Specialist therapy for breathing, sleep and jaw comfort. Expert myofunctional therapy and Buteyko breathing re-training, online and across Greater Manchester & the Midlands.
Most patients come to us with overlapping issues — disrupted sleep, blocked breathing, jaw pain, anxiety. We use myofunctional therapy and Buteyko breathing, independently or together, to address the root cause.
Myofunctional Therapy
Retrains the tongue, lips and facial muscles to support nasal breathing, healthier swallowing and stable jaw posture. Helps with mouth breathing, snoring, TMJ pain, sleep apnoea, tongue tie recovery and orthodontic stability.
A clinically-led breathing re-training programme that corrects over-breathing patterns. Supports asthma, anxiety, sleep quality, snoring, and energy and focus through nasal breathing and CO2 tolerance work.
Led by Emily Kirkcaldy and our Speech & Language Therapy team
Specialist therapy that retrains the tongue, lips and facial muscles to support nasal breathing, healthier swallowing and stable jaw posture. Learn more about myofunctional therapy.
Jaw Discomfort and TMJD
Jaw pain, stiffness, clicking, headaches, or difficulty opening your mouth? TMJD affects daily life, but targeted therapy can help restore comfort and function.
Mouth Breathing
Breathing with an open mouth can cause dry mouth, fatigue, and facial changes. Therapy retrains nasal breathing for better health and aesthetics.
Tongue Tie / Oral Restriction
A restricted tongue can affect speech, swallowing, and breathing. Therapy improves mobility and function for better oral health.
Sleep Disordered Breathing
Interrupted breathing during sleep can cause snoring, fatigue, and poor oxygen flow. Therapy supports better airway function for restful sleep.
Tongue Thrust
Pushing the tongue forward when swallowing can affect speech, teeth alignment, and jaw development. Therapy retrains tongue posture for better oral health.
Thumb Sucking & Habit Remediation
Thumb sucking, pacifier overuse, or lip and cheek biting can affect teeth alignment and jaw development. Therapy helps break habits.
Sensory Integration
Helps the brain and body work together for better coordination and focus. Therapy supports oral and breathing patterns for improved well-being.
Malocclusion / Orthodontic Retention
Misaligned teeth can cause jaw pain and chewing issues. Without support, teeth may shift after treatment. Therapy helps maintain alignment.
Speech
Supports clear speech by addressing articulation, phonology, motor speech disorders, voice issues, and stammering. Therapy improves communication and confidence.
Feeding
Supports the chewing and swallowing process for safe, efficient eating. Therapy improves oral coordination, strength, and sensory awareness.
A clinically-led breathing programme that re-trains over-breathing patterns to improve sleep, asthma symptoms, anxiety and energy. Learn more about Buteyko breathing therapy.
Myofunctional therapy retrains the muscles and posture that shape your airway. Buteyko breathing therapy re-trains the breathing pattern that runs through it. For sleep-disordered breathing, mouth breathing, and TMJD with shallow breathing, combined care often produces results neither delivers alone.
I’m Emily, the Owner and Lead Clinician at Breathe First with over 20 years of experience as a Speech and Language Therapist, dedicating the last 5 years to airway focus and oral restrictions/dysfunction. I pride myself on a high quality of patient care, with trust at the centre of the therapeutic relationship.
Myofunctional
Maureen Segree
SALT, OMT
I’m Maureen, I am a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with 30 years of experience, also specialising in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. I’m passionate about helping clients improve communication and oral function.
MyofunctionalButeyko
Alice Spencer
Specialist SALT, OMT and BBM
I’m Alice, a therapist specialising in myofunctional therapy and speech and language development, with training in the Buteyko Breathing Method. I use a holistic, evidence-based approach to improve breathing, oral function, and communication for better overall health.
Myofunctional
Katie Harp
SALT, OMT
I’m a qualified myofunctional therapist with over 16 years’ experience as a speech and language therapist, specialising in dysphagia and neurological communication disorders. I’m passionate about providing high-quality, evidence-based support.
Myofunctional
Natalie Golden
RDH, OMT
I’m Natalie, a Registered Dental Hygienist with 25 years of clinical experience. I also practise Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT), supporting children and adults to improve their breathing, oral posture, and overall function.
Myofunctional
Amy Schofield
BSc (Hons) MRCSLT, HCPC, MASLTIP
I’m Amy, a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with over 13 years of experience. I specialise in speech sound disorders and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT). I’m passionate about developing oral function and communication to support people’s health and overall wellbeing.
Myofunctional
Helen Fraser
SALT, OMT
I’m Helen, a Speech and Language Therapist with over 18 years of clinical experience and specialist training in myofunctional therapy. I offer a warm, personalised approach to evidence-based care, supporting people to enhance their quality of life.
Myofunctional
Sophie Harkness
SALT, OMT
I’m Sophie, a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with expertise in airway disorders and dysphagia. I’m currently undertaking a PhD focused on unexplained swallowing difficulties. I’m passionate about supporting my patients with thoughtful, evidence-based care.
Myofunctional
Lauren Derbyshire
SALT, OMT
I’m Lauren, a Speech and Language Therapist with over 20 years of NHS experience, specialising in severe speech sound difficulties and developmental language disorders in children. Training as a Myofunctional Therapist has allowed me to take a more holistic, individualised approach. I also have a personal interest, supporting my own family with myofunctional rehabilitation.
What patients say
★★★★★
Cannot thank Emily and the team enough! They have been amazing with my 5 year old son, this time last year was a massive worry for us, our son was acting completely out of character, had night sweats, nosebleeds, swollen lymph nodes and more.
Since doing Myo he sleeps better, emotions have regulated and has next to no nose bleeds through these summer months, whereas, last year they were almost a daily occurrence. I feel like I have my boy back and I know he feels the benefits too!Thank you all so much❤️
When navigating the NHS with my daughter's health, it has been very reassuring for me to have Emily's advice and support. Emily has a holistic and functional approach to treatment and is extremely knowledgeable. She has worked with my daughter since aged 2, to help with mouth breathing, sleep disordered breathing and other oral function issues and has provided excellent care for my daughter. She really listened to my concerns, putting in place age appropriate strategies to support oral function and development.
My daughter has needed an MDT approach to treatment for her severe obstructive sleep apnoea and did need to have her tonsils and adenoids removed, but with a combination of surgery and Emily's support through myofunctional therapy, use of a myomunchee and other fun devices to support oral function development, her sleep apnoea has fully resolved and she has a normal palate width for her age.
Although we still have a lot of work to do to support further improvements in oral function, jaw development and oral sensory seeking behaviour, I have noticed improved nasal breathing day and night and improved saliva management. We are continuing to work on all of this with Emily through fun and engaging myofunctional therapy sessions and my daughter loves her online sessions.
It is very reassuring for me to know that with Emily's ongoing support and further myofunctional therapy, my daughter's ongoing oral function issues should resolve in the future and Emily can advise on other professionals to support this further if required. I would highly recommend Emily. Thank you for all your help and support.
Emily has been and continues to be a monumental help to my child who has complex needs and suffers with a jaw that has locked. We were told he needed surgery to fix it and with Emily's help he's managing to open it once again and begin to learn how to use it again , with hopefully no need for surgery. He immediately took to Emily and trusted her which has meant he's had the most out of all her sessions. She's also helped hugely with his communication.
Emily was so helpful and supportive with our 7 month old baby. She reccomended plenty of exercises and shared with us a lot of knowledge that helped us so much.
Excellent service.
Thorough and detailed assessment.
Top quality coaching to learn the myofunctional exercises I required.
I have personally noticed reduced TMJ pain as well as improved digestion.
I have been having myotherapy with Emily for 3 months now and the therapy has been a huge help with the swallowing issues and TMJ pain I experience. Emily is both knowledgeable and patient and she has helped me to understand the causes of my presentation.
Myofunctional or Buteyko Practitioner? Or want to become one?
Whether you’re a SALT, dental hygienist, physio, or breathing coach — if you’re myofunctional-trained, Buteyko-trained, or looking to become so, we’d like to hear from you.
Flexible hours, online or in-clinic
Supportive, expert-led multi-disciplinary team
Steady patient pipeline across both services
Backing for additional certifications (Buteyko, OMT)
Book a 30-minute online discovery call to talk through your concerns with our clinical team and find out whether we can help. No pressure, no obligation.