Neurodivergence is a non-medical umbrella term to refer to people who’s brain operates differently from those deemed neurotypical. This can include children and adults who are on the Autism spectrum, ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabilities, complex trauma, prenatal substance exposure, and more.

Children with neurodivergence often need additional support than what their neurotypical peers need. Behaviors that result from chronic frustration or sensory overwhelm, including severe tantrums, physical aggression, and boundary refusal can be difficult to understand as a parent. Is my child intentionally disobeying me? I know they know the rules, so why aren’t they following them? Why can’t they just “get it”?

As someone with extensive training in working with neurodivergent children and their parents, I truly believe that with the power of psychoeducation, attachment work, and neurobehavioral therapy interventions, profound change can occur.

In my practice, I am passionate about practicing from a neuro-affirming model, finding strengths in your child as well as your parenting.

Parents often confuse coaching with therapy, though there are some overlaps.

Traditional coaching is forward-focused, practical, and centered on building skills and strategies (not diagnosing or treating conditions). Sessions can feel more educational or instructional in style at times with a focus on improving your skill set. While there can be great benefits from this style of treatment, results can be short-lived, disappearing as quickly as they entered without a fundamental shift.

Some of my clients prefer a more therapeutic, parent-focused style of coaching. While skill development, creating routines, and establishing healthy discipline practices is a focus, additional priority is placed on understanding who you are as a parent. Why do you parent the way you do? How is it creating connection with your child, or pushing you two further away? This is particularly important to look at when parenting a child with neurodivergence or complex trauma.

Parenting children who struggle with emotional dysregulation, explosive behavior, or neurodivergence is hard. Parents are often trying to navigate challenging interactions, resulting in “walking on eggshells”, constant power battles, or burnout. Unspoken grief, disappointment, or confusion on how to help your child does not need to be the norm. 

In short, if you need immediate information or don’t have the resources to support long-term coaching, then more traditional style sessions may be for you.

If you are looking for fundamental changes, additional support, or want access to ongoing weekly support outside of sessions, then therapeutic coaching may be more what you’re looking for!

Put simply, my stance on parenting is rooted in two things: love and emotional safety. My own unique upbringing in conjunction with my decade of experience working with families has taught me that successful, loving, and fulfilled families come in many shapes, sizes, religious backgrounds, and parenting styles.

Some families prefer a more structured approach, with emphasis placed on authoritarian-styled parenting and roles in the home. For others, less structure and more freedom increases autonomy and values self-expression. Regardless of your stance, I tailor my coaching services to support your family, elevating the parts that are already working while adding practices that support healthy connection and mutual respect.

When it comes to parenting children who are neurodivergent, emphasis is placed on supporting the child while creating systems that set them up for success emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. I practice from a neuroaffirming model, integrating my experiences on a multidisciplinary team to support your child with their mental health, executive functioning, and developmental milestones.

It’s normal to want to know how long this process will take to create change in your home. You’re spending hard earned money for this service, after all! How quickly change occurs is really dependent on multiple things:

• Your motivation to effect change

• Your capacity to tolerate challenges as they arise

• Stressors already present in the home, including economic or mental health stress

• Frequency of sessions

• Consistency of implementing changes in the home

• Your willingness to “be real” in sessions, including sharing when I make recommendations that don’t click with your family or feel helpful

• Level of change sought

For some families, ongoing coaching is seen as a vital part of their health care! Together, we work on an ongoing basis to tackle challenges as they arise and find out what blocks are coming up for you or your family.

So, what do sessions look like?

For the first three sessions, I spend a significant amount of time diving into understanding your family from multiple angles. We’ll talk about current discipline practices, the needs of the children in your home, family dynamics, roles, your family’s cultural background, sensory challenges, routines, and your goals. I’ll assess what your areas of strength are, your current understanding of your child’s diagnosis, and areas where change is needed.

Following our assessment phase, we’ll begin talking about whether you’re looking for more direct traditional coaching or therapeutic coaching!