Neurodivergent Affirming Parenting Specialist
Emotional Support for Parents of Neurodivergent Kids
Online Therapy and Parent Coaching for Parents of Autistic, ADHDers, and Other Kids that Don’t Quite Fit in the Typical Mold
No one prepared you for how tough parenting would be.
You question yourself constantly, and it feels like the stakes are even higher with your autistic child or ADHDer than for other parents.
There isn’t really a guidebook or a path, the way there is for other kids. But everyone has an opinion. The truth is no one knows what it’s like to walk a day in your shoes with your child.
But still those opinions leave you questioning yourself. Are you doing what’s right for your child and your family?
Other parents don’t understand the highs and lows, the exhaustion and isolation.
What it’s like when your child’s needs alone exceed the hours in the day. Or when you are so overwhelmed you can’t even do the bare minimum.
Through all of it, your life is often clouded with the bittersweet sadness of, “I love my child, but we are both missing out on so much”.
On top of all this, you and your partner can’t even agree what the right thing to do for your child is.
Sometimes you have this anger at the situation that you just can’t explain.
Helping You Be a Better Mom to Your Neurodivergent Child
Imagine;
Feeling sure about what is best for your child. Knowing what the next steps are or at least trusting you can trust yourself to figure out what is best.
You wake up feeling rested and ready to tackle the day with time to take care of yourself so you can care for your child the way they deserve. You can care for both of you in a way that allows the two of you (and the rest of the family) to flourish and grow.
The sadness that has colored your life all these years no longer shapes your everyday interactions.
You see your child’s strengths and know how to help them when they struggle. You see them for who they are and are able to accept them as they are. Without trying to make them into someone they aren’t and never will be.
The relationship you have with your child has become easier and calmer.
As a family you are slowly going from surviving to coping, and from coping to thriving.
MEET DANIELLE
Your Neurodivergent Affirming Therapist for Parenting Support
As a neurodivergent affirming therapist, I don’t believe that ADHD and Autism (or any of the other neurodivergent conditions) are disabilities. They are differences that make it harder for your child to live in a world made for neurotypical brains.
As your therapist for parenting support, I will help you understand your child better. Help you learn to help meet their needs while you are also meeting your own. So that as they get older, you can teach them how to be independent in meeting their own needs.
Together, we will face the hard feelings, the grief, isolation, and frustration so that you can come around to acceptance. This is the first step in accepting your child for who they are and helping them to be their most genuine self in the world.
Specializing in Neurodivergent Parenting
Supporting mothers of autistic or ADHDer kids is my specialty. I help you to be the parent you want to be by learning to take care of yourself and your child in a way that allows both of you to be yourselves.
I work with parents of neurodivergent kids, no matter where you are in your parenting journey;
Before, during, and after diagnosis
Parents of kids of all ages, from newborn to 45
Parents of kids who are high-masking
Parents of kids who are non-speaking
Difficulty transitioning to school
Difficulty in school
Social Difficulties
Burnout
Homeschooling
Persistent Demand for Autonomy (PDA)
Transitioning to adulthood
I work with mothers who are experiencing;
Isolation
Grief
Anxiety
Overwhelm
Chronic Stress
Trauma (PTSD)
Relationship disconnect with their child
If you are ready to be your best self and the best mother you can be click the button below to get started
Services That Support Mothers of Neurodivergent Kids
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In individual therapy, I will help you to learn to take better care of yourself in a way that works with your life. We’ll walk you through the hard feelings so that you can be the mom you want to be. Help you to learn more about your child’s needs and how their needs may be impacting you. We’ll work together to help you get both of your needs met so that you can both flourish and grow.
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Group therapy helps you feel less alone. When you hear that other parents have been having a similar experience, it breaks the isolation that many parents experience. You learn that this isn’t your fault and that other parents are experiencing the same situations and feelings. You also learn what has worked for other parents and what hasn’t.
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In parent coaching, we focus on your child. I help you to understand what they might be experiencing and what they need from you. The goal of parent coaching is that you feel more confident about how you approach your child and that you are doing the best that you can for them.
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Many mothers experience trauma. There are all of the traumatic experiences we might be exposed to as women, but then you add the trauma of being a mother. The vulnerability to trauma, direct and through your child, starts at conception and continues throughout our lives. Birth trauma, medical trauma, bullying, or dangerous situations, all of these things can traumatize the parent watching these things happen to their child. You might even have vicarious trauma through incidents that happen to children who are not your own.
As a mother of a neurodivergent child, the possibility is higher. Your child eloping, possibly being aggressive, experiencing extreme emotions or fear in situations they don’t understand, all of this is traumatic for your child, but also as their mom.
We feel the things that are happening to our children often as though they are happening to ourselves.
Trauma can impact our ability to parent, whether it is trauma from our past or as a mother. Treating your trauma can help you become a better parent and be more present for your child.
I offer two types of trauma treatment that can help you get to the other side.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy
In ART, bilateral stimulation is used to help you process traumatic memories. This treatment works quickly (1-5 sessions) without your having to discuss the trauma. You keep the memory of what happened, but lose the pain from the sensations and images that have been bothering you since the incident.
I’ve seen really impressive results using ART for trauma, complex trauma, anxiety, and phobias.
Brainspotting
Brainspotting allows you to process traumatic experiences in a way that works best for your brain. This gentle therapy allows you to process and become unstuck without having to relive or verbalize the trauma.
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I also offer three-day weekend trauma intensives aimed at helping you recover from your trauma quickly. This can be particularly helpful for moms who continue to have trauma or other symptoms that they haven’t been able to shake. These intensives utilize a tailored mix of brainspotting and ART to help you get as much recovery as possible in one weekend.
This is particularly helpful for busy moms who don’t have the time in their schedule for weekly therapy but need to get back to themselves as quickly as possible.
A NOTE ABOUT LANGUAGE ON MY WEBSITEYou will notice that I use a variety of terms for autistic and ADHDers, including terms like person-first language and incorrect verb tenses. I do this because I want parents at all stages in their journey to be able to find me. In order to be accessible to parents early in their journey, it is important that I use language on my site that they use as well as the preferred language. My intent is not to offend but to provide affirming support to all of the parents who need it.
REACHING OUT FOR SUPPORTParenting Your Neurodivergent Child
I know that you have a lot on your plate, so I try to make getting the support you need as easy as possible. I have both morning and evening times available as well as weekends for intensives. I can see you through telehealth anywhere in California.