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 felt was missing from her childhood, but parenting a child whose first life experiences were traumatic proved to be more challenging than she had envisioned. She found herself struggling with her son's fear-driven aggression, as it was triggering her own childhood trauma.
Kathy had heard of Hand in Hand Parenting, but it wasn't until she enrolled her son in an alternative humanistic school, Play Mountain Place, in Los Angeles, that she received a set of Listening to Children booklets, and saw the listening tools in action in the schoolyard. As she began to practice the tools, and using the Hand in Hand Parenting Tools, Kathy saw and felt the potential for real healing for herself and her son.
Kathy is particularly interested in working with foster and adoptive parents, and parents of children with any type of special need, learning or behavior challenge. She offers classes, works with parents individually, and does trainings for educators and professionals who work with children. She is a gifted speaker and offers and introductory talks on Hand in Hand Parenting, as well as specific topics such as Tantrum Training, Setting Limits, Listening Partnerships and Connecting with Your Teens. Her passion is practicing and teaching conscious child-raising by connection, in order that we may foster cooperation and peace in our families and the world.
To see the resources Kathy recommends, click here.
Kathy can be reached through Hand in Hand Parenting or directly by email.
For an example of how Kathy practices Parenting by Connection successfully with her 10 year old son, read her blog post on the Consequence of Connection.
What parents and educators say about Kathy:
“Taking a parenting class with Kathy was for me, the best decision a first time mother could have made! I've learned how to connect deeply with my 2 year old, and to face, with confidence, the everyday challenges that comes with a raising a young child”.
– Karine, Los Angeles Mom
“Kathy has really supported the parenting community at our school to understand, even more deeply, how to go about Parenting by Connection. She is a wealth of knowledge and parents always leave feeling like they have actual tools, not just theories. She is willing to really listen to the needs of parents. We hope to continue learning from her!”
– Lena Garcia, Teacher and Curriculum Coordinator, The Knowing Garden Community Elementary School