Instructor Specialty: School and learning

Adrianne Kmet

Monday, October 18 2021 No Comments

Adrianne is a trauma-informed Registered Nurse working with neurodivergent individuals and their families. As a wife and mother of two (soon to be three) children in a neurodivergent family, she deeply understands the importance of acceptance and connection as a safe base from which growth can occur. Adrianne and her husband Martin have used the Hand-in-Hand Parenting tools since their children were young and it has changed their lives!

Magdalena Garcia

Tuesday, September 21 2021 No Comments

Magdalena has supported families and children for many years in preschool, elementary and middle school as a teacher, a teacher coach, and Director. She co-founded a small non-profit K-8 school focused on social-emotional development, moving beyonds rewards and punishments, and on being in relationship with students. She taught in both large inner city public schools and small private schools, and found the struggle for parents and teachers to be the same: how to stay in good relationship with children/students when the going gets rough? And the going sure can get rough!

Alison Kemi

Thursday, July 29 2021 No Comments

Alison is passionate about seeing the goodness in children and their parents, no matter how tough things seem to be, and supporting them to find what works for their own unique situation. Before becoming a parent, Alison had worked for over 10 years as a primary teacher and holds Post Graduate Certificates in Social, Emotional and Behavioural Development and Physical Education. Connecting with children through play and listening to what is most important to them has opened up many opportunities for joy, fun and learning with family, friends and at school.

Alice Ritch

Wednesday, April 7 2021 No Comments

As I filtered through the noise of all the parenting advice out there I kept finding my way back to Hand in Hand Parenting. Here was an approach so rich and deep in its scope, so ahead of its time in terms of trauma informed, embodied practice AND it was based on the real authentic experiences of parents from all over the world.

Vera Braghiroli

Monday, October 26 2020 No Comments

Vera is mother, wife, Home Education Consultant and certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor. Originally from Italy, she studied and worked in Milan, and there met her partner. They moved to London together in 2007, for an adventure that is still ongoing. After 12 years as a promo producer and director for big international television

Summer Sheldon

Friday, August 14 2020 No Comments

Summer Sheldon lives in beautiful rural Oregon with her husband, three kiddos, a dog, two cats, and a very fluffy rabbit. She started using Hand in Hand tools with her young children in 2010 when she heard Patty speak at a conference on the importance of LISTENING to her child’s emotions and CONNECTING through hard

Mihaela Plugarasu, M.S.

Wednesday, January 8 2020 No Comments

Mihaela Plugarasu, M.S., is an educator with 20 years of leadership, self- development and teaching experience. She is a mom, a co-parent and a college professor in Miami, Florida. She teaches parents how to use listening tools and self – inquiry to connect with themselves and their children, especially when parenting feels hard. Mihaela is

Flóra Bacsó

Monday, October 28 2019 No Comments

I first graduated as a teacher of English and French. I was always interested in methods that help us connect better with each other, even in hard times. First, I found mediation, the Restorative Practices, then Hand in Hand Parenting. At present I work as a trainer, mediator, mentor and project manager for an NGO

Carrie Meadows

Tuesday, February 12 2019 No Comments

I am a proud mum of two wonderful boys aged four and six and I work with parents in Derbyshire, Sheffield, and Nottinghamshire. I found Hand in Hand Parenting when looking for tools to help practice the attachment theory I’d been reading about. Our eldest son was turning 2 ½ when our new baby son

Karen Wolfe, LMFT

Friday, June 1 2018 No Comments

Karen Wolfe, MA is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor, and the founder of SF Bay Play Therapy Family Counseling Center serving families and couples in San Francisco, Oakland, and through telehealth throughout California. She has been supporting children and families since 2002 and her specialty is doing play

Muftiah Martin, LMFT

Thursday, August 11 2016 No Comments

When Muftiah found Hand in Hand Parenting, she felt an immediate resonance with the approach. The blend of support for the parent, tools for connecting with children, and tools for handling emotional moments are the perfect trilogy. In it, Muftiah unlocked her passion for supporting other parents in their parenting journey. Muftiah is a Licensed

Carol Kellendonk

Wednesday, March 4 2015 No Comments

I am a certified music teacher and I have been teaching in different school settings for over 25 years. I am also the mother of four children from age thirteen to twenty five. I started teaching, because I always had a good connection and a natural empathy with children. I also deeply believed, that every

Patty Wipfler, Founder

Thursday, March 20 2014 No Comments

Patty Wipfler was born, raised, and educated in California, graduating from Occidental College in 1968, and is the mother of two sons. The focus of her work since 1974 has been teaching basic listening, parenting, and leadership skills to parents. She directed The School, a non-profit parent co-operative preschool in Palo Alto, and later directed

Madeleine Winter

Tuesday, March 18 2014 No Comments

Madeleine says, “the best thing I ever did was become a parent. I don’t want any parent to feel bad about themselves as a parent. No matter what the struggle, we parents are the bravest, most dedicated bunch of people I ever came across, and I feel so proud to be one.” Madeleine was lucky

Kathy Gordon

Friday, August 30 2013 No Comments

Kathy came to parenting late in life. She was single and in her 40s when she recognized her burning desire to be a Mom. So 10 years ago, Kathy adopted a beautiful baby boy, who is now, as tall as she! More than anything Kathy wanted her son to experience the unconditional love that she

Michelle Kokel, Ph. D

Thursday, August 8 2013 No Comments

Michelle has been involved with Hand in Hand since 2008 when she first experienced the transformative power of the listening tools. She feels privileged to support parents as they take on the emotional work necessary to untangle early hurts and build warm, connected relationships and strong support systems. Michelle’s areas of interest include helping children

Ravid Aisenman Abramsohn

Tuesday, August 6 2013 No Comments

Ravid began by bringing Parenting by Connection to the Israeli community in Silicon Valley, California, and is now providing services in Israel. She has two girls and has been using listening tools since 2008. Through her work with Hand in Hand she has taught different classes, workshops, play trainings, and parent consultations in Hebrew and

Rachel Schofield

Tuesday, August 6 2013 No Comments

Rachel Schofield has been involved with Hand in Hand Parenting 2007. She’s a Professional Member of the Australian Association of Family Therapists, and Mum to two boys. Rachel says, “So many parents I work with want to raise their child in loving respectful ways but find it hard to do.” “They feel like failures – and