
Three years ago, I was leading a team of researchers at a large non-profit in Washington D.C.
But then my world fell apart...
My son had started having violent meltdowns that seemed to exponentially escalate no matter what I did to help him. Increasingly, he stopped eating, walking, and speaking. When he wasn’t hidden inside of himself, he would explode, and eventually I became scared of my own child. When I caught his gaze, I would see fear in his eyes too. I had no idea what to do.
Deep down I had always known something about my child was not typical.
As a baby, I could never soothe him and no matter what parenting book I scoured, none of it applied to my son. When I asked pediatricians questions, they told me my son was verbal, socially engaged, and pretty good at eye contact, and not to worry.
So I blamed myself.
I told myself I simply wasn’t a good mom and tried to push through. Until one day I couldn't anymore.
I left my career and we moved our family to a small town in Michigan. After a year as a full-time caregiver, mother, and researcher of my child, I came across Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA).
Suddenly, everything became clear and set me on a journey that has transformed my life and my views and assumptions about human behavior.
By changing how I understand, parent, and accommodate my son, I found a deep connection with him and a sense of competence and peace in my identity as a parent.
Now that my family is at peace and stable, I am committing my energy and time to getting your family or practice there too.
See ServicesWhat I Will Do
- Help you feel confident and at peace as a parent or practitioner supporting a PDA child or children.
- See your children as whole humans who will thrive with the right support.
- Offer trauma-informed approaches and creative accommodations for anxiety and meltdowns.
- Support you to lead your family out of any darkness, while naming that you can't do it alone.
What I Won't Do
- Shame, blame or judge you based on your challenges with your child or children.
- View your child or children as a disorder, a diagnosis, or people who need to be “fixed.”
- Suggest you use sticker charts, time-outs, or ABA therapy.
- Give up on you or allow you to give up on yourself.