Therapy Services for Parents

Structured, individualized & intensive support for parents and children struggling with emotion regulation.

Therapy for Families Navigating Emotional and Behavioral Challenges

Parenting a child with big feelings can be isolating and exhausting, especially when the strategies that “should” work don’t seem to help. Many parents arrive already doing everything they can, yet still feeling unsure or stuck. Support provides practical, evidence-based tools to reduce overwhelm, strengthen connection, and create steadier days.

You're Not Failing

Parenting a child with big emotions can feel exhausting and overwhelming. Reaching for support does not mean something has gone wrong.

Attempts to be a positive parent just add fuel to the fire
Constantly prompting and negotiating through the daily routine
Bedtime is a nightmare and sleep is disrupted
Outbursts happen at home and in public
Anxiety shows up as avoidance or meltdowns
Nothing seems to fully work

Many parents feel stuck between pushing too hard or accommodating too much.

This work supports families in that middle space—using evidence-based tools to reduce overwhelm, build regulation, and create steadier, more connected days.

The focus is not on perfection or control, but on steadier days, clearer responses, and a family system that can hold both struggle and joy.

What Makes Helping Families Thrive Different

Support That Looks Beyond the Child

Many approaches focus primarily on the child’s behavior. Support through Helping Families Thrive takes a broader view.

The work centers on the family as a whole system—not just the child, but also the well-being of parents, relationships, and the environment surrounding them. Lasting change often happens when support extends beyond managing behavior to strengthening connection, communication, and stability across the family.

This includes attention to:

Parental well-being and mental health
Co-parenting and partnership dynamics
Connection, intimacy, and family relationships
The broader systems shaping a child’s experience

Children benefit most when the system around them feels more supported, connected, and steady. This approach reflects a continued commitment to supporting both child development and the well-being of the adults who care for them.

Our work balances learning concrete tools with processing the complexities of parenting children with big feelings. Often, the parenting experience does not match what we imagined or feel it “should” be. This disconnect can create shame, anger, and distress. Dr. Shanna Sarita Alvarez is passionate about helping parents reconnect with their values, within and beyond their parenting role. Reconnecting with these values can increase acceptance and inner peace within their family. Parental well-being matters. It is the foundation for children’s well-being and must be acknowledged as part of any child’s intervention.

All parent programs (group, individual) begin with the therapist and family collecting pre-intervention data. Next, we co-create a treatment plan with concrete goals that reflect each family’s values and priorities.

What parents learn

Relationship & Skill Building

Value Identification & Goal Setting
Child-Directed Play
Academic, Social and Emotional Coaching
Co-parenting skills
Parental and sibling well being strategies

Encouraging Cooperative Behaviors

Praise and Encouragement
Effective Routines
Effective Rewards

Discipline/Reducing Challenging Behaviors

Family Rules
Clear Limit Setting
Ignoring
Breaks & Time-Out to Calm Down
Natural and Logical Consequences
Safety Planning

How to Enroll

Step 1: Review our range of telehealth and in-person therapy options here.

Step 2: Download and review our Service Agreement Form. This form provides detailed descriptions of services, dates, insurance information, and service costs.

Step 3: After reviewing the Service Agreement Form, schedule your intake session for the winter or spring session using the request appointment button below. Be sure to carefully follow the instructions from the Service Agreement Form to select the correct service.

Step 4: Monitor your inbox for an email from Simple Practice, our booking and records system. You will receive all enrollment paperwork and appointment details via email within 1-2 business days.

Parent Mental Health Matters

Be kind to yourself, remember that we’re all doing our best (parenting is hard!)

Have Questions? Contact Us

If you have selected a program and are scheduling your intake session, please refer to the Service Agreement Form and follow the scheduling instructions carefully.

Still not sure which program is best for you? Contact Us for more information.