Imagine two divorced parents — different households, different parenting styles — and a three-year-old melting down multiple times every single day. That was Kari and Kyle when they first came to see me. They had tried everything. Timeouts. Reasoning. Rewards charts. Consequences. Ignoring the behavior. Nothing worked — not because they weren’t trying hard enough,…
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Parents often ask about parent coaching vs therapy — specifically how my parent education and coaching differs from therapy. While both provide support and growth, their purpose, structure, and focus are quite different. What Therapy Provides Therapy creates a confidential and non-judgmental space to explore emotions, manage stress, and improve mental health. The process centers…
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Does this sound familiar? “You shouldn’t talk to the kids that way.” “You’re being too lenient with them.” “Let me handle this situation. Your approach is making everything harder.” High-stress parenting moments often trigger a destructive pattern: the blame cycle. You feel your partner’s methods are adding to the chaos. They feel attacked and unsupported.…
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From Authoritarian Control to Authoritative Leadership—In Families and Beyond Right now, we’re witnessing a global reckoning with authoritarian leadership. From politics to workplaces to families, people are rejecting top-down control and demanding more collaborative, respectful approaches. This shift is happening in parenting too—and it matters more than you might think. Recent research shows that 75%…
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MaryEllen Learns How to Respond to Her Anxious Son So He gets Calm and Can think Better MaryEllen’s story in her own words: I Can Now Reduce My Son’s Outbursts – age 10 My husband and I are working with Cynthia and I learned that I was a part of my 10 year-old son’s outbursts.…
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Parenting is one of life’s greatest joys—and greatest challenges. When you’re raising children with a partner, those challenges can multiply. You’re not just guiding a child; you’re also navigating each other’s parenting approach, stress levels, and emotional triggers. Over the past 30+ years, I’ve helped hundreds of couples move from conflict to connection. If you’re…
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July 4th is Independence Day in the U.S.—but if you’re raising a tween or teen, every day can feel like an Independence Day struggle. Does this sound familiar? “Everyone else gets to…” “Why are you so worried? Nothing bad is going to happen.” “I’m going to go anyway, so you might as well drive me.”…
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Every parent wants to see their child grow into a confident, self-assured individual—ready to take on life’s challenges with courage and resilience. But what really builds that inner strength? Telling your child how great they are the solution because it’s not coming from inside of them. Confidence doesn’t come from praise —it comes from experiences,…
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Have you ever received parenting advice and thought, “I tried that already, and it didn’t work”? If so, you’re not alone. Parenting can often feel like a never-ending journey of trial and error, especially when advice seems to miss the mark. If the strategies you’ve tried aren’t giving you the results you expect, there might…
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Are Logical Consequences Really Effective? Do you set up logical consequences to get your kids to do what you want them to do? How do you feel about them? How effective are they? If they keep repeating the undesired behavior, then they’re NOT effective. Perhaps you say, “If you don’t put the dishes in the…
DetailsTerms of Use: The articles in my blog are a matter of my opinion and perspective, offered to help stimulate parents' thinking about their child raising and common concerns, conflicts, and changes that typically occur. They are meant to be educational only. Because they are general in nature, they should NOT be used as a substitute for getting qualified professional psychological, medical, or legal help should serious need arise. The resources I recommend are mostly consistent with my parenting approach. Use them at your own discretion as you would my articles. The parents’ success stories are particular to their family situation. This does not mean that you would get the same results. They are to be used for inspiration that by you changing first, you have the greatest chance of creating a positive change in your family.