I want to be here for you because I have been you
Support from Experience
“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” -Bell Hooks
I started coaching because of my passion and skill to help others through difficult situations. Including my own. I’ve worked in healthcare for over 20 years helping people navigate through difficult diagnoses and the crippling emotional effects associated with them. I am passionate about coaching because I know from experience that RAD parents struggle in a way no one else does. And we often struggle through this alone. But we need support and community to survive. I’m a trauma-informed, certified Life and Wellness Coach and have spent years researching and learning healing methods, modalities, and treatments that have helped myself and others heal even when it felt impossible. I am here for you because I have been you.
My Story
I always wanted to start a family but my husband and I started later in life and faced a cancer diagnosis and then infertility. We adopted locally and became the proud and very excited parents of siblings, a brother and sister. I envisioned the perfect family; Sunday dinners, family vacations, doing homework at the table together, making incredible memories. But both of our children had Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). For 6 years, we had no clue they had this diagnosis or what RAD was. We knew something wasn’t “right” but we couldn’t put our finger on it. My husband and I were parenting our children just like everyone else, providing them with rich learning opportunities, lots of love and affection, and a safe and loving home. Despite this, we found ourselves struggling when other parents weren’t. We were living in constant chaos, confusion, stress, fear, and always walking on eggshells. Later, we were forced to navigate through a broken system, a multitude of therapists, shelters, Residential Treatment Centers (RTCs), and finally, a therapeutic boarding school, with very little support.
And, like most families, we experienced the financial burden of having to pay for most of the care ourselves. My marriage was beginning to crumble. Our savings dwindled. I felt like the worst parent in the world. I hated that I didn’t even have the option to be a “normal” parent. I was lonely, burned out, depleted. There was no one to talk to who could really understand or help. This is what led me to where I am now. And it’s the reason why I help other RAD moms and dads.
Fast forward to today. I’m happy. I feel like myself again. And I’m in a happy marriage (the same one!). We made it. And if I have anything to do with it, you will too.