Maxwell Fraval

D.O., M.OSTEO.SC.(PAED), MEMBER OA

Canberra Osteopath, Keynote Speaker

Maxwell Fraval is one of Australia’s most respected and influential osteopaths in the field of paediatric osteopathy, with a career spanning decades of clinical practice, teaching and professional leadership. Originally trained at the British School of Osteopathy in London, Maxwell’s lifelong passion for osteopathy was ignited through the experience of treating his infant son, inspiring a deep commitment to supporting babies and children through osteopathic care.

Following his move to Melbourne in 1983, Maxwell became a pioneering force in paediatric osteopathy in Australia. His extensive postgraduate studies and clinical work have focused on supporting infants and children experiencing challenges including birth trauma, colic and reflux, gait and postural issues, dental occlusion concerns and learning difficulties. His approach emphasises collaborative care, integrating osteopathy alongside conventional medical treatment and other supportive therapies to best support the health and development of children.

Maxwell has played a significant role in shaping osteopathic education both nationally and internationally. He has taught undergraduate and postgraduate students throughout Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand and Europe, and is a founding member of the Sutherland Cranial Teaching Foundation of Australia and New Zealand. In 1993, he pioneered Australia’s first Master’s degree program in Osteopathic Paediatrics at RMIT University in Melbourne, helping establish a new generation of osteopaths dedicated to paediatric care.

A passionate educator and mentor, Maxwell has also facilitated his annual Osteopathic Summer School since 1999, supporting senior osteopathic students as they transition into professional practice. His enduring commitment to osteopathy is grounded in a desire to help children and adults achieve their fullest potential through therapies that support optimal body function, health and wellbeing.

Julie Fendall

D.O., M.OstEO.Sc(Paeds)

Sydney Osteopath

Julie Fendall is a very experienced osteopath, educator, and international speaker with over four decades of clinical practice. She trained at the British School of Osteopathy in London and went on to complete a Master’s degree in Paediatrics at RMIT University.

Practising in Sydney, Julie’s clinical work focuses on supporting newborns, infants, children, and adolescents, alongside providing care for women during pregnancy and the postnatal period. She is particularly known for her contributions to paediatric osteopathy and women’s health.

Julie delivers postgraduate education throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. Her teaching explores how intrauterine life, the birth process, and early neonatal experiences influence musculoskeletal development, neurological function, and long-term health outcomes.

Her approach integrates Osteopathy in the Cranial Field, Balanced Ligamentous Tension, and Myofascial Release, presented with clarity, depth, and clinical relevance. Passionate about education and mentorship, Julie supports practitioners in developing skilled palpation, strong clinical reasoning, and confident application of osteopathic principles in practice. Julie’s presentation for this Paediatric Conference will explore; How Developmental Problems in Infancy Develop. Discussing musculoskeletal problems that commonly present in infancy e.g. Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, Talipes Equino Varus, Spinal Anomalies & Plagiocephaly.

Melissa McDougall

M.H.Sc(Osteo), D.P.O.,  I.B.C.L.C Advanced Paediatric Osteopath (2021-24, 2025-29)

Melbourne Osteopath

Melissa McDougall is an Advanced Paediatric Osteopath with almost 20 years of clinical experience supporting infants, young children, and their families. She completed the Diploma of Paediatric Osteopathy in the United Kingdom, where she trained alongside osteopaths with more than 40 years of experience. Melissa is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), bringing a unique multidisciplinary perspective to infant care.

As the founder of the multidisciplinary practice Growing Bones, Melissa has mentored many osteopaths transitioning into paediatric practice. Her advanced training spans early identification of infants at risk of cerebral palsy, the Early Start Denver Model for autism, breastfeeding support, orofacial myology, primitive reflex integration, and therapeutic listening.

In September 2025, Melissa launched her first paediatric course, Baby Moves: Healthy, Strong, Symmetrical—an osteopathic approach to settling, plagiocephaly, feeding, and motor skill development.

Lauren Boundy

M.H.Sc (Osteo), B.Sci (Clin.Sci), Cert IV Breastfeeding Education (Counselling)

Melbourne Osteopath

Lauren is the passionate founder of Osteopathy Connections and also incorporates Breastfeeding Education & Counselling, & Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in her practice.

Lauren's interest areas include:

• Supporting mums & bubs with breastfeeding or bottle-feeding difficulties

• Treatment for infants including torticollis, plagiocephaly, birth trauma/strain, movement or stiffness concerns

• Tongue tie, lip tie and poor chewing skills for infants and toddlers; and support for older kids, teens & adults

• Paediatric Osteopathy for complaints such as movement concerns, posture, growing pains, asymmetry

• Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy for children & teens (especially those undergoing orthodontic care)

• Pregnancy care and Post-natal care for mums, including mastitis support

• Headaches and TMJ pain

• Craniosacral therapy and breathing education – all ages

Kirsty Greenwood

M.H.Sc (Osteo), PhD Candidate SCU

Melbourne Osteopath

Kirsty Greenwood is an experienced osteopath with over 20 years in clinical practice, with a strong focus on paediatric, perinatal and women’s health. She is an Advanced Paediatric Osteopath and founder of Whole Body Health where she provides holistic, evidence informed care for babies, children and families. Her clinical work centres on infant feeding challenges, birth related strain patterns and more complex presentations. She is also a co-founder of and Feed Move Thrive with Dentist Philip Hand, a teaching platform for education in the infant feeding space.

Kirsty holds a Master of Health Science in Osteopathy and a Master of Research in Paediatric and Maternal Health. She is currently a PhD candidate within the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University. Her research focuses on the role of osteopathic care in supporting breastfeeding outcomes, particularly where infants present with musculoskeletal dysfunction that may affect latch and feeding.

She is the lead investigator on a current randomised controlled trial examining osteopathic care in conjunction with lactation consultant support compared with lactation care alone for infants experiencing breastfeeding difficulties. This work builds on her previous research, including a retrospective case series demonstrating improvements in breastfeeding confidence, latch and maternal comfort following osteopathic care.

Kirsty’s approach reflects a whole person and whole family philosophy, combining hands on treatment, feeding support and education to assist families navigating complex or persistent breastfeeding and infant developmental challenges.

Through both her clinical practice and research, Kirsty is committed to contributing to the evidence base for osteopathy in infant feeding and to improving outcomes for mothers and babies.

Lynsey Taylor

Occupational Therapist BSc (Hons)

New Zealand Occupational Therapist

Originally from the UK and trained as an Occupational Therapist, Lynsey moved to Palmerston North with her husband, Jamie. Together, they are parents to two neurodivergent teenage sons—a lived experience that deeply informs and motivates her professional work.

Lynsey’s practice has been dedicated to inclusive education within New Zealand for over 15 years. During this time, she and Jamie have worked together to share their collective knowledge of child development, neurodivergence, and developmental delay across both New Zealand and Australia.

Currently, Lynsey serves as the Clinical Lead for a high school department specializing in high and very high needs (ORRS). In this role, she manages a multidisciplinary team of specialists, focusing on clinical excellence and neuroaffirming practices. She remains deeply passionate about hands-on work, including sensory music groups, movement programs for coordination, and fostering social communication and emotional literacy to help every young person reach their full potential.

Jamie Taylor

M.Sc (Osteo)

New Zealand Osteopath

Jamie Taylor trained at the European School of Osteopathy, (ESO) in Maidstone, England, 1990-1994.

During his final year he began to enjoy working with newborns and pregnant mothers. He very quickly began to see the importance of taking the trauma out of childbirth for mothers and postpartum distress in babies. When he graduated he worked in London at the Osteopathic Centre for children where this conviction grew. In 1997 he began assisting on the undergraduate Osteopathic technique classes at the ESO and clinical supervision in the undergraduate children's clinic, where he stayed until he moved back to NZ in 2005. He moved back to New Zealand in November 2005 after completing his masters in Osteopathy.

Jamie’s practice is predominantly focused on babies and pregnancy and postnatal mothers. 

Daniela Viola

ND, MATMS

Sydney Naturopath, Nutritionist, Herbalist

Daniela Viola is a qualified naturopath, nutritionist and herbalist with a strong passion for holistic healthcare and supporting long-term wellbeing through natural medicine, particularly in the area of paediatric and family health. Raised in a family deeply connected to healthcare, Daniela is the daughter of renowned osteopath Leo Viola, and the integration of osteopathy and naturopathy has been part of her life from an early age. This foundation has shaped her holistic philosophy of care, recognising the importance of supporting the body through a combination of structural, nutritional and lifestyle-based approaches.

Daniela works extensively with infants, children and families, supporting a wide range of paediatric concerns including allergies and food intolerances, digestive issues, immune health, skin conditions, behavioural and developmental challenges, and overall wellbeing. Her gentle and practical approach focuses on addressing the underlying contributors to health concerns while supporting healthy growth, development and resilience in children.

Her clinical approach focuses not only on current health concerns, but also on the prevention of future illness and chronic disease. Daniela takes into consideration each patient’s individual health history, familial tendencies and lifestyle factors to create highly personalised treatment plans that support optimal health outcomes.

With training in both western herbal medicine and nutritional medicine, Daniela combines evidence-informed nutritional support, herbal prescribing, dietary guidance and lifestyle planning to help restore balance and optimise body function. Her work often incorporates healthy eating programs, detoxification support and elimination diets where appropriate, with a focus on creating sustainable and achievable health outcomes for families.

Daniela is passionate about empowering parents and families to take an active role in their health journey and is dedicated to helping children and adults achieve optimal health and wellbeing through compassionate, holistic and integrative care.