Archives: Partners

Emily has been working with families since 2000 when she became a birth doula and childbirth educator. In 2004, with Leah Deragon, she founded Birth Roots in Portland, ME and developed the Community Supported Parenting© model of support for new and expectant families. She discovered Hand in Hand Parenting in 2012 and became a Certified Instructor in 2014 and Co-moderator of the Hand in Hand Parent Club in 2018.

In 2019 Lara became a certified Hand in Hand Instructor. She loves working with and supporting others in learning to use this approach and deeply understands that every family is unique. She is passionate about helping parents get the information and support they need to make their family life more connected and enjoyable.

Her areas of special interest and experience include working with children who are highly sensitive, spirited, intense, anxious or aggressive and also those who show signs of giftedness/HLP, learning or sensory differences.

Hand in Hand gave me five brilliant tools to use to help any problem. It also gave me community as many of my mum friends were going down a different path with behaviour management. This community of like-minds provided support, understanding and love, as well as a place to be loved in my most crappy moments as both a parent and as a human. I am forever grateful, and now want to take this out into the world and share it, letting parents know that they are not alone, that we all have bad moments and days, and that we all deserve support.

Growing Goodness helps parents connect, play and grow with their children. Stacy Wilson is currently an Instructor for Hand in Hand Parenting and a Parenting Coach with the Jai Institute of Parenting.

Jeff Buckner is the CEO of Buckner IT Consulting, a professional services firm specializing in website development, CRM, and project management. He was born and raised in Michigan (go Spartans!) and currently resides in San Diego, CA (thank you Lord) with his wife, Carole. They have a grown daughter.

Your Tools for Navigating the Everyday Challenges of Raising Children. Michelle Kenney is a Hand in Hand Certified Instructor and is passionate about helping others find their way through the murky business of being a connected parent. She loves leading groups and finds the dynamic transformative.

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.

Julianne Idleman has been with Hand in Hand since 2006. She brings many years of experience in corporate training, organizational design and personnel management to her work in the non-profit sector. Her work with parents focuses on educational challenges and school refusal. She also enjoys working with toddlers. Juli lives with her husband and adult daughter in Santa Clara, CA.