Dr. Heather Cock
Osteopath (B.App.Sc(Clin.Sc).B.Osteo.Sc)
Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Breathing Educator and Orofacial Myofunctional
From the age of seven Heather new she wanted to work with her hands. Heather’s Grandfather, who was an Osteopath, treated her throughout her childhood. Osteopathic Philosophy fascinated Heather, being an art and a science that worked with the inherent health to treat and heal the human body. So, after 5 years of training in health science subjects, osteopathic techniques and philosophy, Heather graduated in 1997. At this time, it became clear that she wanted to work with infants and children, primarily to treat the physical trauma of birth and the challenges in growth and development.
Heather’s working osteopathic life started in Queensland, travelling between four clinics where she was fortunate to share clinical time with some fantastic Cranial Osteopaths. Heather then ventured to Ireland to teach and practice Osteopathy in Dublin. While there, she travelled to London to work at the Osteopathic Centre for Children where she gained valuable clinical experience in Paediatrics. During this period, Heather spent time treating in a Romanian Orphanage which was unforgettable. Another highlight was attending a Paediatric Scoliosis course in Paris with Dr. Viola Fryman, a world renowned Paediatric Osteopath. Heather was very keen to learn more from Viola as she was in her eighties at this stage, so in 2002 she fulfilled a residential placement with Viola in San Diego, USA.
Returning to Melbourne, Heather worked with Dr Dion Kulak, who further supported her in Paediatric Osteopathy, and later became a partner at this practise. During this period Heather’s love of Biodynamics of Osteopathy was ignited, completing eight phases with Dr Jim Jealous from USA and later further paediatric studies in Biodynamics with Dr Warner from Switzerland. These courses occurred over a ten-year period and were integral in developing Heather’s palpation and feeling the subtleties in the anatomy.
In the most recent years, Heather has studied in detail Breathing Dysfunction, Orofascial Myology and has become a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Clinically, combining both Osteopathy and Lactation Consultantcy has been invaluable in supporting the mother/baby dyad in complex breast feeding cases.
Heather’s greatest teachers in paediatric osteopathy have been her three children. It has been fascinating to watch her children and the children she has treated grow and develop through Osteopathy.
Heather is incredibly passionate about the children’s osteopathic centre which was established in 2017, to focus on children’s health care.
Some of Heather’s post graduate studies
- Biodynamic Cranial Courses Phases 1-6
- Biodynamic Paediatric Courses Phases 1-3
- Butekyo Based Breathing Training Courses
- SCTF Fundamentals, Face, Dental and Learning Difficulty Courses
- Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
- Orofacial Myology Australia Course
- Paediatric Feeding, Speech and Mouth Development Course
- Australasian Lactation Course
- Interdisciplinary Approach to Children’s Airway Health