Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Rees.
Hi Austin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Thank you again for the opportunity to share my story. My name is Austin Rees, and I am a mother to 4 confident children and am married to a compassionate Army Veteran. After homeschooling for 7 years, we moved to Maryland from Virginia so our children could attend a democratic, self-directed school. Since 2015 we have grown roots in this community and I founded my Craniosacral Therapy private practice, Nourish, and Align.
In college, I studied pregnancy, birth, and lactation through independent studies while completing my degree in biology at Hollins University. Upon graduation, I enrolled at Lotus Professional College (formerly known as the American Institute of Massage) to become a Licensed Massage therapist.
Following the birth of my second child, I began assisting parents with breast/chestfeeding support in 2005 as an accredited La Leche League Leader. Eventually, I became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in 2011. As an IBCLC I saw firsthand how Craniosacral Therapy (CST) contributed to improvements for my clients in latch, comfort in the body, and changes in the infant’s tongue and jaw movement. It became evidently clear and a natural next step for me to combine my massage therapy and lactation backgrounds and become a Craniosacral Therapy Practitioner.
Craniosacral Therapy incorporates a light therapeutic touch and gentle traction to help release bone and tissue restrictions in the body. CranioSacral Therapy works on the connective tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord to bring the Nervous System into balance. This form of bodywork is gentle and supportive, yet creates deep change.
I provide Craniosacral Therapy for all stages of life creating an individualized approach for each client and family.
Along with CST, I offer Reiki healing as I am Master certified in Usui, Kundalini, and Holy Fire® Karuna Reiki®. I am a Certified Babywearing Educator and a Certified TummyTime! Method Professional
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I rolled into 2020 serving families in their homes and in the office. I was also teaching in-person infant massage and TummyTime! Method classes. My last day in the office was March 13th and I took a pause seeing clients in-person until June. I took that time when people were quarantined to offer virtual babywearing and TummyTime! Method classes.
I started practicing CST at Indigo Physiotherapy in 2019. After a supportive couple of years working in a Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy clinic, I felt it was time to move into a family-centered space as the majority of my clients are infants and children.
In January 2023 I opened my own private practice providing Craniosacral therapy to infants, children, and adults. I am serving clients in Dr. Dongarra’s office, Thrive Chiropractic. This summer I will move into a new space with a room specifically created to serve families and children. I will have a separate room to provide CST for adults. Follow my social media for this exciting announcement with details that will be coming out soon.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I specialize in infant CST. An infant’s irregular position in utero can result in abnormal muscle tension and compression in the body. During the birth process, an infant’s cranial bones shift to fit through the birth canal. If there is a particularly difficult birth, complications, injuries, or interventions used, this can cause nerve compression.
This compression can show up in many ways such as feeding issues, digestive discomfort, and increased fussiness. CST is an excellent, gentle therapy for babies who are experiencing those symptoms, or as regular health care for your newborn.
Challenges I address in infants:
breast/chest and bottle feeding challenges
tongue or lip ties
dribbling milk while feeding
clicking and losing suction while feeding
colic/reflux digestive disorders
excessive spit up
cesarean birth
forceps/vacuum-assisted birth
difficulty in tummy time
plagiocephaly (head flattening)
difficult to calm
I provide more than a therapeutic bodywork session with infants. I dedicate time at the beginning of my sessions to discuss with parents feeding, sleep, and calming techniques. Together we can practice breast/chest feeding and more comfortable bottle-feeding positions. I offer Babywearing Fit Check sessions to follow up CST appointments for parents to refine their babywearing skills and comfortably and confidently wear their baby in a carrier. I equip each family with the steps of TummyTime! Method, is a therapeutic practice parents can practice at home to optimize posture, strength, movement, and connection.
Children of all ages can benefit from CST. It calms and regulates the central nervous system. Injuries, trauma, or illnesses can cause body tissues to tighten and alter the craniosacral system. Restrictions are a result of these alterations that cause tension to form around the brain and spinal cord. This compression can show up and be expressed as withdrawal, unfocused and disruptive behavior. Children do not always know how to communicate what they feel internally.
Challenges I address in children:
Sensory Processing Disorder
ADD/ADHD
Speech delays
Chronic ear infections
Anxiety
Torticollis and plagiocephaly (head flattening)
Orthodontic appliances
Scoliosis
Tongue tie
Recovering from an injury
Adults who want to improve the function of the nervous system, and relieve pain or dysfunction in their body can benefit from CST.
Challenges I address in adults:
Migraine Headaches
Chronic Neck and Back Pain
Orthopedic Problems
Scoliosis
Chronic Fatigue
Emotional DifficultiesStress and Tension-Related Problems
Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders
Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
Immune Disorders
I have created sessions for family units so I can serve more than one person during an appointment. Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle form of bodywork that is ideal for parents to receive along with their child. This aids in the release of tension, creates connection, and combines healing. This session can be facilitated with a young baby nursing or sleeping on the table with the parent.
With older children, they can snuggle on the table with their parents, or be treated separately on the floor or intermittently throughout the session. Families also enjoy bringing two children together so they both can receive treatment in one sibling session.
How do you define success?
Success for me is creating a space for families and clients to feel seen, heard, and comfortable to heal. Working with new families and watching them lean into their instincts and learn new strategies to meet their infants’ needs lights me up. Watching adults notice subtle changes in their bodies, and creating a deeper connection with themselves reflects back to me that I am supporting change.
“Today I know that the patient does the healing and that I am privileged to witness and perhaps participate in this or her healing process.” – Dr. John Upledger (co-founder of Upledger Institute International, Inc. trains CST practitioners).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nourishandalign.com/
- Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/nourish.align
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nourish.Align
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-rees-7586b9243/
Image Credits
Kate’s Takes – Kate Hudak, www.KatesTakes.com
