Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Ridgefield?
I am originally from Katonah, NY and have lived in Ridgefield since 2016
How many children do you have? What are their names and ages?
I have 2 curious, energetic, kind boys. Caleb is 6 and Ethan is 4!
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I lived in Costa Rica for a year working at a luxury safari tent camp.
I have slept on a glacier in Alaska and have been scuba diving in The Blue Hole in Belize.
Tell us about your work?
I am a certified parent coach who helps empower parents across the country to shift from surviving to thriving in their relationships with their kids. As a long-time educator, I bring an expert lens on child development and realistic expectations for every age and stage to support our work with tools, new perspectives and research based practices.
Coaching is different from counseling or therapy. Whereas therapy can often focus on healing past wounds or for healing what is getting in the way of a satisfying life, coaching work aims to help navigate present day challenges with a strengths-based approach. Coaching brings fresh perspectives to present, everyday challenges, and focuses on the strengths of the parent and family. Coaching sessions help encourage parents to meet their children’s needs with more ease and confidence than they ever thought was possible.
What is unique about the parent coaching process is that you get tailored sessions each week that are specific to your desires and your unique family. Many of the parenting programs out there are generally helpful but with our coaching sessions, we get to explore the specifics of the challenges YOU are facing, looking at all the factors that may be impacting the situation. My compassionate, non-judgmental approach supports all perspectives and honors each family’s needs and goals.
Who can benefit from the work you do and/or what do you hope your clients gain from their time with you?
Parenting was not meant to be done alone. I’m finding that right now is a perfect time for Parent Coaching considering our “new normal.” Through the pandemic, the paradigm of parenting is changing. Perhaps you are building a new type of relationship with your child, or discovering something new about your child that has you scratching your head, or the struggles at home have been amplified with all the time spent together. Parents all over the country are making hard choices and sacrifices to adjust and adapt to our new world. With all of this, comes changing family dynamics and new challenges with little to no hands-on family or community support.
As your parent coach, I get to be on your team to support you to gain clarity about what’s not working and how to address it in a way that feels inspiring! My current clients have commented that coaching sessions have been so helpful in trying to figure out how to better handle their children’s tantrums or their teen’s outbursts, constant sibling battles as well as finding the spaces in their days to create connection and happiness with their children. They’ve been looking forward to the ‘self care’ time together each week, to reflect and give themselves the time to figure out how they can re-prioritize and better their families. I’ve seen them find some ease and relief through our work, as they implement their realizations and find small ways to effectively make positive change in their lives for themselves and their children.
What’s been the best piece of advice you’ve received from another mother?
#1 No one is going to hand over the time and space I need to take of myself. I need to be intentional about caring for myself or I am not able to take care of my family the way I want to. This lesson really spoke to me, as self-care is an essential part of being a parent. If we don’t take care of ourselves-, in whatever way that looks for you, then we ultimately don’t have the capacity to take care of our children or have any energy for our partner.
#2 If you really listen to your children, they will be your teachers as much as you are theirs. This really spoke to me because as a parent, we always have our own agendas or what we think should be the “Right” way to do something, but the truth is, in order to build a connection based relationship with your child/children, it is crucial to actually listen to them, and ensure they know you are listening. These little people are insightful, intuitive and know more than we sometimes give them credit for!
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
I have been supported by some local moms that sought my coaching support during the pandemic. I’m grateful for the connections I have made through my over 100 hours of coaching and networking connections, I have launched my business and support parents nationally.
***I offer complimentary consultations and am excited to meet new parents who are ready to step into a new chapter of life grow!***