“I went to graduate school to become a speech-language pathologist, and I never learned about the physical mechanics of how muscles create speech sounds or support feeding. When I became trained in OMT, it gave me the foundation I was missing—and suddenly I could help patients who weren’t responding to traditional therapy. I’ve seen firsthand how addressing muscle function changes outcomes, and that’s why I’m passionate about this work. Every patient deserves a provider who sees the whole picture.”
Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is a specialized approach that retrains the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat to work the way they should. When these muscles don’t function properly, it can affect how you or your child breathes, eats, speaks, and even sleeps.
Traditional speech therapy uses auditory cues and language-based techniques—modeling sounds and having patients repeat them. OMT takes a physical approach. I assess how the muscles are actually functioning—their strength, coordination, and movement patterns—and then address the physical breakdown that’s preventing progress.
If you’ve been to multiple specialists and still don’t have answers, it’s not your fault. Here’s what’s often missed: the muscles themselves.
Most providers treat the symptoms. Speech therapy works on sounds. Feeding therapy addresses textures. Your dentist notices the open bite or teeth grinding. Your pediatrician mentions the mouth breathing. But rarely does anyone assess how the muscles of your mouth, tongue, and face are actually functioning—and whether those patterns are creating the problems you’re seeing.
If the underlying muscle patterns haven’t changed, the symptoms will keep coming back.
My background as a speech-language pathologist, combined with specialized myofunctional therapy training, allows me to do something most providers can’t: look at your situation through two lenses at once. I assess the physical muscle function—strength, coordination, and movement patterns—and I also screen for language delays, motor planning issues, and other speech-language factors that many patients need addressed alongside the physical work.
Use feeding techniques to strengthen muscles that improve speech production
Address oral rest posture to eliminate thumb-sucking habits while improving airway function at the same time
Work with infants and toddlers using a sensory-motor feeding approach (an age range many myofunctional therapists won't treat)
Screen for language-based or motor planning issues that impact treatment outcomes
Adapt my approach based on what you or your child actually needs—not a one-size-fits-all protocol
I’ve seen it work, and my clinical expertise allows me to meet each patient exactly where they are.
If you’re considering a tongue tie release—or have already had one—targeted therapy makes all the difference in the outcome.
I complete a functional evaluation to collaborate with your release provider and determine if a frenectomy is needed. If a release is warranted, we typically do 3-5 pre-release sessions with stretches and exercises to prepare the tissue and ensure optimal healing. After the release, 6-8 sessions focus on retraining tongue coordination with the new mobility gained, addressing breathing, speech, and feeding patterns.
Improved latch and feeding for infants, clearer speech sounds, better chewing and swallowing, reduced risk of reattachment, and long-term functional improvement rather than just a surgical correction.
Breaking a thumb-sucking habit isn’t about willpower—it’s about replacing one pattern with a healthier one.
We work on removing the thumb or object and retraining proper tongue rest posture (tongue on the roof of the mouth). This supports nasal breathing and provides the same calming, regulating effect your child was getting from sucking—without the negative impact on dental development and airway health.
The habit is eliminated without shame or struggle, dental issues stop progressing, and your child develops healthier self-regulation and breathing patterns that support overall development.
Whether your child is a picky eater, struggles with certain textures, or has a tongue thrust affecting their bite, we address the muscle patterns driving these issues.
I use a sensory-motor feeding approach to develop mature chewing and swallowing patterns. This is especially effective for infants and toddlers—there’s no age I won’t work with. I’ve worked with medically complex patients with a variety of diagnoses, helping them learn to eat by mouth. For older children and adults, retraining swallow patterns prevents orthodontic relapse and supports proper dental and facial development.
Increased tolerance of all textures and consistencies, safer and more efficient eating, improved dental alignment, reduced messy eating, and confidence at mealtimes.
Mouth breathing isn’t just a habit—it’s often a sign that the airway needs support.
I assess why mouth breathing is happening, which is crucial for determining if referrals to other airway providers (like an ENT or sleep specialist) are needed. Then I train the tongue to rest on the roof of the mouth, which opens up the airway and enables consistent nasal breathing.
Better sleep quality, reduced snoring, improved focus and behavior during the day, healthier facial development in children, and a foundation for long-term airway health. (Note: Sleep issues are complex, and OMT may be one piece of the puzzle depending on the root cause.)
If your child has been in speech therapy but certain sounds still aren’t improving, the issue may be physical, not just auditory.
I assess how the muscles are currently producing sounds and identify where the breakdown is happening. Then I train correct oral placement for speech sound production, using targeted exercises that build the strength and coordination needed for clear speech.
Improved clarity and confidence in connected speech, sounds that finally “stick” after traditional therapy plateaued, and carryover into everyday conversation—not just during therapy sessions.
Treatment is structured, collaborative, and designed to fit into your life. Here’s how it works:
A comprehensive one-hour in-person evaluation to understand exactly what’s happening and create a clear treatment plan.
Based on your evaluation, I’ll estimate how many sessions you’ll need and recommend a package—or you can choose to pay as you go.
Most patients complete treatment in 4-6 months, starting with weekly sessions and reducing frequency as new patterns become habits.
You’ll receive a personalized binder with exercises (and a sticker chart for kids) to practice between sessions—consistency at home is key to lasting results.
We monitor progress throughout treatment and create a maintenance plan to ensure the changes stick long-term.
Flexible options: Although I don’t accept insurance, you can pay with HSA or FSAs and you will be provided with a superbill that you can submit to your medical insurance.
Collaborative care: I work closely with your dentist, orthodontist, ENT, and other airway providers to ensure everyone is aligned and your treatment supports the bigger picture.
If the tethered tissue under your tongue is preventing your tongue from completing functional movements, including resting on the palate day and night, chewing and swallowing effectively and efficiently, and/or producing speech clearly, you should be evaluated by a release provider. Suctioning your tongue to your palate should be easy.
It has been said that the tongue is the natural palatal expander, and the lips are the natural braces. While myofunctional therapy can’t eliminate the need for braces in all cases, it can ensure that you’re maximizing what God gave you to decrease the need for extensive orthodontia in the future.
Research has shown that myofunctional therapy can decrease the s/s of sleep apnea by up to 50% in adults and 62% in children. Camacho M, Certal V, Abdullatif J, Zaghi S, Ruoff CM, Capasso R, Kushida CA. Myofunctional therapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. SLEEP 2015;38(
NO! While snoring can be common, it is never normal. It is a sign of sleep disordered breathing and should be addressed.
If your child’s baby teeth are touching, this is a sign that their jaws aren’t developing properly and that they may be a candidate for early expansion. Orthodontists usually say that there should be approximately 2mm between each baby tooth.
