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PODCAST

The Untethered Podcast™

Hosted by Hallie Bulkin, a Certified Myofunctional Therapist™ (CMT®), Feeding Specialist and Speech Therapist, The Untethered Podcast™ focuses on the latest research and clinical evidence in Myofunctional Therapy, Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs, AKA Tongue Tie, etc), Airway and Pediatric Feeding. Produced with both providers and parents in mind, episodes include interviews with experts, personal stories from parents, and Q&A from our listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more

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All Episodes

57:02

Oral Motor and Airway Red Flags in the First Two...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/09/20

When a baby struggles with infant feeding, weight gain, or subtle airway restrictions, parents are frequently told to "wait and see." Yet, waiting often turns minor early red flags into complex speech, feeding, and oral-motor challenges down the road.In this episode, Hallie Bulkin sits down with Mackenzie Shiba, M.S., CCC-SLP, CMT®, pediatric speech-language pathologist, certified myofunctional therapist, and founder of Communication Blooms Speech Therapy. Mackenzie shares her personal transition

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16:51

Kids Are Not Small Adults: Why Pediatric Feeding...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/09/13

One of the biggest hurdles clinicians face when transitioning into pediatric feeding therapy is realizing that traditional graduate coursework and isolated weekend seminars often leave massive gaps in clinical application. Too many training programs treat pediatric feeding as if it were simply adult dysphagia scaled down—focusing strictly on oral-motor mechanics while ignoring the child's entire developing system.In this episode, Hallie Bulkin dives into the structural gaps of traditional feeding

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1:00:48

What’s Really Driving the Feeding Challenge? Looking...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/09/06

In this episode, Hallie Bulkin sits down with Shayla Bollman, MA, CCC-SLP, CPFT, CLC, to discuss her journey as a pediatric speech-language pathologist and how earning her Certified Pediatric Feeding Therapist (CPFT) credential transformed her clinical evaluation process, treatment approach, and referral network.Shay shares practical strategies for responsive feeding, differentiating gagging from choking to ease caregiver anxiety, and managing pre- and post-operative care for tongue-tie releases

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16:53

Strategies vs. A Plan: Why Feeding Therapy Feels Like...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/08/30

When feeding therapy stalls, it is rarely because a clinician lacks exercises - it is usually because intervention began before the child’s foundational systems were fully understood. Trying to fix oral-motor mechanics without addressing postural stability, airway integrity, or sensory overload is like building a house on sand.In this episode, Hallie Bulkin shares a structured, child-centered framework for pediatric feeding therapy that moves clinicians away from reactive "symptom chasing" and

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50:39

Beyond Tonsils & Adenoids: Digging Deeper Into the...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/08/23

When a child presents with sleep-disordered breathing, chronic mouth breathing, or persistent feeding challenges, evaluating the upper airway becomes a top priority. However, determining when conservative management is sufficient versus when surgical intervention - like a tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy - is required can be complex for both parents and providers.In this episode, Hallie Bulkin sits down with pediatric ENT specialist Dr. Ariel Grobman to break down the clinical nuances of pediatric

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34:59

What Myofunctional and Feeding Therapists Need to...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/08/16

For many speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and myofunctional providers, billing and documentation feel like navigating an ever-shifting maze. Between selecting appropriate CPT codes, justifying medical necessity, and adhering to strict scope-of-practice guidelines, clinicians often struggle to ensure proper reimbursement while remaining compliant.In this episode, Hallie Bulkin breaks down the essential mechanics of billing for myofunctional therapy services. She addresses common

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57:25

Beyond the Appliance: How MARPE Changes Breathing,...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/08/09

Maxillary expansion isn't just an orthodontic intervention - for adults navigating narrow palates, compromised airways, and chronic TMJ dysfunction, it can be a total health transformation.In this episode, Hallie Bulkin sits down with Jeannie Nelson, MS, CCC-SLP, to share an unfiltered, first-hand account of their personal experiences undergoing MARPE (Minimally Invasive Micro-Implant Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion). Together, they pull back the curtain on the procedure itself, comparing their

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19:51

Seeing It vs. Understanding It: The Gap in Myo Training

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/08/02

Taking a weekend course can make you see tongue posture, restricted movement, and mouth breathing everywhere you look. But recognizing a pattern is vastly different from truly understanding it.In this solo episode, Hallie Bulkin addresses "The Myo Gap" - the space between noticing an isolated anatomical finding and developing the clinical depth to understand how it fits into a child's connected, multi-system picture. She unpacks why a restricted frenulum or forward resting tongue is merely a data

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39:27

The Hidden Link Between the Pelvic Floor, Breathing &...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/07/26

When we think about core stability, digestive efficiency, or functional breathing patterns, we rarely consider the foundational muscle group resting at the base of our pelvis. Yet, pelvic floor health directly dictates everything from diaphragmatic excursion to bowel regularity, posture, and systemic stress management.In this episode, Hallie sits down with Dr. Svetlana Mehlman, a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health, back pain, and lymphatic drainage. Dr. Svetlana breaks down the complex

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23:49

Why Some Cases Stay Stuck: The Clinical Thinking That...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/07/19

When a child walks into your clinic presenting with a tongue thrust, a high-arched palate, or a complex feeding delay, what is your immediate clinical instinct? Is it to reach for a specific exercise in your toolkit, or is it to zoom out and analyze how the entire system is functioning together?In this solo episode, Hallie Bulkin dives into the powerful paradigm shift of becoming an integrated therapist. She challenges the common trap of relying on isolated techniques and instead lays out a roadmap

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59:27

Mouth Breathing vs. Nasal Breathing: Changing Lives...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/07/12

When a child exhibits behavioral challenges, facial recession, or struggles with sleep, the root cause is frequently hiding in plain sight: their breathing habits. Unfortunately, these vital signs of compromised airway health are often overlooked by traditional medical models.In this episode, Hallie sits down with Dr. Leslie Pasco, an expert in airway health, pediatric development, and the author of The Great Contraction. Dr. Pasco breaks down the profound impact that mouth breathing, poor jaw

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40:24

Screening vs. Assessment vs. Treatment: Why Every...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/07/05

As therapists, it is easy to fall into the trap of protocol-based treatment—treating a clinical diagnosis like a strict recipe book. But true, transformative patient care requires us to step back from the "cookbook" approach and lean heavily into intentional clinical reasoning and pattern recognition.In this episode, Hallie Bulkin takes the mic for an essential masterclass on the critical distinctions between screening, assessment, and treatment in clinical practice. She unpacks how blurring these

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42:25

How Root Cause Assessment Changes Feeding and Speech...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/06/28

When a child presents with complex speech or feeding challenges, it’s easy to focus solely on the surface-level behaviors. But true, long-lasting transformation happens when we dig deeper to look inside the mouth and assess the underlying muscle function.In this episode, Hallie sits down with Galina Kislin, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and myofunctional therapist, to discuss her clinical journey and the shift that led her to prioritize root-cause assessments. Galina shares her experiences

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39:03

Myo 101 for Feeding Therapists: Why You're Already...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/06/21

When a child struggles with swallowing, chewing, or food transitions, our first instinct is often to look directly at traditional feeding strategies. But what if the missing piece of the puzzle isn't the food itself, but the foundational resting posture and function of the orofacial muscles?In this solo episode, Hallie Bulkin demystifies myofunctional therapy (Myo) and explores its critical, undeniable overlap with pediatric feeding therapy. She breaks down how addressing underlying myofunctional

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40:17

Why Great Therapy Starts With Better Parent...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/06/14

As pediatric therapists, we know that our time with a child is only one small piece of the puzzle. Real, lasting progress happens when parents and caregivers feel confident carrying strategies into everyday family life. Yet, navigating parent communication can sometimes feel like its own clinical challenge.In this episode, Hallie sits down with Johanna Stadtmauer, MS, CCC-SLP, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, feeding therapist, and owner of Ready Stadt Speech. Johanna shares her passion for

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24:59

Am I Looking at a Feeding Problem or an Airway Problem?

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/06/07

When a child struggles with feeding, it’s easy to get laser-focused on oral-motor exercises or sensory strategies. But what if the root cause isn't a lack of coordination, but a struggle to breathe?In this solo episode, Hallie Bulkin dives deep into a critical, yet frequently missed, component of pediatric feeding therapy: airway screening. Airway issues often hide in plain sight, quietly undermining feeding progress and leaving clinicians wondering why their traditional treatment plans have

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52:04

Dr. Richard Baxter on How to Know If a Tongue Tie Is...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/05/31

When looking into tethered oral tissues, it is easy to focus entirely on visual structural appearance. However, judging a restriction by looks alone frequently misses the true clinical picture. Real progress happens when healthcare providers shift the diagnostic paradigm away from what a tie looks like and focus entirely on how it affects dynamic function over a patient's lifespan.In this episode, Hallie sits down with Dr. Richard Baxter, DMD, MS, FAAPD, a board-certified pediatric dentist, founder

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57:24

How My Son’s Down Syndrome Diagnosis Changed Me as a...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/05/24

Making the leap from a school-based setting into a specialized pediatric feeding niche is an incredible professional transformation. But what happens when that career pivot collides with your own deeply personal parenting journey?In this episode, Hallie sits down with Aerica Walsh, M.S., CCC-SLP, CPFT™, an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist, pediatric feeding therapist, and the founder of Thrive Therapy Solutions. Aerica opens up about her unique path into the world of pediatric feeding—a

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16:18

Is the Tethered Oral Tissue the Problem or Just Part...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/05/17

Navigating the world of tethered oral tissues (TOTs) can often feel like wading through murky waters. With so much conflicting information out there, it’s incredibly easy for clinicians to fall into the trap of letting a visual anatomical structure dictate their entire treatment plan. But looking at a tongue or lip tie doesn’t tell you the whole story.In this solo episode, Hallie Bulkin dives deep into the complexities of diagnosing and treating tethered oral tissues during feeding evaluations. She

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44:06

From Guessing to Growth: How a Clear Framework...

The Untethered Podcast™ ·

2026/05/10

If you’ve ever felt like you were "guessing" your way through a feeding session, you aren’t alone. In fact, many clinicians enter the field with a passion for OT or SLP, only to realize their foundational schooling barely scratched the surface of pediatric feeding.In this episode, Hallie is joined by Courtney Lewis, MOT, OTR/L, CPST, a pediatric feeding specialist and owner of NOSH Pediatric Feeding Therapy. Courtney opens up about her "long and winding road" to feeding—a journey that began with an

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390 results

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