A message from ESSENCE MEDICAL'S FOUNDER...
My name is Susan Nikkila. I am a very proud Newfoundlander, self-titled Honorary Labradorian, Nurse Practitioner, and founder of Essence Medical Aesthetics Inc. On behalf of myself and my incredible team, thank you for visiting our website, and welcome to Essence Medical.
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I returned home to Newfoundland in July 2018 after a 20-year Nursing career in Toronto, Ontario. My incredibly supportive husband was eager and happy to come with me. In October 2018, Essence Medical Aesthetics Inc. opened its doors in Grand Falls-Windsor. A huge thank you to Shelley Woolfrey who is an incredible woman, business partner, Nurse, and friend. On January 20, 2021, I made my first phone call to a Registered Nurse in St. John’s and from there the Essence Medical franchise began to evolve.
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With the never-ending support of my team, Essence Medical clinics span the entire province of Newfoundland and Labrador with five brick-and-mortar locations and one satellite location in just ten short months!
As much as Essence Medical is about looking and feeling your best, we are far more about embracing, empowering, and inspiring all women. I come from very humble beginnings and am on a mission to help as many women and children as possible in this province. Essence Medical is my platform.
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Since April 2022, after ironing out many of the kinks of building a new franchise, each Essence Medical location has donated at least once to its local Women and Children Shelters. Essence Medical is very proud and honoured to support Iris Kirby House in St. Johns, Cara House in Gander, Status of Women in Grand Falls-Windsor, Willow House in Corner Brook, Hope Haven in Labrador City/Wabush, and Libra House in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. In our first two months of giving back to our local communities, we donated nearly $5000. This could never be possible without the support of our cherished and loyal clients. When you visit any Essence Medical location, you are giving back to the women of our beautiful province.
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I can assure you that at Essence Medical we love to see you come through our doors. You will be met with the sincerest welcome and leave feeling like your visit was a bright and positive part of your day. We are committed to providing a pressure-free environment. To that end, we guarantee the most welcoming, warm, and respectful environment with absolutely no pushy sales approaches. On the contrary, we want to chat about life and its daily struggles and about being a woman…over a cappuccino!
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Remember, what happens at Essence Medical stays at Essence Medical. We appreciate and value our relationship with you. Please do not ever hesitate to ask us for help. We are a team of Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners who authentically care about your life and have a wealth of knowledge to support you.
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When we say clinic, we mean a stunningly beautiful and elegant atmosphere that feels and looks nothing like a clinic but more like home. We listen to your needs and will do whatever we can to accommodate your budget. Make an appointment for a free consultation or to collect information and ideas from our team of genuine Nurses. As always, there are plenty of brochures on hand. Feel free to drop in at any time and grab one for some easy reading during relaxation time. Or continue to browse through our website to explore our many services!
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If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our wonderful team.
Our incredible ESSENCE MEDICAL TEAM...
Susan Nikkila, MN NP-PHC
Susan Nikkila is a Nurse Practitioner with a passion for both Primary Health Care and Aesthetic Medicine. She founded Essence Medical Aesthetics Inc. in 2018 and from there expanded across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Currently there are 5 locations and 3 satellite locations across the province.
Susan graduated initially as a Registered Nurse in 1999 and continued with her undergraduate and post graduate studies later earning her Masters in Nurse Practitioner. Her career spans more than 26 years where she worked in nearly all areas of Nursing. Susan continually expands her knowledge by studying various sub-specialities. She has acquired several aesthetics certifications throughout her career and teaches from time to time for the Canadian Board of Aesthetic Medicine. She continues to travel the world expanding her knowledge and skills not only in Aesthetic Medicine but in Primary Health Care. She is certified in joint injections and is sought out for these treatments.
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She was the first Medical Professional to introduce Aesthetic gynaecology and male enhancement procedures not only to Newfoundland and Labrador but to Atlantic Canada. She receives many letters of thanks for changing lives of both men and women across various age groups. Susan became certified in hair transplant in 2022 in Las Angeles, California where she was trained by the most renown hair transplant physicians in the world.
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Working very up close a personal on a daily basis with skin, she felt unprepared to deal with the numerous skin conditions she encounter while providing aesthetic services. Now she is currently a student with the College of Physicians of Ireland where she is studying a Post Masters Diploma in Dermatology. She is, and always will be a life long learner.
Susan is married to the love of her life, Allan. She is Mom and a Nana. In her spare time (LOL) Susan enjoys spending time in her workshop where she creates resin art. The creative process is her outlet. Clients can see her beautiful work displayed at various Essence Medical locations.
Susan will always attribute her personal success and the ever growing success of Essence Medical to her incredible team. “Without them Essence Medical would never exist”.
Vicky Jennings, MN NP-PHC
Vicky Jennings MN NP is a Masters prepared Nurse Practitioner who holds the designation with the Canadian Board of Aesthetic Medicine (CBAM) as a Board Certified Aesthetic Medicine Practitioner.
She is devoted to developing her expertise in aesthetic medicine and is committed to life long learning. Her interest in medical aesthetics started some time ago but is continuing to grow with every client she treats.
Vicky started her career as an RN with Mental Health and Addictions, soon to become the Nurse Practitioner in that field within her community. Her career experience thus far has given her an immense understanding of the fluidity of mental wellness and the factors that promote it every day. She has committed her career to becoming a non-judgemental and empathetic practitioner and has been driven to teach and inspire other nurses and practitioners to support this type of practice.
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Vicky believes in supporting natural beauty and in enhancing already existing features her clients possess. She is devoted to inspiring confidence within each client she meets. Her calming approach will ensure comfort and the feeling of being understood during each visit to Essence Medical Spa. She understands the importance of one on one treatment planning to empower her client and ensures high quality care with every visit. Vicky is excited to provide aesthetic medical services to Corner Brook, NL.
Nicole Mcguire, BN RN
Nicole is a Registered Nurse, working in the profession since receiving her Bachelor of Nursing at Memorial University in 2007. She holds a designation with the Canadian Board of Aesthetic Medicine as Certified Aesthetic Medicine Practitioner.
Nicole began her career in Alberta working at the University Hospital in Edmonton on an inpatient Transplant Unit. While she loved being a transplant RN, her heart was at home with her family. After moving home to Newfoundland in 2009, she quickly found a love caring for Oncology/Hematology patients, followed by working with the elderly in the gerontology program in Long Term Care.
Nicole’s passion for aesthetic medicine began with her interest in skincare and anti-aging products in 2017 when she started her own Independent Senegence business. Her ambition to learn and share the anti-aging products with women all over the Country took her to the top 1% of the company, a rank she still maintains.
Wanting to empower and share her knowledge, she became an Elite Makeup Artist training in events all over the country. Her goal has always been to enhance natural beauty and thus personal wellbeing. Nicole has an outgoing personality and her clients enjoy their time with her.
Nicole is a loving wife and a busy Mom of two young boys. When she’s not working you will likely find her in the hockey rink or on the side lines of a soccer field. However, she always prioritizes her love of health and fitness, weight training and enjoying the beautiful outdoors with her two dogs Louie and Gucci.
Leann Murphy, BN RN
Leann Murphy is a Registered Nurse with a dedicated career in nursing. She holds the designation with the Canadian Board of Aesthetic Medicine as Certified Aesthetic Medicine Practitioner. After receiving her Bachelor of Nursing degree at Memorial University in 2007, Leann went on to work in Adult Intensive Care in Edmonton Alberta, followed by a career in Oncology/Hematology in St John’s, NL from 2009-2016. Her passion for geriatrics led her to spending 2016-2021 in Long Term Care working with the elderly.
Leann always held a fascination for aesthetic medicine and dermatology. For many years she operated an independent small business promoting makeup and skincare.
Wanting to empower clients to look and feel their best, Leann is extremely attentive to clients concerns and addresses them uniquely. She provides individualized treatment plans to achieve desired outcomes. Her goal is to help clients secure confidence by embracing and accentuating their natural beauty. Leann is very honest about whether a desired outcome is achievable, and believes in maintaining a natural look with a fresh glow.
When not working, Leann is a wife and a busy mom of two boys. She has a passion for fitness and practices a healthy lifestyle. She enjoys running and hiking, spending free time exploring with her beloved dogs. She aims to empower others to embrace a healthy mindset while promoting self care as a priority.
Kirsten Skinner, BN RN
Kirsten Skinner graduated with her Bachelor’s in Nursing in 2012 and has worked in many fields, including MED/SURG, ICU, ER and Community Health. Her journey into aesthetic nursing was a natural step, as her passion for beauty and makeup is well known. In the past, she has worked with beauty marketing companies, been featured in influencer campaigns, has had a YouTube channel for her love of all things beauty, and has enjoyed helping individuals meet their beauty goals by working as a freelance makeup artist. Thus - after expanding on this interest - she completed her advanced training in 2022 with the Canadian Association of Medical Aesthetics.
Since 2023, she has been working diligently in the Stephenville and Corner Brook Essence clinics, assisting her clients in reaching their beauty goals and demonstrating expertise in skin health and overall rejuvenation. If you ask Kirsten what her aesthetic philosophy is, she will say, “quiet aesthetics and undetectable injectables.” She believes in creating a very comfortable atmosphere for her clients, ensuring they know she will achieve the most natural results while allowing them to feel their best in the skin they are in!
Kirsten is committed to lifelong learning and is completing her Nurse Practitioner Masters degree. Safety, compassion and evidence-based practice provide the basis of every one of her client interactions. You can find Kirsten in our Stephenville satellite clinic located at Tuckamore Family Wellness!
Natasha Brake, LPN
Natasha Brake is a Lisenced Practical Nurse working with Essence Medical in Corner Brook since 2022. She is known in the clinic as the guru of everything energy based including our laser services. She is also a very experienced facialist who works diligently to improve the overall health and glow of her clients skin.
Natasha has completed various courses through the Canadian Board of Aesthetic Medicine along with advanced training in micro-needling for scarring and acne through SkinPen Precision. Natasha has worked in the medical field since 2015 but feels she has found her calling in the field of aesthetic medicine. While feeling confident and experienced with the current procedures she provides, she is a forever learner and can often be found in the office on webinars and learning sessions to further her knowledge!
Based in our Corner Brook clinic you can guarantee to have a kind and comfortable experience with Nurse Natasha!
Carly Norman, PCC LPN
When you walk through the doors of our Corner Brook Essence Clinic at 51 West St. you will be met with the kind welcome of our beautiful Client Care Coordinator Carly. With a former career in the medical field as a Licensed Practical Nurse, Carly certainly understands the importance of timely and efficient care in every clinical atmosphere. She also focuses her time and efforts into thoroughly understanding beauty and skin care products to provide guidance to anyone who comes through our doors.
Carly has been organizing the clinic since 2023 and is eager to ensure she can provide the best experience for our clients. Often met with a very busy service schedule, our clients can be assured Carly will fit them in whenever she can. She has shown her devotion to organization while focusing on the wellness of the clients. We are so thankful for the support of Carly to ensure we have smooth clinic days!
Come to Carly with any and all product and service questions and she will help guide you!
Denise Barron
Denise Barron is the welcoming face you'll see as you come through the clinic doors at Essence Medical's St. John's location.
Denise's education is in Tourism with an extensive background in customer service. She has over 15 years of experience both as an Independent Travel Agent and a WestJet Flight Attendant. She has acquired incredible interpersonal skills dealing with the public through her travels around the world and always goes the extra mile to please our clients.
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Outside of her love for travel, she deeply loves her family time, especially with her pride and joy, her niece and nephew. She takes pleasure in the outdoors, loves walking and thoroughly enjoys a good book.
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Denise has a lifelong passion and interest in aesthetics and skincare. She has a great understanding and knowledge of all of our products and services.
Denise believes that everyone deserves to feel great about themselves. She is our greatest support not only to our valued clients but to our staff alike.
Robyn Dwyer, LPN
Robyn Dwyer is a Licensed Practical Nurse based out of the Essence Medical Grand-Falls Windsor location. She attended the Centre for Nursing Studies in St. John’s and has been working in the nursing field for 7 years. She is currently a BN student furthering her education to broaden her scope in Medical Aesthetics.
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Her passion is to help others and all things beauty, making Medical Aesthetics her place to thrive. Education and advancing her skill set to provide clients with safe and effective results is her top priority.
She is currently certified in Skinpen Microneedling, Sharplight Laser Technology, Hydrafacials, IV Therapy, and administration of intramuscular and subcutaneous injections. Through education & mentorship she is continuously able to offer new services.
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Robyn is originally from a small town in Newfoundland, and just recently relocated back with her family. When not in clinic you can find Robyn with her two little boys who balance her life perfectly. In a field where beauty meets advanced skills & techniques, she is excited to grow and provide you with the most welcoming, compassionate environment.