Consultation for Parents

Parenting can bring out some of the deepest love, worry, frustration, tenderness, and helplessness we know. Even deeply committed parents can find themselves stuck in patterns they do not like: losing patience, feeling overwhelmed, struggling with limits, feeling guilty, or not knowing how to respond when a child is upset, defiant, anxious, or hard to reach.

I offer consultations for parents who want support in thinking through these moments with more clarity, steadiness, and confidence.

These consultations are practical, collaborative, and emotionally informed. Together, we look at what is happening between parent and child, what tends to go wrong, and what may help the parent respond in a more grounded and effective way. The focus is not on blaming the parent or pathologizing the child, but on understanding the pattern and developing new ways of meeting difficult moments.

My approach is informed by my background as a psychotherapist and supervisor, and by my children’s book, My Feelings Are Okay, My Choices Show the Way. The central idea of the book is simple but powerful: feelings are allowed, and choices matter. Children need help learning that all feelings can be accepted, while behavior still requires guidance, limits, and responsibility.

I am also inspired by the work of Dr. Harvey Karp, especially his emphasis on helping children feel understood by beginning with attuned, tailored reflections before introducing a limit, boundary, or redirection.

I advocate for authoritative parenting: a style of parenting that combines warmth, emotional attunement, clear limits, and appropriate parental leadership. In my view, this avoids the common traps of authoritarian parenting, which can become overly harsh or controlling; permissive parenting, which can struggle to provide needed structure; and uninvolved parenting, which can leave children without enough guidance or emotional connection.

For more on this, you can watch my video on authoritative parenting here:

Parent consultations may focus on questions such as:

- How do I stay calm when my child is melting down?
- How do I set limits without becoming harsh or reactive?
- How do I help my child understand feelings without allowing harmful behavior?
- How do I respond to defiance, aggression, anxiety, shame, or withdrawal?
- How do I repair after I have lost my patience?
- How do my own reactions shape what happens with my child?

I offer both virtual and in-person consultations. Consultations may take place with the parent or parents alone, or with the child or children present, depending on what seems most useful. Some parents benefit most from a private space to reflect and strategize. Others benefit from live support while interacting with their child.

These services are educational and consultative in nature. They are not psychotherapy, psychological treatment, medical care, or crisis services, and they do not involve diagnosis or treatment planning.