Welcome Home Family Therapy – Supporting Parents Across California
When you’re raising a neurodivergent child—one who feels deeply, thinks differently, and reacts intensely—home can feel like both the safest place and the hardest place to be. The meltdowns, misunderstandings, and emotional overwhelm can leave everyone on edge.
But home isn’t supposed to be a battlefield. It’s where we’re meant to rest, connect, and be seen for who we truly are. At Welcome Home Family Therapy, my work centers on helping families reclaim that feeling—helping parents and children feel at home in themselves, safe with each other, and comfortable in the emotional tone of their home.
Understanding the Sensitive Nervous System of Neurodivergent Kids
Children with ADHD, autism, or are twice-exceptional often experience the world through a highly tuned nervous system. They pick up on tone, tension, and body language long before words are spoken. A slammed cabinet, a hurried sigh, or a quiet argument in the next room can feel like danger.
When a child’s nervous system senses threat, even unintentionally, they may respond with:
- Big emotional outbursts or meltdowns.
- Avoidance or withdrawal (“I don’t want to talk about it!”).
- Difficulty following directions or completing tasks.
- Physical restlessness, pacing, or hiding.
This isn’t defiance—it’s protection. Their bodies are trying to find safety.
In Family Counseling for Parents of ADHD and Neurodiversity, we explore how your child’s brain processes information, why they react so strongly, and how your own nervous system can become the anchor they need to feel secure again.
The Power of Emotional Tone in the Home
A family’s emotional tone—the energy, rhythm, and atmosphere in a home—can either soothe or intensify stress. When adults are constantly rushing, anxious, or frustrated, children absorb that energy.
The good news? The reverse is also true. Calmness is contagious. Regulation spreads.
In Parent Coaching Grounded in Brain Science, I help parents understand the neuroscience of co-regulation—how your body and breath communicate safety to your child faster than words ever could. You’ll learn how to create moments of calm that ripple through the whole household.
Even a small shift—like pausing before responding to a tantrum or taking a slow breath before speaking—can begin to change the emotional climate of your home.
A Simple Tool: The Two-Minute Check-In
One of the most effective ways to foster connection and safety at home is a practice I call the Two-Minute Check-In. It’s simple, yet powerful.
Here’s how to do it:
- When things are calm, sit with your child.
- Place one hand on your heart and invite them to do the same.
- Each of you share one feeling from the day. No fixing. No judgment. Just listening.
This small ritual teaches emotional awareness, models self-regulation, and sends your child’s body a vital message: You’re safe here. I see you. You matter.
Practicing this consistently helps rebuild the emotional “home” that every family deserves—a place where even difficult feelings have room to belong.
When Connection Feels Out of Reach
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, home still feels tense or disconnected. Maybe you and your partner don’t see eye-to-eye about parenting. Maybe your child’s behavior triggers memories of your own childhood. Or maybe you’re so drained that empathy feels impossible.
That’s where therapy can help you slow down and reset.
In Online Family Therapy in California, families can work together from the comfort of their home, exploring new ways to communicate and regulate emotions. For adoptive families struggling with attachment, grief, or identity, Post-Adoption Services provides tailored support to help everyone feel more settled and secure.
If past trauma or chronic stress has shaped how you parent—or how your child responds—Online Family Trauma Therapy can help both you and your child build safety from the inside out. And for parents co-parenting after separation or divorce, Co-parenting Therapy Near Me offers tools to align on consistent communication, even across two homes.
Every path I offer leads back to the same goal: helping your family rediscover what “home” feels like—not just a place, but a felt sense of calm, connection, and belonging.
How to Get Started
To get started. we will have a brief screening phone call and if it feels right, we will schedule an hour-long, free phone consultation to see if we are a good match for therapy. This is my offering to you, at a time when you are struggling the most.
Book a free Discovery Call: Click here
FAQs
How does family counseling help neurodivergent children?
It focuses on understanding how your child’s brain and body process emotion and stress. Therapy teaches parents to regulate first, so children can follow their calm cues and feel safe enough to connect.
What if my child refuses to talk or participate in therapy?
That’s okay. Children communicate through behavior, not just words. I often begin by working with parents first, helping you learn tools to shift the emotional tone at home and invite your child into safety.
Do you only work with parents of neurodivergent kids?
No—but I specialize in supporting families with ADHD, autism, and gifted or twice-exceptional children who experience emotional intensity and regulation challenges.
What if I’m the one who feels overwhelmed or angry all the time?
You’re human. The first step is helping you feel at home in your own body again. When you feel safe, your child can too. Through Online Parent Therapy When Parenting Is Hard, I help parents work through stress, guilt, and self-blame so they can show up with steadiness and compassion.
How long does it take to feel a shift at home?
Often, families notice small changes within weeks—like fewer power struggles, calmer evenings, or more laughter. Healing happens in layers, and consistency matters more than perfection.
What can I do while I am waiting for therapy to start?
Listen to my mentor, Robyn Gobbel on her podcast called, "The Baffling Behavior Show." You will get a better idea of what it is like to work with me. You can listen her to learn about the concept of "felt-safety." Listen here.
Final Thoughts: Coming Home to Connection
Every family deserves to feel safe together. Every child deserves a home where emotions are welcome. And every parent deserves to feel like they belong in their own story, not just as the problem-solver, but as a person who can rest, breathe, and reconnect.
That’s the work we do together—helping parents become the emotional home their children have been searching for.
Home isn’t about walls. It’s about safety, warmth, and the feeling of being understood.
You Deserve Support
To get started. we will have a brief screening phone call and if it feels right, we will schedule an hour-long, free phone consultation to see if we are a good match for therapy. This is my offering to you, at a time when you are struggling the most.