I have a special academic interest in helping families with their spirited kids, or children with suspected or diagnosed ADHD. While many resources exist for parents of kids with ADHD, frustratingly most of these prescribe behaviourist discipline techniques which are not supported by the latest research and neuroscience. I can help parents to practise science-backed authoritative parenting with their neurodivergent children and I can recommend practical, supportive resources.

For my Master’s degree thesis, I researched how the principles of positive psychology (many components of peaceful parenting) can assist parents of children with ADHD.

In 2018, I attended the Australian Conference on Neurodevelopmental Disorders where I learned directly from highly acclaimed worldwide ADHD researcher and expert, Professor Russell Barkley, over several days.

In April 2023, I attended the Victorian ADHD Conference, where I updated my knowledge of new developments in the ADHD world.

I am an associate member of AADPA (the Australian ADHD Professionals Association) and am familiar with the Australian Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (2022).

It’s never too late to start peaceful parenting. I can work with you to implement the peaceful parenting tools to help you to improve your relationships with your older kids and to re-establish your connection so that they care what you think and are motivated to do the right thing.

While the concept of 2e is not as widely known in Australia as it is in the United States, I’ve seen how frustrating it can be for families of kids who might be neurodivergent plus gifted in some domain. Many schools rationalise that, unless a child’s academic results are suffering, then there’s no reason to provide specialised support or try to fully understand these students, who can be struggling in many areas of life. I can help provide you with support and resources to assist with twice-exceptionality.

If your child is struggling at school in any way, I can help you to clarify the issues, prepare for meetings and support you as you navigate interacting with your child’s school.

I completed the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology where I focussed much of my study on parenting and education.

I also attended a full-day workshop with parenting and education author and expert, Alfie Kohn, author of 14 books and hundreds of articles, in relation to research-based positive education principles.

Accordingly, I can assist you to better understand what positive education is, how it can benefit your child, and to select a positive education school in your area.

I have completed the Montessori World Education Institute’s Introduction to Montessori Theory and Philosophy Workshop and was a parent at a Montessori school for eight years. I also researched aspects of the Montessori educational approach as part of my Master’s degree. So, I can answer many of your questions in relation to Montessori education and provide you with resources to help you decide whether Montessori education might be a good choice for your child.

I can help you to discern whether some of your child’s struggles might be stemming from sensory processing issues and help you to seek an evaluation and to find professional support.

With rates of child and adolescent anxiety on the rise, I can help you implement certain peaceful parenting practices in your home to help alleviate some anxiety and to strengthen your connection with your child. I can also put you in touch with resources to support you and your child, and I can refer you for your child’s assessment and professional psychological support if required.

Routines are my forté! So many behavioural concerns can be improved by establishing predictable daily family routines. I can assist you to review your family’s daily routines to help make bedtime or getting out the door so much more relaxed, fun and positive, while engendering independence and mastery in your kids.

My goodness, parenting is hard! The peaceful parenting approach is premised on the assertion that you can’t be the parent you want to be unless you have the inner resources to regulate your own emotions and be present with your child. The research supports this. In 2002, I became certified as a yoga and meditation teacher and I taught for over 7 years. I am diligent with my own self-care and I can share a variety of different resources with you so that you can find suitable self-care practices that you love and can build into your routine.

There isn’t much information out there specifically tailored to parents of ‘only’ or, as I prefer to call them, single children. I can help you explore the positives as well as avoid the possible pitfalls of having one child in the family.