About Me
It’s not a surprise that I arrived in a field with the passion to help others.
I am a twin. My brother and I surprised my mom by arriving six weeks early. My brother was given a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy, which affected his right side and caused developmental delays.
When I was four years old, I watched my brother get carried out of the house to a vehicle with bright flashing lights. I was told he was going to a hospital. He had underdeveloped lungs, trouble breathing and pneumonia. This was only one of his many hospital stays.
At age five, I began attending my brother’s PT sessions. I helped my mom, who was a nurse, with his exercises and as I got older, I became the one who helped him with his exercises.
I was impacted deeply by my brother’s experience through many areas of my life. I thought I was going to be a physical therapist; however, the more I got into it, the more I found that it wasn’t for me.
My movement career started as a certified group aerobic dance instructor, certified Pilates teacher and educator and a Gyrotonic Expansion System® practitioner.
After a number of years in another field, an “angel” told me about the Feldenkrais Method® of movement. After attending an initial five-day workshop, I knew I had found the modality I wanted to train in that would optimally help babies, children and adults as well as their families.
In the Feldenkrais Method®, I recognized the container of kindness and humanity that allowed both me and those I worked with to flourish. In addition, the imperative that we, as practitioners, not work from protocols but rather dance with and expand what is alive and already possible matches my conviction that there is a unique path forward for each of us.
I am a certified Feldenkrais Method® practitioner and certified Anat Baniel Method NeuroMovement® practitioner. I worked on the ABMNM® teaching staff as an assistant trainer and trainer for nearly a decade.
My perception, beliefs and inspiration are heavily influenced by my 30 years of study with movement and sensory teachers and specialists, as well as extensive experience with the Focusing Method and with non-violent communication and conflict resolution leadership programs.
Examples of Some of the Educational Programming I Have Offered
Professional workshop taught for physical therapists, occupational therapists and physicians at the Queens Sirikit National Institute of Child Health in Bangkok, Thailand.
Professional workshop held at the Rehabilitation Institute in Chicago, now Shirley Ryan Rehab.
Dozens of Parent Workshops taught in my center in Chicago and also in Denmark.
Private and Group Parent Mentoring sessions offered online.
Presentations at PKS International Conference in Chicago.
Presenter at the 2022 Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, SBMT, annual conference
Practitioner Advanced Continuing Education courses taught in Chicago Illinois, Boulder Colorado, Seattle Washington, Sutton New Jersey, Asheville North Carolina, Ojai California, Vienna, Austria and Netherlands.
I’ve received many invitations to speak worldwide and to also provide sessions to children in England, Turkey, France, Saudi Arabia, Austria, California, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Co-founder of Movement Education, Inc. 1993-2003. An evolution of Pilates based professional mat and studio certification teacher training program and continuing education programs. Courses and continuing education workshops were taught in health clubs and rehabilitation facilities in the USA and Puerto Rico. Movement Education Inc., also hosted movement specialists for in-person presentations and workshops.
Testimonials
The principles I learned in Suzi’s foundation workshop have formed in me an internal blueprint that guides my thinking, orientation and observations as I work. It has helped me see my clients’ patterns of organization more clearly and be more effective in choosing what to do next and with what intention. She makes the learning environment rich and fun with lots of hands-on personal attention. I came away feeling empowered with new insights and I could see the results immediately through my work. Suzi has a gift and passion for teaching and it shows!
— Adrienne P., ABMNM® practitioner
As a parent and an ABMNM® practitioner, I have been able to interact with my child in short sessions with noticeable results. My child is moving with more ease, using more of her spine and using her arms and hands in a new way. Suzi has guided me along this path with her expertise while honoring my intention as a mother. She taught me how to listen better to myself, which, in turn, makes me a better practitioner. I am grateful for her care, honesty and investment in me and my family.
— Carolyn M., ABMNM® practitioner