Parenting Support for Young Families

in santa barbara & Virtually across CALIFORNIA

If parenting is supposed to be intuitive, rewarding and beautiful, then why is it so hard?

Becoming a parent is filled with so many surprises, good and bad. You’re not alone if you find yourself in a place where you feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and confused. For many, this is the hardest “job” they’ve ever had, one for which they’ve received no training.

Whether you’re a mom of a newborn or a parent of a five year old, you might find yourself:

  • Feeling anxious, irritable, depressed, guilty, frazzled, ashamed

  • Completely (and unexpectedly) triggered by something in your child’s behavior

  • Unsure what is the “right” or best way to parent your child

  • Unable to co-parent smoothly with a partner or spouse

  • Wondering how everyone else is seemingly thriving and has this family thing figured out, while your day to day feels like
    a mess

  • Longing for your old life, freedom and independence

  • Grieving the changes to your body

  • Unfamiliar with this new identity

  • Unable to make sense of the conflicting feelings of such deep love and gratitude for this time, while simultaneously not feeling happy

“We’re all imperfect parents and that’s perfectly ok. Tiny humans need connection, not perfection.” -L.R. Knost

How PARENTING SUPPORT works

We make space for you and your role as a parent. You can learn to work through challenges mindfully, with love and with confidence.

I offer a unique hybrid therapy-coaching model. Our sessions focus on concrete solutions to manage challenges in parenting, while also making space for exploring your experience in this new role, as well as your past experience “being parented” as a child. The two go hand in hand, as we cannot clear the way to find new ways to cope and grow, if we don’t fully recognize and examine our ingrained notions of what it means to be a “good parent” or a “good kid.”

I utilize a Psycho-Educational approach, as well as concepts and techniques of Mindful Parenting, so we can gain a better understanding of your child’s inner experience and your feelings as a parent. Through gaining this insight, parents achieve greater clarity, ownership and freedom in parenting decisions.

When working with parents, I encourage all of us to try to hold an open, curious and compassionate stance (because this is hard work, and as a parent, you’re trying your best!). I pull from the latest in neuroscience, Attachment Theory, Psychodynamic Theory and Developmental Psychology, to find ways to strengthen your connection with your child, and create a healthy relationship that will continue to grow.

Parenting support can help you…

  • Bond with your baby or child

  • Process birth trauma

  • Make space for your own emotional needs

  • Maintain realistic expectations for your child’s behavior

  • Understand toddler behavior, so it’s less provoking or baffling

  • Set and hold limits ("discipline") with love and empathy

  • Navigate boundaries with family members

  • Develop self-care strategies

  • Better handle tantrums

  • Get resources for sleep challenges

  • Prepare for school and other transitions

  • Plan to introduce a new sibling

It truly takes a village to raise a child.
Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.