coordination, and play therapy.
When not working in the clinic or within schools, Shana enjoys being outside and engaging in activities with family, friends and her fiancée including, camping, skiing, and bike packing. Shana recently completed her first gravel bike race, covering over 100kms!
Operations Manager
Brittney Hamm
Brittney is the Office Manager at Theraplay’s 51st Street clinic, where she oversees daily operations, human resources, and administrative support. She plays a key role in ensuring that the clinic runs smoothly so therapists can focus on providing exceptional care and families feel supported throughout their experience.
Originally from the Saskatoon area, Brittney completed a diploma in Veterinary Office Administration before joining Theraplay in 2015. While her early career reflected a passion for animals, her work at Theraplay sparked a deep commitment to helping families and contributing to a welcoming clinical environment.
Outside of work, Brittney enjoys a wide range of hobbies and spending quality time with family and friends.