Professional Spotlight- Summer Squillacioti

Summer’s practice has grown to employ OTs like herself, lactation consultants, massage therapists as well as a specialist in craniosacral therapy. She’s found that embracing a wholistic approach to care and collaborating across her teams not only supports client outcomes but allows her to intervene at earlier stages of development. 

Inspired by a close family friend and follower of Thrive, Summer took the opportunity to expand her professional education when St. Augustine’s Majestic Oak Therapy team hosted Thrive’s RMTi Level 1 and 2 course. Summer loved the content and returned for another workshop shortly after. The insights she gained not only informed her practice but her own work with her son, who at age four, had struggled against her traditional OT approach. 

“Elizabeth gave me the tools that let me do what I needed to for him and to recognize his unique progression,” she shared of her son’s work to integrate his defensive reflexes. “Even though I’m a professional, it empowered me as a mom to realize I don’t have to outsource his therapy all the time.”

With a self-professed growth mindset, Summer was overjoyed to incorporate the approachable exercises as a tool in her work with families. Clients of all ages, from newborns to the postpartum moms feeling overstimulated and stressed, had something they could take home and practice in their daily lives.

Summer found great success by layering in even the smallest amount of RMTi for her clients. In one of her most challenging cases, Summer worked with an adopted infant just over one year of age, who had been the product of his mother’s severe drug addiction.  The child’s system was in overdrive from the inherited trauma, and he barely slept or ate. After progressing in his therapy, he suffered a setback from a severe case of RSV and was put in an induced coma. The hurdles that followed were significant, and he resisted tummy time and crawling. He refused touch in and around his mouth. 

Summer worked to gently incorporate rhythmic movement and stimulated his reflexes by offering tools like vibration toys to aid his Babkin reflex. She was ever mindful of the client-led approach that Elizabeth had taught her.

“A lot of therapeutic approaches force a movement or position. That’s never been Elizabeth’s approach,” says Summer. “It’s always about being led by the client, allowing him to explore.” 

With tremendous joy, she shares that the young patient is now grasping for food at the table and starting to explore his environment at home. His development and sense of safety in the world is growing day by day. 

“It just shows you how resilient and amazing the brain is, when you’re doing that level of work,” says Summer of the tremendous gains she’s accomplished by adding RMTi.