Local · Trusted · Free
The Morning Impact — your neighborhood's most important stories, delivered every morning.
Year One Wellness brings together infant occupational and physical therapists, weekly play groups and social events to aid in early childhood development.
The background
Owner Kristi Hammerle is a doctor of physical therapy and a certified breastfeeding therapist who started out in a generalized pediatric clinic. She always wanted to specialize in pediatrics, but ended up falling in love with helping infants.
“I saw how getting in and treating these children as babies impacted them so positively for the rest of their life,” Hammerle said. “They needed less treatment, less time in therapy [and] it cost the parents less money and time. [I] realized Austin really needed a practice that was solely for infants.”
Year One Wellness opened to babies up to 2 years old in April 2022. Now, it has grown into two clinics, one in the Northwest Hills and one in Cedar Park, as well as offering home visits in the Austin area and beyond.
What they offer
Year One Wellness acts as a hub for parent and infant specialists, and a community-driven space for parents to connect. Physical and occupational therapists are available to help treat torticollis, neck and body tension, head flattening or asymmetries, and motor milestone delays.
Professionals can also help with feeding concerns, breast health for lactating parents experiencing clogged ducts or pain, as well as car seat questions relating to selection and installation.
How it works
The office offers free consultations prior to the official one-hour visit where parents and infants see a licensed physical or occupational therapist. Parents typically come to Year One Wellness with a specific concern and later stay on to do milestone check-ins about a baby’s foundational musculoskeletal development, Hammerle said.
“For example, if you can roll really well and crawl in the right way, you're going to have a lot better balance when you're walking and skipping and jumping and riding a bike,” Hammerle said.
Who it’s for
Year One Wellness also hosts social events and weekly baby play groups to boost development and help parents build community. The space hosts two play groups a week, one for infants from birth to sitting-stage and one for babies from the sitting to crawling stage.
“Our activities are always focused on how we [can] enrich [a] baby's development [and] provide different sensory aspects to the activities so parents can really learn how these play activities are helping their babies develop and ... replicate them at home if they want,” Hammerle said.
The social events range anywhere from mommy-and-me workouts with a personal trainer or pelvic floor physical therapist, to happy hours.
Another detail
At the Northwest Austin location, Year One Wellness also has spaces available for other practices to rent, including a midwifery practice, pelvic floor physical therapist and prenatal massage therapist.
In their own words
“This is just a completely judgment-free zone,” Hammerle said. “Come in with your questions, your concerns, your worries and your fear. We've heard them all before, and we're happy to address them. There's going to be no shame, no mom guilt, no parent guilt here—just empowerment.”
