Making Every Movement Count

Experience transformative breakthroughs in movement and development for children with special needs. Leveraging over 5 decades of experience, Movement to Wholeness offers a pathway to new possibilities through pediatric physical therapy evolved through the Feldenkrais and Anat Baniel Methods.

Proven Experience

Harnessing over five decades of pediatric therapy wisdom, Carla offers unparalleled, personalized care to unlock your child’s full potential.

Holistic Approach

Carla’s approach combines innovative methods, fostering a comprehensive, brain-centered pathway to enhance your child’s overall development.

Parent Support

Empowering parents with insights and tools they can continue to utilize at home, fostering collaborative growth, learning, and progress.

Tailored Guidance

Sessions meet your child’s unique path to progress, ensuring individualized, effective outcomes.

Expert Pediatric Physical Therapist

Carla’s experience is diverse, including developmental follow-up of babies who were in NICU, institutionalized children with very severe involvement, children in special schools or public schools, hospital pediatric rehab, and children with more mild difficulties from injuries or just individual differences such as being on the autism spectrum.

Her strategies have been completely transformed by over 40 years as a Feldenkrais Method® practitioner, over 20 years mastering the Anat Baniel Method® (ABM), and over 5 transformative years as an Anat Baniel NeuroMovement Method® Trainer. Carla’s dedication to children with special needs is not just her profession—it’s her passion.

Sterling, VA

(703) 598-3168

Addressing a Range of Special Needs

Carla works with Children with the following:

In Person Lessons

Intensives of 4 to 8 individual sessions with your child in the same week for 1 to 3 weeks in succession

Remote Consultations

Consultations about your child remotely via Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, etc.

Strategies & Guidance

Strategies to promote healthy development and guidance on choosing the most beneficial adaptive equipment, devices, and toys

The Process

Review Session Information

Take a look at our pricing and policies to understand the process and what is required.

Complete Intake Form

Provide essential information about your child’s needs and history to personalize their therapy journey. Sending 1-2 recent photos and video clips of your child moving is a helpful preview before your first session.

Schedule an Appointment

Conveniently book your sessions online to secure your preferred time slot.

Begin Lessons for your child with Carla

Start your child’s personalized learning journey with Carla

Frequently Asked Questions

I work with children of all ages who have a variety of special needs, including cerebral palsy, developmental delays, and other challenges. After filling out the Pediatric Intake form and our consultation, we can discuss how my approach will address your child’s specific needs.

While I have decades of experience as a licensed physical therapist, my approach goes beyond conventional PT methods. I integrate pioneering techniques that tap into the incredible neuroplasticity of a child’s brain. By guiding your child through subtle, individualized movements and experiences, I engage their natural curiosity to build new neural connections. This catalyzes profound changes in how your child’s brain organizes sensation, thinking, movement, and behavior.

Every child’s journey is unique, but with patience and commitment, you will gradually see your child make exciting new strides. Some changes may happen quickly, while others evolve over time. You will be coached to become even better at observing your child and noticing small changes that gradually become bigger changes. What’s most important is creating an environment of curiosity, self-awareness, and variation – this is what drives the neuroplastic changes. I’ll be here to celebrate each little victory with you along the way.

While many families do visit me at my Northern Virginia practice, I also offer remote consultation services via video. So no matter where you live, I’m able to evaluate your child’s situation and provide customized guidance. In some cases, I can even train caregivers remotely on specific techniques. Exploring virtual options allows me to extend my services well beyond the local area.

You are your child’s first and most important teachers! Everything you do at home can reinforce the lessons from your child’s sessions with me. I’ll guide you on powerful little things you can incorporate, like using respectful language, facilitating problem-solving, providing choices, avoiding doing things for your child that they can do themselves, and celebrating small steps of independence. With coaching, you’ll gain confidence in serving as your child’s catalyst for development every day.

I strive to make our services accessible and manageable for families. I accept cash or checks for payment at each session. I do not accept insurance; however, my office will provide you with an invoice for each session with all necessary codes for you to submit claims to your health insurance for out-of-network reimbursement. I’m here to assist you with any questions or concerns regarding payment and insurance, ensuring you can focus on what truly matters—your child’s well-being.

Client Feedback

M.D.

Had a first visit today with my son. Carla is a wealth of holistic knowledge, kind, passionate, and gentle. She listens to you and the body. I did not know about her or her services until 2 days ago. She speaks the same language I do as it relates to health. The best part… when my son said “I feel better with this visit than anything else I’ve done”. He has traumatic injury with pain and has had traditional physical therapy, massage therapy, cold laser treatment, and craniosacral therapy. Not to say none of these modalities helped to some degree. However, Carla’s work brought a sense of mobility he’s not felt in just over 1 year!

Julia

After her very first session with Carla, we saw positive changes in our daughter that over a year of traditional physical therapy had not achieved, and she has continued to enjoy consistent progress since! We found ABM to be the best fit for our daughter not only because of its efficacy, but also because of the gentle and child guided nature of the therapy. Our daughter loves her sessions with Carla and is experiencing a level of ease and pleasure and movement that we never thought possible.

Anita

Carla is a warm, thoughtful and generous human being, the kind that every parent of a special needs child hopes to encounter in their family's journey. She has always been willing to share her knowledge and experience, not only as an ABM practitioner but also as a mom, and that has made her an invaluable resource for my family.

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