Who I Am

I'm a mother to two amazing, determined, caring girls who give me the chance to practice respectful, positive caregiving every day. I'm also a partner to a kind, loving, intelligent, hilarious man who has helped me learn to accept myself just as I am.

I feel most like "myself" when I'm helping others live easier, more peaceful, connected lives. I'm a firm believer in aiming for balance in all things, and being ok with falling short of that goal. 

My story

I received my PhD in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) with an emphasis in Couple and Family Therapy from Michigan State University in 2014. While pursuing my doctorate I worked as a Couple and Family Therapist in the state of Michigan helping families navigate difficult times. My research focused on how marital and family relationships influence parenting and child development. I continued this research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an Assistant Professor of HDFS and UW-Extension as a Early Childhood and Parenting Specialist.

While I loved my work as a new professor, I found that I missed working directly with families. However, I also felt nervous to leave a path that I had been planning and working toward for so long. And then, while pregnant with my second daughter I was in a life-changing car accident and I started to ask myself new questions: 

Who are you as a parent? Who are you as a partner? Who are you as a person?

What do you want from this life?

I didn't know the answers, but I did know that I wouldn't find them in academia. And so I left. I took time to heal and re-discover my passion in life. And then I started connecting with parents online and in my community. I invite you to explore these questions too; on your own, with a loved one, or possibly with me.

What I Do

I help individuals, partners, and co-parents become the parents they are longing to be. I help overwhelmed and disconnected parents reconnect with themselves, each other, and their children. I help parents bring ease, calm and JOY back into their hectic and chaotic lives. I help parents stop yelling and start feeling confident in themselves. I do this through my unique approach to parenting that is grounded in research and driven by the overarching goal of restoring balance and compassion to families.

Becoming a parent changes us and often leaves us lonely and lost. I help parents find their way and, in the process, find themselves and each other.

If you’re feeling lost, overwhelmed, and disconnected, come join me in conversations in my podcast The Balanced Parent and on Instagram & Facebook. I’m here with you and together, we’ve got this!