How Bloom Works

At Bloom, we see things differently than traditional occupational therapists, childhood development specialists, or medical practitioners. This unique perspective was born from a long history of experience and care. Read more to learn about our founder, Miriam (Manela) Frankel OTR/L CTC, and our vision for supporting families worldwide with new tools that make a real difference in their lives.

Miriam (Manela) Frankel OTR/L CTC

Miriam has more than a decade of experience in the field of occupational therapy. She developed the Thrive Method after years of working with young clients. This specialized technique increases function and adaptability, ensuring that each child attains the best possible results and is able to maintain the best possible performance.

Miriam is a well-known expert, thought leader, speaker, and author. She regularly connects with global audiences on topics that include sensory integration, childhood development, regulation, and typical behavioral issues.

Miriam is also a wife and mom of 5 boys and 1 grandson:)

She is an avid learner, always eager to try new foods, learn new ideas, and travel. Miriam lives with her family in Passaic, NJ, leads The Thrive Group, and is endlessly improving on methods for equipping & empowering families to succeed.

How Bloom Began

Decades ago, Miriam’s own family sowed the seeds of what would become the Thrive Method and Bloom. In 1963, Miriam’s grandparents started the Hebrew Academy for Special Children in Brooklyn, New York.

This was the first camp in the United States that helped children and adults with special needs. Raised with this level of awareness of the needs of others, Miriam pursued a degree in occupational therapy. In 2004, she decided to specialize in helping children with behavioral issues. In 2012, Miriam opened The Thrive Group to support her vision to better serve families of children with behavioral issues and other needs.

As the years went on, Miriam recognized the opportunity for an online platform to extend her impact, and reach more families with this important work. In 2020, Bloom was launched, providing online memberships that equip families around the world to use the Thrive Method with their children.

We believe in this work with all of our hearts. What Miriam began and has developed for the last 15 years has proven transformational for the lives of adults and children around the world. Bloom is a way for parents to find reliable, research-backed principles, distilled into actionable techniques. No parents should feel isolated and alone, and every parent should have the chance to pave a better path for their struggling child.

“Just wanted to thank you for your great idea today and thoughtfulness to really work wiht Michael’s personality. Your are brilliant!! Michael felt great and you really accomplished a ton. Thanks so much for everything”

Michael’s Mom!

Bloom is still in the early stages of being a connecting point, and we are overjoyed at the lives we see changed. As this platform continues to grow, we are confident that the future is bright for many children, who we see and acknowledge as people of great worth and value... and limitless potential.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MEMBERSHIP

our Method

A Whole-Child Approach

Bloom uses the Thrive Method, a unique approach that addresses the whole child.

The Thrive Method

The Thrive Method was developed by occupational therapist and industry-expert Miriam Manela. This method is about healing a child, not just treating symptoms. It was founded on the notion that where behavior is understood, potential is nurtured, and families thrive.

The three core tenets of the Thrive Method are:

Considering the whole person

No child is the same, and this approach combines various techniques & modalities for a holistic plan that can be tailored to the individual.

Communicating about goals

Therapy can be difficult, and it is hard to measure progress. For All-Access Memberships with consultations & appointments, we clearly delineate goals & objectives.

Investing in relationships

No dysfunction exists in a vacuum.” The Thrive Method is founded on the idea that a child’s social, emotional, and family dynamics are interrelated.

How is the Thrive Method Used in Bloom Materials?

The Thrive Method is foundational to Bloom Materials. As you view video toolkits and access supplemental materials, you will see these three tenets represented strongly: we take into account a whole child, offering many recommendations with numerous varieties that are easily adaptable.

How Bloom Works

Here’s how Bloom works:

2 Membership Options

Get access to a single toolkit or full access to all materials, for a monthly price.

You will notice that our pricing is far below that of traditional therapy, and you can access topical materials that help you in your current situation, whatever that may be.

Bloom is a living library representative of a growing body of materials and resources. With an all-access membership, you will get ongoing access to all new content as it is added.

Bloom Toolkits

We have structured our content into toolkits, broken out by topic.

From infants to teenagers, sleep issues to anxiety, toolkits are organized by topic and offer comprehensive coverage of each area.

Each toolkit gives end to end information, providing thorough, research-based insight, as well real-world illustrations and recommendations.

Parent-Led,Child-Centered

After each session, parents leave Bloom better-equipped to face their child’s current challenges.

No topic is off-limits at Bloom: we know that your child’s behavior can be triggering, and you bring your own personality and life experiences into parenting. Our content is structured so that you walk away with real knowledge and real action steps.

Over time, we watch Bloom parents gain compassion through better understanding, awareness, and clarity about what their child is going through. This will help your child overcome their issues, deepen the parent-child relationship, and reach your full potential as a family.

TESTIMONIALS

Miriam has worked with our son for around a year and a half. Her professionalism lies in her ability to understand what it is that he needs, and combine her training with genuine warmth, care and patience when she works with him. That in turn engenders the trust that is key to the child-therapist relationship to ensure his cooperation.

Mr and Mrs A Sutton

Thank you so much for everything you have done for Netanel. It's amazing how far he's come and a miracle that he has phased out of OT. I really appreciate all you have done; and recognize the individual "curriculum" you created for him.

MS

This whole year has been such a magical ride for me. I am so, so grateful that it's so clear that I have been led to the right place. Thank you!

BW

We’d like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation. Brian benefits from your fun positive personality along with your expertise in the field. He truly enjoys his sessions. We appreciate your genuine concern and whole child approach. We look forward to continued progress as we work together to help Brian shine

Brian shine

Just wanted to thank you for your great idea today and thoughtfulness to really work with Jason’s personality. You are brilliant!! Jason felt great and you really accomplished a ton. Thanks so much for everything

ST

I would recommend Miriam to a friend, colleague, or parent looking for a therapist to sync the out-of-sync child

AH

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR RESOURCES?

Schedule a 10-minute discovery call with a Bloom consultant and learn what this platform offers.