About Emily from My Feed Coach: (Good Beginnings Wellness)
Emily has worked with children with complex medical needs and individuals with neurological conditions her entire 20+yr career as an Occupational Therapist (1999). It was her most challenging clients that were her best teachers and inspiration to help all her clients get better, not just the easy cases.
She became an Acupuncturist (2015) and learned extensive Osteopathic techniques because she was frustrated with the lack of healing she witnessed in the Western Medical system, especially for children. Feeding became a focus in 2017 when working an area underserved for feeding therapy. She studied determinedly for ways to regulate eating and swallowing skills in her clients. At the onset of the pandemic, she approached working via tele-health with the same determination as she had with mastering her feeding therapy approach. Much to her delight, she continued to get exceptional results via tele-health. She loves how empowering tele-health is for families.
My Feeding Coach started during lockdown when Emily started getting tele-health only referrals for children with feeding disorders.
What does a Feeding Coach do:
I coach parents in how to balance the “fight and flight” with the “rest and digest” nervous system so children improve their feeding skills. My experience suggests that pain and stress are the primary causes of feeding problems after medical issues are addressed. I use massage, exercise, acupressure, and physio tape in coaching. I send extensive visual aids and videos after sessions, so parents know exactly what to do. I work with families with mild to severe feeding difficulties, including genetic disorders, cardiac history, prematurity, autism, developmental delay, neurological disorders, and complex medical needs. Most clients have “tried everything” and they have exhausted what Western Medicine has to offer.
The My Feeding Coach site has a FAQ section.
How does Emily help children:
For most children the aim of coaching is to turn off “fight and flight” Sympathetic Nervous System and turn on “rest and digest” Parasympathetic Nervous System. Treatment is working when the child experiences deep relaxation. Sometimes they fall asleep, other times they are calm and focused. Most sessions include a lesson for a massage, acupressure and physio tape pattern for the parents or caregivers to do at home. Children increase their food intake spontaneously when they are safe to do so.
Physical environment:
We meet in the privacy and comfort of your home via a secure internet platform. If you wish to have sessions recorded to review later, a recording will be sent to you. Your home programs are sent to you via a secure app for your convenience.
Atmosphere:
Respect is an important principle in my work. I value the information and feedback I get from parents and caregivers, but also verbal and non-verbal feedback from children. As families get accustomed to my work, sessions are guided by requests from parents and children. My work is always about communication and respecting the communication. Behaviour is communication.
Additional information:
Good Beginnings Wellness is the parent company of My Feeding Coach. At Good Beginnings Wellness I coach families in holistic programs for non-feeding issues, such as common colds, movement disorders, digestive disorders, sleep difficulties and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression in children with typical or atypical development. Good Beginnings Wellness clients have generally not found help from their GP or the GP has hoped the child will “grow out” of the problem.
We balance the underlying health issues that result in chronic health, learning or developmental problems in children. We provide parents with helpful home remedies to support children through minor discomforts, such as colds, coughs, flus, constipation, reflux, growing pains, teething, etc. www.goodbeginningswellness.com.
Please visit our websites at www.myfeedingcoach.com and www.goodbeginningswellness.com for more information. You can email [email protected] text or call 027 255 4747 to book an appointment.
Opening Hours
Tuesday: 9am – 12.00pm
Wednesday 9.00am -5.30pm
Thursday 9.00am – 4:30pm
All other by appointment only: Online Virtual
Services
My feeding coach: Assessment of oral motor and musculoskeletal system related to eating and parent support for programs to address feeding difficulties such as:
- Inability to eat
- Inadequate food consumption
- Paediatric Feeding Disorder or Failure to Thrive
- Difficulty swallowing milk or formula
- Gagging on bottles or nipples
- “Oral aversion” or “sensory defensiveness” to food, toothbrushes, or drink
- Struggling with the introduction of solids
- Support for NG or G- tube weaning
- Lost feeding skills following a neurological event, such as a stroke or seizure
- Families looking for a completely different approach to eating difficulties
Services
My feeding coach: Assessment of oral motor and musculoskeletal system related to eating and parent support for programs to address feeding difficulties such as:
- Inability to eat
- Inadequate food consumption
- Paediatric Feeding Disorder or Failure to Thrive
- Difficulty swallowing milk or formula
- Gagging on bottles or nipples
- “Oral aversion” or “sensory defensiveness” to food, toothbrushes, or drink
- Struggling with the introduction of solids
- Support for NG or G- tube weaning
- Lost feeding skills following a neurological event, such as a stroke or seizure
- Families looking for a completely different approach to eating difficulties
My daughter was diagnosed with a rare type of epilepsy at four months old. She is now nine years old; it has been a long journey throughout these years. She is nonverbal and quadriplegic. She has seen countless specialists and has done all types of therapies. We started seeing Emily virtually about a month ago. It has been so amazing to work with Emily. She explains everything so clearly, sends pictures and is always available for questions. After about a month, our daughter has been smiling more, making better eye contact, holding her own bottle (for the first time in 4-5years), being more responsive, stronger (with better balance and control). We are so happy and excited to be working with Emily.
Lily 20/9/22
Our teenage son has complex medical needs and has had significant issues for many years. He has complex communication needs but has told us that with Emily’s treatment he feels less pain and tells us that his body feels better after sessions. We have observed a change in his posture, overall mood, and an increase in his self-help skills. He has worked with Emily for over a year, and he always looks forward to sessions and has begun to be able to communicate to us where he would like us to massage and do treatment. We are grateful to her for the incredible work she is doing!
Rebecca. 15/3/21
Miguel is 15. He was born blind, diagnosed with Autism at 71/2 and epilepsy at 14. There are many other diagnoses, including Anxiety. After the third treatment (with Emily) I started to see significant changes and improvements (in Miguel). He was less anxious, able to sit quietly for long periods without any disruptive or inappropriate behaviours. He started tolerating auditory input, like emergency alarms. He used his Brailler for a solid hour. His eye which normally remained close, started to open up. Others, including his dad, friends, teachers, and therapists observed more calmness and less anxiety or inappropriate tendencies. He was able to stop using his anxiety medication.
We have used many forms of therapies, past and present-OT, PT, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, horseback riding, Music, SLP, massage, ABA, natural supplements, and essential oils, but Emily is Extraordinary!! Knowledgeable, caring, dedicated, PATIENT, and always ready to come to the rescue. I feel fortunate and have recommended her treatments to other families.
Patricia and Miguel J. 10/15/19
As an SLP with over twenty years’ experience I have worked with many excellent clinicians. I immediately knew when I met Emily that she was uniquely gifted in her practice. She helps children make significant progress, teaches the family to implement the strategies and truly cares about making their lives better. When Emily is on the team, I know there will be consistent progress and growth!
Rebecca S. 5/18/20
Adeline ate birthday cake at her first birthday party; however, months earlier, her mother worried Adeline would never eat birthday cake.
Her feeding journey started just days after she was born when a heart condition and an unsafe swallow were identified while she was in the hospital. She was NG or NJ tube fed at that point.
At 6month old her parents had exhausted all medical and therapy services offered in the public system and had private Occupational Therapy, but she was still exclusively NG-tube fed, she was not consistently rolling, sitting up, or using her hands. She cried much of the day every day and was very difficult to soothe. She was very constipated. Her parents were exhausted.
She was referred to My Feeding Coach, and after a consultation with Emily, Adeline’s Mum decided Coaching was just what they needed. They meet online with Emily 1-2 times per week. In each session they talked about Adeline’s movement and basic routines, like sleeping and bowel movements. During sessions Emily taught Mum massages, exercises, taping and acupressure to help relieve pain, regulate Adeline’s bowels, and improve her posture.
After 2 months of Coaching, Adeline was a much happier baby. Her bowels were regular. She cried minimally during the day. Coaching started to focus more on eating and movement skills. She started showing interest in food and better coordination for small tastes of food. The family requested a new swallow study, and the medical team was consulted for increasing Adeline’s food and water intake. She got a G-Tube. She was still having some trouble coordinating a swallow, but her skills were improving. Adeline had coached once a week either individually or in an oral motor skill group.
After 6 months of coaching, when Adeline was 1year old, she was able to safely feed herself a slice of her birthday cake. She drank 50ml of water from a cup without coughing. She was crawling, pulling to stand, she could entertain herself with toys, she could say a few words like “mumma” and “dadda”, she showed understanding of both English and French words.
