Family counseling for a more connected family.

Meet Abby

About Me: Helping Parents Heal Their Relationships with Their Children

Healing Connections in Parent Therapy and Family Therapy

As a mother who has walked the difficult path of parenting, I understand how challenging it can be to feel disconnected from your child. It’s easy to fall into frustration, anger, or confusion when nothing seems to work, and you feel like you’re losing the emotional bond you once had. I’ve been there. But I also know from experience that it’s never too late to repair your relationship with your child and build a stronger, more loving connection.

Through parent therapy and family therapy, I help parents like you navigate the struggles of raising children—especially those struggling with emotional pain, behavioral issues, or trauma. My approach is rooted in both personal experience and the science of attachment-based parenting and neuroscience, offering a compassionate and effective path to healing.

My Journey: From Struggle to Connection

A Mother’s Transformation

Like many parents, I once relied on the traditional methods of parenting—timeouts, reward charts, and consequences. I thought they were the right tools to raise well-behaved children, but deep down, I knew something was missing. These strategies didn’t address the emotional needs of my children or the deeper connection I wanted to create with them.

Raised in a strict, controlling environment, I unknowingly repeated the same patterns with my own daughters. But when my children were older, I realized that my approach wasn’t working, and I needed to learn a new way. I dove deep into the study of neuroscience, attachment theory, and trauma-informed parenting. I began to understand that children’s behavior is often a result of their nervous systems being dysregulated, not simply “bad behavior.” I also learned that secure attachment—built through trust, safety, and emotional connection—was the key to healing.

This knowledge transformed my relationship with my three daughters. I moved away from control and discipline and focused on building a connection based on empathy and emotional safety. By taking responsibility for the mistakes I made as a mother, I repaired our relationship and created a stronger bond than I ever thought possible. Today, I’m proud to hear them say, “You’re the best mom ever!”

The Science of Connection: How Your Child’s Brain Affects Their Behavior

Understanding Your Child’s Emotional Needs

One of the most powerful things I’ve learned is how attachment and nervous system regulation impact your child’s behavior. Children who have experienced trauma, stress, or emotional difficulties often act out because their nervous systems are in a state of fight, flight, or freeze. Instead of simply punishing or trying to control the behavior, we can help our children feel safe, secure, and seen.

This is where parent therapy and family therapy come in. By learning the science of attachment-based parenting and understanding how your child’s brain is wired, you can create a nurturing, emotionally safe environment. When a child feels safe, their brain is better able to self-regulate and respond to stress in a healthier way.

As I learned from Robyn Gobbel’s work, it’s not the behavior that needs to change; it’s the relationship that needs to be repaired. When we meet our children where they are emotionally and offer connection instead of control, we help them heal and grow.

How Parent Therapy and Family Therapy Can Help You

Transform Your Relationship with Your Child

Parent therapy and family therapy are powerful tools for healing. These therapies provide a safe space for you to learn how to connect with your child in a deeper, more meaningful way. Together, we will work to:

  • Understand your child’s emotional world: Learn how to respond to your child’s behaviors with empathy, not frustration.
  • Build a secure attachment: Create emotional safety and trust in your relationship with your child.
  • Repair the relationship: Use empathy and communication to heal any emotional wounds or ruptures in the bond between you and your child.
  • Create a calmer home environment: Help your child regulate their emotions and create a peaceful, loving atmosphere.

By understanding the neuroscience behind behavior and attachment, you can become the healing force in your home, offering your child the safety and connection they need to thrive emotionally.

It’s Never Too Late to Heal

Start Building the Connection Your Family Deserves

Whether your child is struggling with emotional dysregulation, trauma, or behavioral challenges, it’s never too late to heal your relationship. Parent therapy and family therapy can help you shift from frustration and control to connection and understanding. The science of attachment and the power of emotional safety can help both you and your child feel supported and loved.

You don’t need to have all the answers to be a great parent. You simply need to be open to learning and creating a safe, loving space for your child. Together, we can repair the emotional bonds in your family and create lasting change that will make a difference for years to come.

Why Choose Parent Therapy and Family Therapy?

  • Heal the Parent-Child Relationship: Build trust, emotional safety, and connection with your child.
  • Understand the Brain: Learn how your child’s nervous system impacts their behavior and how to help them regulate their emotions.
  • Create a Calm, Loving Home: Shift from control to connection, and create a peaceful environment for your family.
  • Transform Your Family Dynamics: Help your child heal from trauma, stress, and emotional challenges with neuroscience-based strategies.

If you're ready to take the first step toward healing your relationship with your child, I’m here to help. Together, we can create the connected, loving family dynamic you've always wanted. 

Give me a call today to start your journey toward emotional healing and family connection. I offer a free, hour-long phone consultation to see if I am the right therapist for you or your family.

(626) 755-4059

My Motto: I help parents become the healer in the home.

Credentials

You are invited to review my professional Credentials. I have over 20 years experience working as a Clinical Social Worker in child welfare. I am licensed to practice psychotherapy in the state of California with the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

Over the years, I have been passionate about keeping children connected to and in their families in multiple settings, including residential treatment, group homes, foster care, adoption, out-patient clinics, and private practice. I have focused my training and experience on building strong family identities and healthy family cultures.

Certifications and Affiliations:

Professional Studies and Licensure:

  • 1992 ~ LCSW ~ Licensed Clinical Social Worker (CA License # LCS16129)
  • 1989 ~ MSW ~ Master’s Degree in Social Work, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California
  • 1982 ~BA ~ Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan

Relevant Professional Trainings:

This list of Relevant Professional Trainings highlights the conferences and seminars that reflect the passion I have for my work with children and families. I have a subspecialty in Post-Adoption Family Therapy and I am a certified Parent Support Group Facilitator and certified professional provider for SENG. I practice from a Family Trauma Therapy perspective. Above all, I am a lifetime learner and value new contributions to my field.  I regularly consult with my colleagues to ensure I follow best practices in clinical social work.

I would love to talk to you more about my clinical credentials, training, and experience.

  • Childhood Depression
  • The Defiant, Chaotic Child and Adolescent
  • Anger Control Made Easy
  • Psychological and Neurological Effects of Anxiety
  • Fundamentals of Trauma Processing
  • Sensory Integration in Children
  • Executive Dysfunction: The Disorganized, Defiant, Chaotic Child and Adolescent
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intensive
  • Comprehensive Training Program on Child Sexual Abuse, Children’s Institute International
  • Treatment of Sexually Abused and Traumatized Clients
  • Comprehensive Approach to the Care of Gender Non-Conforming Children, Transgender Youth, and Young Adults
  • Intensive Adoption Clinical Training
  • Empower to Connect: Trust-Based Parenting
  • SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) Certified Provider

Additional Trainings

  • Certified “Being With” (TM) Practitioner/Parent Course Facilitator
  • Virtual Parent Mentoring for Children with Mental Health Concerns
  • Clinical Perspective on Family Violence
  • Addressing Substance Abuse in Family Preservation Cases
  • Family Therapy: New Developments
  • Family Assessment: Seven Step Method
  • Collaborative Problem Solving (SM): Parenting, Teaching, and Treating Children with Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Challenges
  • How The Brain Forms New Habits: Why Willpower Is Not Enough
  • Teaching Executive Functions to Children with ADHD
  • ADHD and Food Dyes, Nutrition, and Supplements
  • Dyslexia: How to Identify, Address, and Treat Learning Problems Hidden in the Brain
  • Anger Control Made Easy
  • Behavioral Approaches to Child Management
  • Teaching Values to At-Risk Kids
  • Management of Assaultive Behavior
  • ABC’s of Behavior
  • Helping Children Deal with Anger
  • Treating Oppositional Defiant Disorder
  • Fundamentals of Trauma Processing
  • The Impact of Early Childhood Trauma on Children’s Behavior
  • Sensory Integration in Children
  • Play Therapy
  • Play Therapy: Reaching Children through Play Therapy
  • Sensory Integration: Processing and Strategies for Autism Spectrum, ADHD, and Neurobehavioral Disorders
  • Anxiety Disorders: Recognizing and Treating the Emerging Epidemic
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • The Dance of Courage: Rising Above Anxiety, Fear, and Shame
  • Psychological and Neurophysiological Effects of Anxiety Disorders
  • Feeling Good Now: New Rapid Recovery Techniques for Depression and Low Self-Esteem
  • Recognizing Depression and Suicidal Thoughts in Children and Teens
  • Understanding Emotions
  • Childhood Depression
  • Suicide Prevention for Clinicians
  • The New Breaking Free of Eating Disorders
  • Adoption Clinical Training
  • Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Youth in Out-of-Home Care
  • Caring for LGBTQ Youth: An Introduction for Foster Parents
  • HIV/AIDS Training
  • Human Behavior in the Social Environment
  • Addressing School Refusal Behavior in Children and Adolescents
  • Understanding Cravings and Emotions
  • Childhood Obesity: The Role of the Mental Health Professional
  • Understanding and Treating Domestic Violence
  • Collaborative Couples Therapy
  • Codependency
  • Emotional Manipulation: Understanding Manipulators and Helping Their Victims
  • Assertive Communication Skills for Women
  • Chemical Dependency
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
  • Addiction and Mental Health Professionals
  • Dream Work: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
  • Transference and Countertransference in the Therapeutic Relationship
  • Multiple Personality Disorder
  • Personality Disorders in Social Work and Healthcare
  • Compulsive Hoarding: Conceptualizing and Treating the Chaos
  • Critical Incident Stress Management Conference
  • Spirituality and Mental Health: Beginning a Dialogue
  • Dreams as Guides
  • The Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference
  • Human Trafficking and Exploitation
  • Children’s Institute International, 5-day, Comprehensive Training Program on Child Sexual Abuse Treatment
  • Treatment of Sexually Abuses and Traumatized Clients
  • Working with Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
  • Consideration and Treatment of Sexuality Issues in Children and Adolescents
  • Child Abuse Assessment and Treatment. and Reporting
  • Issues in Human Sexuality
  • Child Sexual Abuse and the Courts
  • Two Steps Forward: Annual Conference of the California Consortium for the Prevention of Child Abuse
  • The Victim’s Perspective of Child Sexual Abuse
  • Sexually Acting Out Child
  • Checking In on Your Teenager’s Mood During the Covid-19 Pandemic
  • Behavioral Activation: Fighting the Covid-19 Blues
  • The Supervisory Relationships
  • Clinical Supervision: Beyond the Basics
  • Clinical Supervision
  • The Ethics of Professional Practice

Become the Healer in Your Family

Click below or call to book a free hour-long, phone consultation (626) 755-4059.