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 8th-grade project and evolved through home health, clinics, and hospitals.
They discuss the pivotal moment when Courtney realized she needed more than just general experience to truly help her families. From the “regulation lightbulb” moment that changed how she views patient behavior to the deep empathy she brings as a former “picky eater” herself, this conversation is a masterclass in why specialized training and clinical reasoning are the keys to professional confidence.
About the Guest: Courtney Lewis, MOT, OTR/L, CPST
Courtney Lewis is a pediatric occupational therapist, feeding specialist, and the founder of NOSH Pediatric Feeding Therapy. With over a decade of experience across various settings, she specializes in transforming mealtime struggles into joyful family experiences using a holistic, play-based approach. Courtney is a Feed The Peds® graduate and a dedicated mentor within The Pediatric Feeding Hub™.
Key Topics & Takeaways
- The Accidental Specialist: How pediatric feeding “found” Courtney and why every previous setting—from home health to hospitals—was a necessary stepping stone.
- The Missing Link in Education: A candid look at why most therapists feel underprepared and how to fill the gaps that grad school leaves behind.
- The Sensory Lived Experience: Courtney shares how her own history as a picky eater allows her to advocate for her patients with a unique, firsthand perspective.
- 44,000 CFA Points: The story behind Courtney’s “Regulation Lightbulb” and how understanding the nervous system changes everything in the clinic.
- The Power of “The Hub”: Why having a community of mentors and peers is essential for preventing burnout and ensuring clinical excellence.
Soundbites
- “I didn’t choose feeding therapy; it chose me. Every setting I worked in was leading me here.”
- “You go from feeling like you’re guessing to actually having a clinical ‘why’ behind what you’re doing.”
- “When you understand the nervous system, you stop looking at the behavior and start looking at the child.”
Timestamps
- 000:00 – Overcoming imposter syndrome and the “stuck” feeling in feeding therapy.
- 02:22 – Courtney’s Journey: How pediatric occupational therapy “found” her.
- 05:47 – The Confidence Catalyst: Helping a breastfeeding infant transition to solids in 10 weeks.
- 06:34 – The Foundational Gap: Why standard courses like SOS and Beckman sometimes leave therapists wanting more.
- 23:40 – How Feed The Peds® provided the framework to finally “connect the dots.”
- 29:10 – Lived Experience: How being a former “picky eater” shapes Courtney’s empathy as a therapist.
- 38:20 – Mentorship: Transitioning from student to leader within The Pediatric Feeding Hub™.
- 42:15 – Closing thoughts and where to find NOSH Pediatric Feeding Therapy.
Links & Resources
- Visit Courtney’s Website: noshfeeding.com
- Follow Courtney on Instagram: @NoshFeeding
- Feed The Peds®: Join the 3-Day Screen The Peds to Feed The Peds Challenge
- THE HUB: Become a part of The Pediatric Feeding Hub™
WORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY
- Episode 369: The 4 Layers of Feeding: How to Finally Know Where to Start
- Episode 361: Why Two Therapists Get Different Feeding Outcomes (And How to Fix It)
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