My Approach

My approach to working with children and families is rooted in the wisdom that every child and caregiver already holds. I come to you, not as someone with all the answers, but as someone who will get into the thick of it with you, who will get down and dirty with your kiddos, and build creative support systems with you and your family. You are the expert in the room, and I am here to synthesize your knowledge, reflect what I notice, and collaborate with you and your child(ren) so you can flow with life’s changes.

My Values

Curiosity

As a young child, I always wanted to know “why.” I wanted to know how things worked, why people made the decisions they made, and to understand why the world was the way it was. This curiosity remains core to my being and my approach in working with families. I believe it is my job to wonder and ask questions because, while there may not always be clear answers to raising children, questions allow us to open doors and get creative together.
I also support families and caregivers in becoming curious about new things, their child’s behaviors, and the systems that are currently in place. Together we will ask a lot of questions about ourselves, our needs, how we want things to stay the same, and how we want things to be different. Often it is easy to fall into routines with our family life when the world demands so much of us. Together we will bring back a spark of wonder to see what it can offer.

Disability Justice & Neuroaffirming Practices

My approach welcomes all families and all children. Whether you suspect your child might be contending with a disability, have been navigating disability for years, or are not familiar with disability experiences, disability justice informs my entire practice. Disability Justice tells us that every single body and every single mind have wisdom to offer the world. It tells us that by centering those who are most impacted by the systems in our society, we learn how to create a world that makes space for us all. It also tells us that the world in which we live is not made for us as it stands, and that the way we change that is by connecting with each other and building community webs of support.

My commitment to disability justice extends to practices that affirm and support all varieties of neurotypes. From autism to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder to anxiety, human brains function in infinite numbers of ways and oftentimes, children’s excitement about the world allows us to see the beauty and the challenges in all of these ways of functioning.

In our work together I will ensure that I meet your and your child’s needs (think: captions on Zoom calls, early morning sessions to accommodate for the work day, or shorter sessions to allow for increased rest time between activities). And, we will work together to find out how we can make your family life, your child’s life, more accessible. Maybe you need a stool in the kitchen to be able to rest while cooking dinner. Maybe your child needs a visual schedule at home. Maybe your time with your kiddo needs to happen in bed given your mobility needs. Regardless of your disability status or your children's, we will work together to increase ease and joy in your family life.

Play

Play is one of the richest ways to learn, grow, heal, and adapt to changing conditions. As children and adults, play can and should be central to our lives. One of the most beautiful aspects of play is that it can look like so many things and encompass everyone’s interests and needs. It is joyful, accessible, and targets key parts of our brain that contribute to our overall wellbeing.

Whether meeting online or in person, we will play together. Whether meeting 1:1 as adults or in a group with your children, we will play together. We will sing songs, explore toys, spend time in nature, and find types of play that speak to your family’s needs.

Slowness & Spaciousness

We live in a moment in time that demands that we are “on” all the time, to be moving fast every day, and to focus on checking off our to-do lists as efficiently as possible. This is how most of us must live to meet our daily needs. And, this is not how our bodies were designed to live life. I approach consulting and coaching work with the understanding that growth, change, healing, and curiosity takes time. We do not need to rush through our work together; we do not need to rush ourselves or our children. Let’s save our fast-moving energy for our truly urgent tasks and ensure that our time together moves at the pace of our own internal clocks.

This also means that in our work together, we will set clear expectations around time and pace. It is easy to want a quick fix or quick change in ourselves, our children, or our routines, but those quick fixes do not usually address the root of what is needed. We will work together to build comfort with slower changes and celebrate the small steps along the way to our larger goals.