Parenting Support
Personalized and inclusive parenting support for neurodiverse families.
I am licensed in the state of Texas and can work with any client that is physically located in Texas during the time of the telehealth session.
The Process
Your time is precious. We won’t waste it.
There’s nothing more frustrating than being given guidance by someone who doesn’t first take the time to understand your unique situation.
Initial Consultation (Free!)
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We’ll decide together if I can be helpful to you.
Complete intake paperwork
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Give as much detail as you’d like so we can hit the ground running.
Dive in!
The best part. We meet however often you need, and address what you came for.
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What is different about parenting support versus individual therapy?
Parent support sessions are dedicated to problem solving, processing the emotions related to parenting, and supporting your nervous system as you care for your child’s.
Can we just focus on my child and leave me out of it?
You’re not alone in asking this! Many parents want to focus on problem solving rather than tending to themselves, but both are necessary and I won’t let you skip either one.
Your nervous system has been through a lot. Part of learning how to better support your child includes taking better care of your nervous system as well. I know it’s annoying. We’ll do it anyway.
What’s your style?
My therapy style can be described as: Inclusive; Collaborative; Trauma Informed; Neurodiversity affirming; LGBTQIA+ affirming; Anti-racist; and Size inclusive
What can I expect?
Our work together will aim to work with your child’s brain and nervous system, not against it.
We will seek to support every family member to get what they need, rather than continually suppressing one person’s needs in favor of another’s.
I won’t promise sunshine and rainbows. Improvement looks different for each family, and each child has their own timeline. However, change is possible and we’ll outline what that can look like together.
Who influences your work?
My training and education in child development stems from the work of various experts in the field, including but not limited to: Dr. Ross Greene, Robyn Gobbel, Amanda Diekman, Dr. Dan Siegel, Dr. Mona Delahooke, and Dr. Bonnie Badenoch.
I stay regularly up to date on the latest parenting books, techniques and trends and I attend trainings annually with thought-leader organizations in the field of neurodiversity affirming parenting.
I also have training and experience in various modalities of play and activity therapy (Child Centered Play Therapy, Adlerian Play Therapy, Sandtray therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Activity Therapy). While I no longer work with anyone under the age of 12, I bring this knowledge and experience into my work with parents.
Specialty Areas
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An ADHD child’s brain is beautiful, and it also brings a multitude of challenges in a world that wasn’t designed with it in mind.
Together we will experiment with strategies that work with your child’s brain, not against it. No ADHD brain works exactly the same, and I approach each session with this in mind.
People with ADHD often have internalized shame from living in an ableist culture, and we will make plenty of space to explore how we can minimize that while still engaging in the world.
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Whether your child has an official Autism diagnosis, or you’ve merely noticed some Autistic traits and tendencies, we will work together to highlight the strengths and challenges of this nervous system disability.
I have spent many years learning from both the lived experience of people in the Autistic community and the most recent research on the topic. I am a lifelong learner on how to properly support Autistic people, and regularly share new resources I find with my clients.
We will work together to find ways to better support your child’s needs so they can live the life they want. We’ll also discuss how to get your own needs met when your child’s needs might make that more complicated.
People with Autism, or Autistic people, often have internalized shame from living in an ableist culture, and we will make plenty of space to explore that as well.
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Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), or Pervasive Drive for Autonomy, is a nervous system disability wherein individuals demonstrate significant anxiety responses to demands from both others and themselves. I have sought specialized training and education from those with lived experience of PDA, and can provide specialized therapy techniques that may be more helpful to people whose nervous systems have a shutdown response to the typical demands of life and therapy.
Parenting is hard enough, but when you toss PDA into the mix, it’s a whole new game. I see you.
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Supporting anxious kids can be really, REALLY challenging. They’re desperate for an adults’ help, and the adults really want to help. But everyone gets stuck on the practicalities of this.
I will teach you effective coping strategies to try with your child. We will discuss when to consider alternative treatment options like medication. In some cases, it is necessary to make adjustments to your social or cultural landscape and we can explore those together as well.
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Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is currently considered the gold standard for OCD treatment. I am trained in this modality and use it often with OCD clients. I have supported many, many kiddos navigating OCD and am well-versed in supporting your family through it.
I value individualized OCD treatment, meaning that we will often not be doing exclusively ERP during your treatment. Addressing distress tolerance, sensory concerns, and social or cultural factors can be an important part of overall OCD treatment.
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If you are parenting a perfectionist or chronic high achiever, you know that they’re sometimes their own worst enemy. High achieving kids are so cool, but living like this forever is unsustainable.
We’ll work together to find a middle ground where they can achieve whatever they want without it being about earning their worth as a human. Balance is the goal.