Get to Know Grow
Grow Pelvic Health was founded on the mission of supporting children in achieving comfort, continence, and confidence in toileting. Through our services, caregivers and kids are encouraged, empowered, and effective in promoting optimal pelvic health.
We offer direct occupational therapy and caregiver consultation.
Pediatric pelvic health occupational therapy is a non-invasive and evidence-based approach to help children establish normal bladder and bowel function, gain control, and/or become independent with toileting. We holistically assess and address areas that influence pelvic health such as breath control, posture, strength and mobility, sensory processing, social-emotional factors, habits and routines, awareness of urge, coordination, pelvic floor function, and more.
Our caregiver consultation services allow us to partner with parents and caregivers whose children might not need, or may not yet be ready for, direct therapy. We work toward understanding the root of the child's issue and provide education for the parents to guide them in understanding how to best support their child's pelvic health.
We work with kids of all ages - from newborns through teenagers. We care deeply, knowing that children struggling with pelvic health issues (and their families) often feel frustrated, confused, hopeless, or alone.
Meet COURTNEY - Your Pediatric Pelvic Health Therapist Serving the Twin Cities
Hi! My name is Courtney Suilmann (pronounced SIL-man).
Since stepping into the world of pediatric development back in 2011, I have seen the toll that toileting issues take on kids and their families… sleepless nights, shame and hiding, missed sleepovers, frustration, pain, lots of laundry, and so much confusion.
There’s a wealth of information out there on toileting - especially on how to make it through potty training. But I found that there’s not a whole lot of actual support for families when things aren’t going as expected - how to handle constipation or reflux with a newborn, what to do when you’ve tried 4 different potty training methods and your kid’s still terrified, or how to support your kiddo who wants to go to summer camp but is scared of other kids noticing their accidents.
In an effort to support families in this area, I began to understand the critical role that good pelvic health - AKA ease, comfort, and normalcy with toileting - plays in the well-being of children (and adults, too), and how difficulty in these areas wreak havoc on kids and their entire families.
As an occupational therapist with extensive training in and a deep passion for pelvic health, I am committed to learning something new each day in order to best serve the families I encounter.
I founded Grow Pelvic Health with the goal of sharing the burden of toileting troubles with families by figuring out the “why” and helping kids to achieve comfort, continence, and confidence. I love what I do, and I’d love to hear your child’s story. Let’s chat.
Education
Master of Occupational Therapy • University of Texas Medical Branch
Master of Education - Pediatric Motor Behavior • Auburn University
Bachelor of Science - Kinesiology • Auburn University
Fun Stuff
I grew up spending the school year in Texas and summers on Leech Lake in Walker, MN. I now live in Chaska, MN with my husband. I love to travel and scuba dive. I can’t go a day without a few glasses of milk, and my favorite foods are eggs, ravioli, waffles, and ice cream. As a kid, I wanted to be a flight attendant (like my mom).
Who + What We Help
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NEWBORN to ~12 MONTHS
It feels stressful and helpless for you to be unable to soothe your uncomfortable baby when GI issues are at play. We’re here to comfort postpartum families, support you in making small changes, and teach you simple tools that will have a lasting impact on your little one.
We support families of infants who are who are experiencing:
Reflux
Irritability after feeding
Excessive straining when pooping
Irregular or infrequent pooping
Hard poops
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~12 MONTHS to 4 YEARS
Toddlers are in a critical time for developing healthy bladder and bowel habits. Families face tons of pressure around potty training, and it’s tough for you to know when it’s the right time, how much to “push it,” what method to use, and what to do if it’s not going well. No matter the issue, we’re here to help.
We support families of toddlers who are who are experiencing:
Difficulty potty training
Constipation
Straining to pee or poop
Pain with peeing or pooping
Fear or avoidance of toileting
Irregular or infrequent pooping
Very hard or very soft poops
Postponing toileting by “holding it”
Difficulty sensing urge to go
Frequent UTIs
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PRE-K to EARLY ELEMENARY AGE
There’s likely an exciting burst of independence with toileting over these years! But that also means that you probably have less knowledge first-hand of exactly what’s going on toileting-wise with your child than you used to have. Plus - kids don’t necessarily know what’s normal or when they need to alert someone! Toileting troubles can hide under the surface for awhile, and as kids develop increased social awareness, it becomes tougher to talk about issues when they do arise. Whether it’s a new issue, you had hoped to be able to be able to solve it on your own, or you just learned that your child’s been struggling, there’s no better time than now for us to provide guidance for toileting troubles.
We support families of kids who are who are experiencing:
“Incomplete” potty training
Bedwetting
Daytime pee or poop leakage
Constipation
Straining to pee or poop
Pain with peeing or pooping
Frequent or infrequent peeing
Urgency with peeing
Fear or avoidance of toileting
Irregular or infrequent pooping
Very hard or very soft poops
Postponing toileting by “holding it”
Difficulty sensing urge to go
Frequent UTIs
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LATE ELEMENTARY to EARLY MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE
Maybe social pressures are building for your kiddo, and you want them to be able to enjoy sleepovers and summer camp without fear or discomfort around toileting. Maybe changes in school structure has made it tough for your child to find time to get to the bathroom during the school day. We’re keenly aware of the how sensitive and emotional toileting troubles become at this age and how you are desperate to help your child but unsure of how to do so.
We support families of tweens who are who are experiencing:
Bedwetting
Daytime urine or stool leakage
Constipation
Straining with urination or BMs
Pain with urination or BMs
Frequent or infrequent urination
Urinary urgency
Fear or avoidance of toileting
Irregular or infrequent BMs
Very hard or very soft BMs
Postponing toileting by “holding it”
Difficulty sensing urge to go
Frequent UTIs
Pelvic pain
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MIDDLE to HIGH SCHOOL AGE
Pelvic health is a lifelong journey, and bladder, bowel, or pelvic floor dysfunction in childhood is likely to persist into adulthood if it’s not addressed. We understand that your teenager - despite wanting the issues to be resolved - may be reluctant to talk about it, which is why we take an empathetic and empowering approach to therapy.
We support families of teens who are who are experiencing:
Bedwetting
Daytime urine or stool leakage
Constipation
Straining or pain with urination or BMs
Frequent, irregular, or infrequent urination or BMs
Urinary urgency
Very hard or very soft BMs
Difficulty sensing urge to go
Frequent UTIs
Pelvic pain
Our Process
STEP 1
Free Discovery Call
We learn a bit about your child and walk through how we can help. We want you to have your questions answered and know what to expect. No fee, no pressure, no obligation.
STEP 2
Comprehensive Evaluation
We gather "puzzle pieces" about your child and the concerns you have in with a holistic approach. We put together a treatment plan that fits your child's individual needs.
STEP 3
Individualized Follow-Up Care
Sessions are focused, functional, and playful, working to meet your goals. Your family is encouraged, empowered, and effective in supporting your child's pelvic health.