Founder / Director / Instigator @ Whole Movement Center

Specialties: Infant Developmental Movement & Somatic Psychotherapy & Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Therapy

MY CERTIFICATIONS & BACKGROUND:

Before becoming a movement therapist and psychotherapist, I was a professional dancer, choreographer, and theater artist who founded a dance company and directed a yoga and bodywork studio.

I am a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist with a specialty in development and Pre and Perinatal Birth Attachment Therapy. I also have a Master’s in Counseling Psychology.

My certifications include:

Body Mind Centering® Practitioner
Licensed Professional Counselor
Registered Somatic Movement Therapist w/ the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association
Infant Developmental Movement Educator®
Certified Pre and Perinatal Birth Attachment Practitioner
Somatic Experiencing provider
Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Therapist
Hatha Yoga Teacher for all ages
Advanced Bodywork Therapist
Skinner Releasing Dance Technique® Educator
I draw from all of these disciplines to work with any person who wants to overcome pain or restricted movement, seek recovery from trauma or stress, or become more fully connected with their own body and authentic self.

I also specialize in attachment, birth, birth trauma, adoption, developmental, and prenatal and perinatal issues. I am passionate about supporting and working with individuals and families with children with special needs.

Michelle Wald has been a Physical Therapist since 1991, for the last 10 years she has studied Functional Medicine and wellness. She’s a Functional Medicine Health Coach, and owner of New Paradigm Wellness. She has been certified since 2001 in the Advanced Aston® Kinetics program giving advanced understanding in human posture, Biomechanics, Myofascial Release, movement, fitness and Advanced Problem solving. She has 30 years experience in senior fitness and PT.

Currently she is offering online Physical Therapy and Wellness programs, including:

• Sugar Busters -5 Day Sugar Cleanse
• Clear The Way -gentle Digestion and Detox program
• Healthy and Wise Senior program
• and Individualized Health Coaching and Wellness Programs tailored to your needs.
• She Teaches a Live Stand Up to Gravity class – Aston® Senior Fitness for Living – weekly, Friday at 9:30 am (Central time-currently on Zoom).

She is available for free 30 min Consultations to see what program would be right for you.

Certified Rolfer & Certified Hakomi Practitioner

I combine Rolfing, Mindful Movement, and Body-Mind Coaching to teach people how to leverage the information in their bodies to accelerate their growth & development through transition, whether working to rewire chronic pain or moving through a shift in career or life path.

My journey really began in earnest with deep dissatisfaction with the direction my life was heading.

Navigating a 12-year career in investment banking & corporate finance, I gradually realized that while I had physical health and financial success, I was lacking the emotional and spiritual alignment my System craved. I’d spent my life oriented toward external goals, so I didn’t have an integrated sense of Self – an interconnected wisdom based on the information my body, mind, and spirit were giving me – to rest into when the clear path ahead suddenly disappeared when I failed to get a critical promotion.

What I didn’t know at the time was that this spiritual kick-in-the-ass marked the beginning of a lifelong process of self-discovery and transformation. Moving forward required that I learn how to transform myself in a way that wasn’t just based on physical or mental discipline. These were old tools that I could easily call on, but at this stage in my life they were only keeping me headed down the same tired road. They were failing me and I had to learn it the hard way.

For something new to happen I had to learn how to turn my attention inward to discover what I really wanted so I could be on a satisfying path. And, I had to learn the critical skill of recognizing those unseen places where I kept myself from progressing forward.

As my personal transformation unfolded over the years, my professional practice came into form as well, first around Rolfing, then later integrating Hakomi and Mindful Movement. Through my journey I’ve changed my body, my mind, and my relationships, and have connected to my deep sense of purpose in life.

My practice is the result of nearly 20 years of growth and personal transformation, of diving deep into myself to remove the barriers I’ve had to my natural evolution. I know first-hand how transformational this work can be, and I look forward to traveling alongside you as you chart your own journey to a more-evolved you.

Feldenkrais® Practitioner and WomanSpeak Trainer/Circle Leader

Vivian Best is a Feldenkrais Practitioner teaching self-aware self-care. Her compassionate guidance helps bring a sense of pleasure in movement and ease to her clients. She offers regular Awareness Through Movement classes and also private Functional Integration sessions to clients. In her private sessions, she offers hands-on support for movement and emotional support for making meaningful changes to habits and beliefs! During these challenging times, Vivian has continued to offer Self-Aware Self-Care classes and Compassionate Body Awareness workshops virtually.

Vivian believes in the value of social connection and the process of creating support in our modern lives with and beyond our devices. She inspires positive change, building thoughtful communities to bring greater awareness and hope for growth, change, and possibility through her work with WomanSpeak and Sparked. Vivian is a facilitator for conversational and public speaking events, and supports her community to create connections, share resources, and take initiative in their lives by helping them to bring their voices to what truly matters. She supports women to feel a deep sense of internal safety and connection to their voices and supports them in transforming their personal and professional lives. She specializes in supporting women through life transitions.

In March, she was featured by the Austin Statesman, “Physical Not Social Isolation Please”, for her events that promote community and connection.

Vivian is also available for private math tutoring. She taught in the classroom for nine years and specializes in working with twice-exceptional students in elementary and middle school. She has been tutoring for over 20 years and loves helping unconventional kids build confidence and skills to support their learning.

Vivian has founded two nonprofit projects:

• Give It Fresh Today, a produce donation program to benefit the hungry/homeless with FRESH food from the farmer’s market,
• & Piko Pals, a new parent support program that helps new parents build community.

Recognized by Honolulu Magazine as one of “6 People Making a Difference in Honolulu” in November 2013,

& by Pacific Business News as Hawaii’s “40 Under 40”

and the Honolulu Star Advertiser as one of “10 Who Made a Difference in 2010”

Vivian is delighted to be a part of this community!

Use the contact form to ask Vivian about the next women’s Sparked game night!

• More about Sparked here->
• Check out Sparked in Austin (facebook.com/SparkedinAustin) for her latest community events!
• Register here for her weekly Self-Aware Self-Care/Awareness Through Movement classes-> Self-Aware Self-Care (via Zoom)