Brenda Milbrath

Services Offered

Brenda Milbrath

Brenda's passion for sports as a child and her curiosity about anatomy inspired her lifelong commitment to helping people heal. Brenda earned her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1991 and later returned to complete her Master’s in Physical Therapy in 2003. Throughout her career, Brenda has worked extensively in acute care, skilled nursing, return-to-work programs, home health, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient orthopedics, and pelvic health.

An Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) for over two decades, Brenda has been practicing integrated manual therapy since 2011. In 2020, she became certified in pelvic health through the Academy of Pelvic Health of the American Physical Therapy Association. Brenda continued her professional education, attaining her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from St. Scholastica in 2023.

For over 10 years, Brenda has effectively incorporated Visceral Manipulation into her treatments, along with Craniosacral Therapy techniques for the past 5 years. Always committed to deepening her knowledge, she regularly attends advanced training sessions as a student or teaching assistant, eager to bring the latest insights to her clients’ wellness journeys.

Brenda’s treatment approach blends craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, and other manual techniques to create personalized care plans. In her free time, Brenda enjoys music, dogs, skiing, spending quality moments with family, and competing in triathlons.

CranioSacral Therapy Education

Brenda has pursued comprehensive training in CranioSacral Therapy through the Upledger Institute:

  • CranioSacral Therapy 1 (CS1): Introduces gentle techniques to normalize the craniosacral system, helping the body self-correct and alleviate pain and dysfunction.  
  • CranioSacral Therapy 2 (CS2): Focuses on advanced techniques for the cranial base and facial bones to address deeper restrictions.
  • SomatoEmotional Release 1 (SER1): Teaches methods to facilitate the release of emotional energy stored in the body, enhancing the therapeutic process.
  • SomatoEmotional Release 2 (SER2): Expands on SER1 by introducing advanced dialoguing techniques to assist clients in resolving emotional trauma.
  • SomatoEmotional Release Technique: Mastering the Inner Physician (SERTIP): Integrates CST with active imagination to bridge the gap between the non-conscious and conscious, enhancing therapeutic outcomes.  
  • CranioSacral Therapy for Longevity: Reversal of the Aging Process: Trains advanced practitioners in evaluating and supporting the health of adults aged 60-100+, focusing on reversing aging effects.  
  • CranioSacral Therapy Touching the Brain: Stimulating Self-Correction Through the Glial Interface: Explores the role of glial cells in the nervous system and how CST techniques can enhance neural health and function.  

Visceral Manipulation Education

Brenda’s training in Visceral Manipulation through the Barral Institute equips her to gently evaluate and treat the internal organs to improve their function and alleviate pain.

  • Visceral Manipulation: Abdomen 1 (VM1): Introduces the models and theories of functional biomechanics, focusing on the abdominal cavity and its organ systems.  
  • Visceral Manipulation: Abdomen 2 (VM2): Expands on VM1 by focusing on deeper abdominal structures, including the kidneys and pancreas, to address complex dysfunctions.
  • Visceral Manipulation: The Pelvis (VM3): Focuses on the pelvic organs and their ligamentous attachments, providing techniques to alleviate pelvic pain and dysfunction.
  • Visceral Manipulation: The Thorax (VM4): Covers the thoracic cavity, teaching methods to release restrictions affecting the heart, lungs, and associated structures.
  • Manual Thermal Evaluation and Introduction to VisceroEmotional (VM5): Teaches assessment techniques using thermal evaluation to identify areas of dysfunction and guide treatment, integrating emotional aspects.  
  • Listening Techniques 1: An Integrative Approach to Evaluation (LT1): Introduces powerful evaluation tools to help determine where to begin with patient treatment, enhancing the effectiveness of manual therapy.  

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What My Clients Say

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"By the end of the tenth session, I could hardly believe the transformation that took place over time. Only by looking back to session one can I truly appreciate how far I’ve come. The changes were incremental, and minuscule at times, but that’s how lasting change eventuates."

Laura Thomas

"Eleven months ago, at the age of 22, I had a spinal repair of my L5-S1 vertebrae. This was the last resort to continuing back issues from the age of 10.  I am currently pain free and have not felt this good in a very long time.  If bodywork is desired, then Alex is the person to see."

Michael Locasto

"As a licensed therapeutic bodyworker myself, I choose Alex as my bodywork therapist.  It is the focus, self-authenticity, and centered presence that Alex brings to his work that truly makes him a gifted healer."

Courtney Cowie, LMBT

"He works with both confidence and curiosity, and has a special ability to hold space for his clients free from judgement and expectation. As a result of this work I now inhabit my body in new ways."

Annemarie Kalson

"For the last 15+ years I’ve learned to function outside of my body as a method to suppress emotions and also as a protective means in an effort to deal with chronic pain. Not only has Ellen helped me find the ability to listen to my body, but she helped me find my voice and confidence, both of which I was previously greatly lacking. Ellen was a voice of strength when celebrating my success, and she also provided unwavering support when some of the work brought up “old stuff” that felt scary for a short time. To infer that the work we’ve done together has been transformational would truly be an understatement. Not only has my physical pain reduced, my relationships with my family and partner have flourished due to my ability to regulate myself and effectively communicate needs and hold appropriate boundaries. I am so grateful to Ellen for all she has done, and I look forward to continuing our work together as we continue to work on releasing the chronic stress and tension in my body, helping to calm my nervous system, and ultimately move toward an even more comfortable state of embodiment."

"Working with Ellen one-on-one was an incredible deep dive into self-knowledge through experiencing my body. Where Ellen shines is her talent for creating a space for exploration that is gentle, honest, safe, and empowering all at once. Ellen’s knowledge and expertise are clear, but her approach is one of partnership. And it works! I clearly see the physical and emotional results."

"I've always been someone who'd rather be in the library than at the gym. So when I seriously herniated a disc in my lower back, I was completely unprepared for the recovery process. The injury was very bad, and I had to have surgery for pain relief. The surgery was successful, but for many years my core and leg muscles remained incredibly weak and intractable, and I was living with chronic nerve pain in my legs.

Then, after multiple unsuccessful rounds of physical therapy, I met Ellen, and working with her changed my life. She met me where I was with my body and mind-body connection, which felt like rock bottom. She taught me fundamental somatics exercises for recovering command of my body, and radical knowledge for developing my own daily somatics practices. It's not an exaggeration to say her therapy renewed my relationship with myself. Today I feel more cognizant and comfortable in my body than I've ever felt before in my life. My daily life isn't organized around nerve pain anymore, and I'm able to relax and move again. I actually feel more desire to move and grow than ever before. I can't testify to her work and wisdom enthusiastically enough."

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