An Assessment with Julia

What should I expect?

It is understandable to be curious about what an assessment looks like, as well as what a treatment plan will look like in your time with me. I am writing this page in the hopes that it can answer some of your questions and impress onto you my commitment to ensure you are happy with my treatments. I stand behind my business and, if this post does not answer your questions, please reach out via the Contact page.

Initial Assessment

All of my patients begin the process of treatment with an initial assessment. My areas of expertise are in Sleep Coaching, Buteyko Breathing and Myofunctional Therapy. In our 60-90 minute full evaluation, we will assess function and I will ask you questions about your day-to-day life. If at all possible, this is best done in-person (although I am more than happy to work with you via online videoconferencing as well). The assessment will continue with taking photographs of your facial and oral structures, videos of functions such as swallowing and a thorough medical, dental and sleep history. The goal of this initial meeting is to set achievable goals, set expectations and to begin to formulate a custom training plan.

Treatment

Following the initial assessment, our course is now charted depending on several factors. Meetings are held between 1 and 4 times per week, depending on schedule and the treatment plan. I can work with you regarding times of the week and weekends are available if necessary. The meetings can be in-person in my location in Manhattan or virtual; Most of my patients opt to meet virtually. During these meetings, we go over new exercises, assess functional gain (or address stopping points) and end with an open question-and-answer session. The treatments I offer are not magic; They require practice over time that is facilitated by frequent touchpoints.

Meeting frequency

In the interest of full transparency, you can expect to meet at an approximate frequency depending on the treatment:

  • Myofunctional therapy:
    • Phase I — Intensive phase: weekly meetings for 8 weeks
    • Phase ll — Generalization phase: 2-3 weeks apart
    • Phase lll —  Habituation phase 3-4 weeks apart
  • Buteyko Breathing: 2 times per week for the first few weeks, weekly after that. Minimum of 4 weeks of training, but most opt for 2-3 months.
  • Habit elimination: Requires daily text/call checkins and goes for 30 days. This is for patients with noxious habits such as thumb sucking in children. See: Thumb Sucking: A Common Bad Habit
  • Issues with sleep, insomniac: weekly meetings for 4-6 weeks
  • Issues with sleep, non-insomniac: weekly meetings for 1-4 weeks

Free advice!

You made it this far, so here is some free advice to help you in your daily life:

  • Smile! As Phyllis Diller said: “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” 
  • Be mindful of your breathing. Try to breathe through your nose, and check if your lips are closed when you breathe.
  • If you catch yourself clenching your teeth during the day when you’re stressed, try to relax, spread your tongue over the roof of your mouth, close your lips and hum your favorite tune through your nose. Humming will trigger increased Nitric Oxide (NO) production in your sinuses. Increased NO, in addition to other health benefits, is proven to lower your blood pressure.
  • Before bed limit blue light exposure, loud music, and high intensity training. Avoid caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol. Take a warm shower before bedtime. Refrain from bringing your laptop to bed. Reserve your bed only for sleep and intimacy.
  • Blow up balloons! Balloon blowing helps with throat and diaphragm muscle training.
  • When sitting at your desk, try not to cross your legs, support your feet on the floor and have a good armrest, lumbar pillow, and stand up and move at least every 30 min. Any body position is better than the previous position.
  • Expose yourself to sun rays for at least 15-30 min a day to help with vitamin D production, this improves your mood, gut health, fertility, and melatonin production for better sleep.
  • Fill your mind with gratitude and positive thoughts. Expressing and receiving gratitude will help with the release of dopamine and serotonin, which will immensely improve your mood. These are natural antidepressants.
  • Stay healthy and happy!

Interested in learning more?

Please feel free to reach out for a no-pressure discussion of your symptoms and your interest in my services. After this call, if you decide that my treatments are right for you, we would schedule our initial assessment and get our journey started. The best ways to contact me are via the form below. Have a great day!

Contact

We offer face-to-face visits in Manhattan and Brooklyn and worldwide via Zoom

Tel: 917-932-5992

happymyonyc@gmail.com