Lively Eaters Feeding Therapy - Adelaide Hills

Get to know Lively Eaters Feeding Therapy - Adelaide Hills

From Lively Eaters Feeding Therapy - Adelaide Hills's website.

• Our approach

  Feeding therapy at Lively Eaters centres on a holistic, family-first philosophy where therapy is tailored to each child and family's unique goals rather than fitting families into a pre-determined program. Sessions integrate evidence-based strategies to develop mealtime skills and help families create responsive mealtime environments, delivered in person, in group settings, via telehealth or at home as clinically appropriate. The team considers the complex interaction between environment, behaviour, medical, sensory, motor, emotional and developmental skills of the child and their family to ensure the best possible outcomes. Therapy recognises that feeding and eating involve many physical, medical and emotional aspects beyond simply putting food in the mouth. Mealtimes are understood as a family-centred experience where parents and carers are empowered to facilitate their child's abilities and development at every meal.

• Working with families

  Families are central to the therapy process and are supported through ongoing guidance at every step of their feeding journey. The support is not limited to consultation and therapy sessions; the service offers continuous support to guide parents and children throughout their progress. Parents are involved in developing strategies tailored to their family's goals and needs, and the therapy approach emphasises empowering families to understand and execute change within their own capabilities. An Infant Mental Health Therapist supports parents in building positive, functional and enjoyable family dynamics and reshaping mealtime interactions. The service explicitly recognises that feeding a child is one of a parent's most important jobs and is central to the parent-child relationship, with mealtimes understood as a family-centred experience rather than focusing solely on the child.

• Meet the team

  The interdisciplinary team includes Speech Pathologists (including Senior and dually-qualified breastfeeding counsellors), Dietitians (including Accredited Practising Dietitians with extensive paediatric experience), Occupational Therapists, an Infant Mental Health Therapist, a Paediatrician, and support staff. The team is led by Dr Emily Lively (PhD, Speech Pathologist), who has over 25 years' experience specialising in infant and paediatric feeding difficulties and tube weaning, with published research and expertise in evidence-based tube weaning practices. Individual team members bring varied qualifications—Hannah Caon has 15 years' experience as both an Early Childhood Educator and Speech Pathologist; Rachel George is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with 20+ years' experience in paediatric nutrition; Will Liebing is an Occupational Therapist and Clinical Supervisor. The team is created for each child to meet the family's particular needs, drawing on their collective wealth of experience, dedication and passion for transforming children's relationships with food.

• Your first visit

  During the first appointment, you and your child will go through a comprehensive parent and child assessment process designed to provide a better understanding of your child and family's challenges and offer therapy options that suit your specific circumstances. The assessment holistically evaluates your child and family's mealtime behaviours, nutritional and health history, growth and development. This detailed initial assessment, conducted in conjunction with your child's mealtime goals, helps guide your personalised therapy plan. The process is thorough but approachable, setting the foundation for your family's feeding journey with the experienced Feeding Therapists who will guide you every step of the way.