Parenting Support
“Part of truly loving our kids, and giving them what they need, means offering them clear and consistent boundaries, creating predictable structure in their lives, as well as having high expectations for them.” -Daniel J. Siegl M.D.
DO ANY OF THESE HIT HOME?
Longing for the “easier” days of “little kids, little problems”.
Every interaction ends in a fight, or someone crying and stomping away.
Questioning every decision you make.
Feeling shut out of your child or teen’s life.
Stuck in the role of prison guard rather than parent.
Wondering how your teen will ever become independent?
Unsure of how to comfort or when to push.
Feeling beat up and manipulated by your teen.
Secretly worrying your kid will end up living in a box on the street or hearing your teen spiral down to this fear after a mistake or failure.
You’ve tried everything you can think of and nothing seems to help.
Parental Overwhelm Daily life is stressful. There are so many demands on our time it can start to feel like our main interaction with our kids is just yelling at them to “Come on! Let’s go!”. When we are already stretched so thin, any additional problem can become overwhelming. If you are hoping for more than busy, exhausted, and worried let’s work together to create the homelife you’ve dreamed of.
Parenting at Every Stage The internet is full of advice on how to parent kids of all ages, but who has time to read it all, figure out the contradictions and translate it to real life? Let a professional do that for you. We can help distill down the latest research about developing brains to practical methods tailored specifically to the needs, values, and challenges of your family.
The Teenage Years Do parents and teens just not speak the same language? You say something loving and supportive and your teen reacts as if you just stomped on their phone. We can help translate among the divide so that you can improve your relationship and begin to have influence over your teen again. We combine attachment theory with brain development in order to help you learn to express love AND expectations to your teen in order to restore harmony and connection. We use a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Informed approach to parenting to help you foster responsibility and independence in your teens and young adults so they can achieve their goals.
Anxiety Anxiety is a thief. It can steal sleep, family activities, social interactions, grades, vacations, friendships, future possibilities, and joy. Anxiety is the most common mental health concerns for teens. As a parent how can you support a kid who seems frozen in the face of responsibilities? Or a kid who appears fine on the outside but is silently suffering? We teach parents ways to respond effectively and build their teens’ ability to face difficulties with confidence. We also help parents manage their own anxiety and examine how it impacts the way they parent. We help parents respond to kid’s anxiety in a way that helps them grow in resilience and confidence.
Other Mental and Behavioral Concerns We work with teens, parents, and young adults to address these concerns: depression, problems in school, not attending school, self-harm, anger and defiance, lack of responsibility, perfectionism, risky behavior, LGBTQIA+ issues, and failure to launch. Andi specializes in offering coaching and support to parents whose teens are participating in DBT.
Hard Times Death. Divorce. Illness. Accidents. Deployment. Addiction. Moving. Changing Schools. Bullying. Although we’d like to shield our children from all the hard, scary parts of life it is not always possible. You need a space to deal with your own grief and confusion while you also support your children through hard times. We can provide you with ways to care for yourself and your kids as you navigate the ups and downs of life.
Change and Transitions When the family life changes abruptly and you find yourself a single parent, life becomes chaotic and overwhelming. It’s hard to get your footing, to be consistent, and sometimes, even to know where to begin in a new life when emotions are raw and there are so many decisions that seem urgent. You feel pressure to get it all right and overwhelmed by all your responsibilities. We can help you start small and gain clarity on what’s essential as you adjust to your new reality.
