Parent Counseling
“What do you mean real parenting is nothing like social media?”
“I am so confused by all of this conflicting advice.”
"I just want what’s best for my kid.”
being a parent is hard!
This parenting gig looks nothing like all the pretty pictures out there.
You love your child and really just want to get it right, but it’s so, so, so (you get the point) hard. I mean, could there be any more conflicting advice out there? It’s enough to make your head spin!
And even in those rare instances where you think you’ve gotten something figured out, it changes and you’re back to thinking, “I am totally going to screw this kid up.”
Sometimes you make mistakes and feel so bad afterwards, but you have no clue how to make it better. How in the world are you supposed to sort through all of this noise and figure out how to be the parent you want to be for your unique child?
And even if you can get that far, how do you actually do it? The stakes feel so high, and it looks like everyone has this figured out except you.
All you want is to understand your child, enjoy your time with them, and stop worrying about royally screwing them up (in other words, having to pay that therapy bill forever).
Why My Approach Gets Results…
Most parenting support out there is pretty surface-level. Tips and tricks, behavior charts, one-size-fits-all strategies. That stuff might work temporarily, but it doesn’t create lasting change because it’s not addressing what's actually happening in your family system.
When we work together, we’re not just managing behaviors or teaching techniques. We’re strengthening the attachment relationship that naturally regulates both you and your child.
That’s why parents typically start seeing changes within the first few sessions: because we’re working with how your brains are designed to connect and co-regulate.
This is the difference between putting a band-aid on symptoms and actually healing the underlying relationship patterns. It’s why this work creates lasting change instead of temporary fixes.
This is me, emily! i’m ready to start
the process:
Click the button to contact me with any questions or, if you’re ready to get started, to schedule your first appointment for parenting therapy. If you’re looking to learn more, please keep exploring below.
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new & expecting parents
You’re thinking of inviting a brand new human into your life or have one already on the way. Or perhaps you have a brand new human, and are realizing that they did not come with a manual. Click below to explore support in parenting children from birth to approximately pre-school.
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parents of school-aged kids
You’ve survived the early years. Yes, they are sometimes a blur, but you made it. Click below to explore support in parenting kids from approximately pre-school age through about 10/11 years of age.
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Parents of teens and pre-teens
You’ve got a child who is not an adult (though sometimes they seem to think they are), but is rapidly heading that way. Click below to explore support in parenting those in between years middle school and beyond.
Parent Counseling for New and expecting parents…
As a new or expecting parent, you are deeply committed to the tiny human you’ve brought into the world.
You want to set them up for success from the start. You want to parent in a way that will help them develop into a less anxious, less insecure, and more confident, self-assured adult.
And to you, that means getting things right. (It also means parenting in a way that is very different from how you were parented!)
In the spirit of getting this whole parenting thing right, you probably feel like every single parenting decision you make has to be thoroughly researched and optimized. Every corner of the internet reinforces this perfectionism: blogs, podcasts, social media, you name it.
You’re in an unprecedented position of having so much information at your fingertips and also feeling a little analysis-paralysis because there are so many options.
You worry about getting it “wrong” and what that will mean for your little one.
You’ve started to notice that this anxiety — coupled with the search for affirmation that you’re on the right track — has really started to undermine your ability to tap into your own natural parenting instincts and feel confident in your parenting decisions.
And here’s the thing: the more you seek reassurance and perfect answers in information and expert advice (articles, podcasts, blogs, etc.), the less you trust your judgment.
You start to believe that maybe you shouldn’t trust yourself to make the best decisions for your baby and your family; maybe that’s just irresponsible.
This back and forth causes even more anxiety and frustration. And don’t even get me started on the times when there isn’t an easy textbook answer to a problem you’re having.
I know you want to get it “right” out of your love and commitment to your child – but good parenting doesn’t have to be this pressured and you sure as hell don’t have to feel this frazzled.
The crux of our work together is for you to learn how to regulate yourself enough so that you CAN parent your child differently than you were parented.
And, in order to successfully do that, you’ll first need to do a few things:
Learn new skills – the way we were parented deeply influences how we parent, but you CAN learn new parenting skills and strategies
Respond thoughtfully and intentionally to new experiences, baby’s cues and needs, what your family needs, etc.
Practice flexing your decision-making muscle so that you start trusting yourself as the authority in your baby’s care (while the experts have helpful suggestions, you’re the one who knows your baby, your family, and your body the best!)
…but it’s really hard to do that if your default is Anxious Parent Mode (like when you spend hours down the rabbit hole chasing the “perfect” answer to a parenting question).
That default mode isn’t very conducive to learning new things, taking in new information, or being flexible and creative!
During our work together, we’ll address perfectionism when it comes to parenting – parenting is not meant to be perfect. In fact, course corrections are helpful in both your parenting journey and modeling self-soothing to your baby.
Here’s what I mean:
You try a certain swaddling technique, but your baby fusses. Instead of forcing it, you learn to observe your specific baby's preferences and needs and adjust accordingly. This builds your confidence in your ability to understand your unique child, and pivot when needed.
You stay calm and steady while trying different soothing techniques, rather than becoming increasingly anxious about doing it "right.” This helps your baby co-regulate: your steady heartbeat, warm touch, and regulated breathing help calm your baby's physiological state.
You might realize the "perfect" feeding schedule you read about in that blog article doesn't match your baby's natural rhythms. Learning to pivot without shame helps you stay responsive rather than rigid. It helps your baby learn that they will get their needs met by you.
As you can see, these skills make for a happier parent and a happier baby! Your resilience and flexibility help create a more stable, secure environment for your baby and your family.
And, as your baby grows up, they develop into a more regulated, less stressed, and less anxious adult – which is exactly what you want for them.
Sound good? I can help you lay that groundwork.
What You’ve Already Tried (And Why It Hasn’t Worked)…
Let me guess... you’ve read all the books. You’ve got the apps. You’ve joined the online groups where everyone seems to have it figured out…except you.
You’ve tried sleep training that left you both crying, feeding schedules that ignored your baby’s actual cues, and maybe even worked with other professionals who gave you cookie-cutter advice.
Here’s the thing: most of that advice treats all babies (and all parents) like they’re the same. It completely ignores how you naturally connect and bond, and how your own childhood experiences are showing up in your parenting.
No wonder you’re still feeling anxious and second-guessing yourself!
We don't do generic parenting tips here…
I work from an attachment and brain science framework, which is a fancy way of saying we’re looking at the actual science of how relationships shape your baby’s developing brain (and how to calm your own nervous system so you can be the steady, confident parent you want to be).
Most parenting resources treat babies like little machines that should respond predictably to the right inputs. Feed at this time, sleep on this schedule, follow this method.
But babies are actually complex little humans whose brains are being shaped by their interactions with you.
Your baby’s brain is building itself based on their experiences with you.
When you respond to their cues with warmth and consistency, you’re helping their brain develop pathways for feeling safe and secure. When you’re anxious and second-guessing yourself constantly, your baby picks up on that stress, and it affects how their nervous system develops.
The problem with most parenting advice is that it ignores this relationship piece entirely. It focuses on getting your baby to do things (sleep, eat, stop crying) instead of understanding what your baby is communicating and how to respond in ways that build their sense of security.
These are attachment principles applied to the earliest stages of parenting. Instead of trying to get your baby to fit some expert’s schedule, we’re strengthening the bond that naturally helps both of you feel more calm and connected.
Most parenting resources completely ignore this brain science. Most therapists aren't even trained in it.
But here’s what I know: when you understand how your relationship is building your child’s brain for security and confidence, everything else falls into place.
You stop second-guessing yourself because you understand what your baby actually needs from you, and you trust your ability to provide it.
Book your Parent counseling session
parent Counseling for parents of school-aged Kids…
So, maybe your child isn’t the one getting sent to the principal’s office every day, but they are struggling — and so are you.
You just don’t know how to manage. They throw a fit when you say no or when it’s time for bed or to take a bath or get ready for school.
Soon, you realize you’re sort of also throwing a fit. How did you end up yelling?
You know that’s not the way you want to be a parent. Like, no parenting book ever said, “#1 strategy: always yell at your kid” — and you know it.
You feel bad, then you feel frustrated, with yourself and probably even your child. How to even recover from that? Seems like everyone else has this handled.
Is it even that bad if your kid is not darkening the principal's door every week? You waffle back and forth, not even knowing where the problem lies.
What you know for sure is that you’re exhausted and you just want to enjoy your kid again.
Even if you’ve tried therapy for just your kid and reading every parenting book out there, it can be really helpful to have your own time with a parenting therapist to better understand who you want to be as a parent and what gets in your way. This just isn’t something the counselor for your child can get into with you.
I can help you understand what happens for you in those moments when your head explodes — you can notice it coming, help yourself through it, and stop it before it happens. You know that little tingle behind your eyes? Or that bit of tension in your temples? Maybe, for you, it’s in your shoulders.
You’ll know when you need a break, a kind word to yourself, or if there’s something that just really gets you going from 0 to 100.
Sometimes those head explosions are because you have lots of other stressors, but sometimes they are things you struggle with from your past experience, like what it was like for you to be a child. Maybe you always felt overlooked or like there was no room for your feelings. So now, it’s really hard to manage your kid’s big feelings. You’re just not used to those!
No matter what’s happening in those moments, we’ll figure it out together and create a recipe for less yelling. Won’t that feel nice?
And no matter how well you do, everyone has their moments, so we may as well figure out how you can deal with the times where you explode and you need to figure out how to let go of your guilt and reconnect! You will be able to apologize and see the difference in your kid’s eyes.
“But also, Emily, my kid just sometimes really pisses me off. They’re acting up, and I really need that to change.”
I can also teach you actual skills that play therapists use and how to use them with your kid to help them regulate their emotions, solve their own problems, make decisions, and stop driving you nuts (*wink* most of the time, anyway).
“Fewer of those fits, you say, Emily?” Yep.
Finally, we’ll figure out how you can take care of yourself overall. That equals out to less yelling for sure! (Not none, cause none of us are perfect!)
Imagine this though… Instead of being wracked with guilt or frustrated beyond measure that your kid had a meltdown, and you just didn’t have the bandwidth today, you’re having a quiet moment after they’re in bed to just focus on you. It may not be hours (cause what parent has that????), but it can be rejuvenating.
You can have fun with your child again (feel free to insert an image of you all frolicking on the beach or in a field of flowers here).
I’ll help you get there.
I bet you've tried it all…
The reward charts that worked for exactly three days. Time-outs that turned into power struggles. Taking away privileges that just made everyone angrier.
Maybe you even tried family therapy where your kid sat there like a stone and you felt judged for “letting it get this bad.”
Here’s what those approaches miss: they're treating the behavior, not the relationship.
When a child is having big feelings and big reactions, it’s usually because their nervous system is dysregulated.
And you know what regulates a child's nervous system? A calm, connected parent. (But it's really hard to be calm when you're losing your mind, right?)
Our Work isn’t behavior management, It’s brain science…
We’re going to focus on your parent-child relationship as the healing agent. We’ll work on strengthening that bond so your child feels safer and more calm, which means fewer meltdowns, naturally.
Here’s why traditional approaches haven’t worked: reward charts, time-outs, and consequence-based discipline all assume your child is having behavioral problems.
But what’s actually happening is that your child’s nervous system is getting overwhelmed, and they don’t yet have the brain development to manage big emotions on their own.
The part of a child’s brain responsible for self-control, managing emotions, and rational thinking is still developing throughout childhood. When they’re overwhelmed, scared, or frustrated, their more basic survival brain takes over — the part that's wired for fight-or-flight, not logical thinking. If you’re honest with yourself, I bet you can think of times that happens to you. Me, too! We all can! That’s just how brains work.
This is why reasoning with a melting-down child doesn’t work and why consequences often make the behavior worse instead of better.
Traditional behavior management approaches actually trigger this survival mode…
Time-outs can feel like abandonment to an overwhelmed child
Reward charts teach kids to perform for external praise rather than learning to manage their own emotions
Taking away privileges when a child is already overwhelmed just adds more stress to an already overloaded system
My approach works with your child’s developing brain, not against it. Using brain science principles, I’ll help you understand what’s really happening in those explosive moments and teach you how to help calm your child instead of making things worse.
This means you use your calm, steady presence to help soothe your child’s overwhelmed state. Children are wired to borrow calmness from their parents; it’s how their brains learn to self-soothe over time.
When you respond to meltdowns with connection instead of consequences, you’re actually helping your child's brain develop better emotional management skills.
And here’s the beautiful part: when you change the relationship, the behavior changes too.
A child who feels truly seen and safe doesn’t need to throw fits to get their needs met. They learn to trust that you’ll help them through difficult emotions, which naturally reduces how often and how intensely they melt down.
This is my specialized approach that integrates an understanding of child development and how emotions work in the brain at a deeper level. In addition, I offer parents Child Parent Relationship Therapy (an approach that will teach you skills through conducting your very own play sessions with your child) .
Book your Parent Counseling session
Parent Counseling for Parents of Teens and Pre-Teens…
Ok, for real, who is this alien living in your home (and how do they eat so damned much food???????)?
Jokes aside, being the parent of a pre-teen or teen can feel like the body snatchers came in and stole your actual kid, leaving behind someone you do not even recognize.
It’s perplexing, frustrating, and sometimes downright demoralizing.
Some days you think, “Does this person even love me?” You spend more time screaming in frustration (either literally or into the void) than you’d ever care to admit.
You truly have no clue what to do. You’ve tried talking to them, but some days that seems to only make it worse.
Taking away privileges? Laughable results.
Therapy for them is helpful in some ways, but you realize you still need some support outside what their therapist can provide.
You can feel them pulling away. They don’t hang out with you much anymore (at least not willingly); they sometimes merely grunt in response to your questions; and you’re pretty sure they’d move out and only hang with their friends if they had a source of income.
And you know that’s normal, but it’s so hard. How do you even do it?
You’ve tried talking to your teen, reassuring your teen, asking questions, taking away devices or privileges, and making rules, but your kid is still struggling and you still don’t know what to do.
No one is promising this stage of parenting is easy, but imagine a world in which you knew how to connect with your kid again. You could feel like you know them, but in a new and different way.
It’s no longer a loss of your baby, but a fun shift (sort of like a level up!). You’d know when to give advice and when (or even how) to just listen. You could talk to them about the hard stuff that you worry about, but without them blowing you off in a huff.
And you’d actually enjoy moments with them to the fullest (there will probably be fewer of them in quantity overall, but we can amp up the quality).
Here’s what I’ll help you do in parenting therapy…
Negotiate boundaries and privileges in a way that gives your kid the freedom they want while still keeping them safe; they’ll learn how to handle freedom before they move out and you get to check that worry off the list (bonus: fewer fights!); so instead of a huge fight about curfew, you have a reasonable conversation.
Pick a hill to die on (rather than dying on every hill) so that your teen is more likely to listen when you really need them to; so maybe that curfew negotiation above tips in their favor, but the unsupervised party at their friend’s house? Well, that goes your way.
You can…
Have conversations with your teen that help you feel connected to them without reverting back to strategies that worked when they were 10; Forget “how was your day at school today?” (insert annoyed eye roll or disinterested “fine” here), try a little texting game
Support your teen through the stress and anxiety of growing up, like grades, relationships, balancing all their activities, you remember all that fun stuff right? UGH!
“How in the world will we do that, Emily??” you ask.
Well, we’ll work together — you’re the expert on your kid.
And if your child has a counselor, too, we’ll also work with them.
You’d be amazed at the progress that can be made when you know exactly how to respond to something your teen is trying out from their therapy!
I will help you determine which hills you’re gonna die on, cause you gotta know those in advance.
I’ll also help you find some resources, but we’ll work together to figure out how those work for your family.
I will be a sounding board for things you’re trying to figure out and give you honest feedback that’s informed by experience and training, not just opinion like all that stuff you read or what you heard at the last school meeting.
Let me take a wild guess...
You’ve tried family therapy where your teen showed up physically but checked out mentally…
You’ve read books about "understanding the teenage brain" that felt nice in theory but gave you zero help when your kid was screaming at you about curfew…
You’ve tried communication techniques that felt forced and awkward, and boundary-setting that turned into World War III…
Most approaches to teen parenting ignore the neurobiological reality of what’s happening in your teenager’s brain.
They also miss how attachment needs change (but don’t disappear!) during adolescence.
Your teen still needs connection with you… they just need it in a completely different way than when they were seven.
Here's what we’re doing together…
Here’s what we're really doing: we’re updating your relationship for this new developmental stage using attachment science and interpersonal neurobiology.
I’ll help you understand what’s actually happening in your teen’s brain (spoiler alert: it’s not fully developed yet, especially the part that makes good decisions), and how to stay connected to them while they’re becoming their own person.
Meanwhile, the limbic system (emotions, reactivity, reward-seeking) is in overdrive during adolescence. This is why your previously sweet child now seems to lose their mind over seemingly small things. Traditional behavior management approaches usually escalate this limbic reactivity, instead of helping to regulate it.
My approach recognizes that your teen’s brain is wired for connection, even when they’re pushing you away. Using Dan Siegel’s research on adolescent brain development, we’ll work with your teen’s neurological realities instead of against them.
When you understand how to provide the right kind of connection and co-regulation during this developmental stage, you can actually help their brain develop more resilience and emotional regulation.
This work requires deep understanding of both neuroscience and attachment theory. Most therapists aren’t trained in this integration, and most parenting resources completely ignore the brain science behind why teens act the way they do.
When you understand what’s really going on in your teenager’s developing brain and how to keep your bond strong during this messy phase, you can get through it with way less drama and way more connection.
Photo Credits: Daniel K. Cheung (Lego Star Wars), Tembinkosi Sikupela (baby and adult hand); Unsplash
Book your Parent Counseling session
I enjoy working with parents of all backgrounds, parenting styles, and philosophies in Parent Counseling…
It is worth stating that this includes families of all structures and people who come into the role of parent in diverse ways.
I welcome the journey of helping you find your parenting groove.
However, the way I support parents is not likely to feel helpful if you prefer a punishment-based system or a more authoritarian approach and are not looking to change that approach.
our sessions will be
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Collaborative: We will work together and not like those group projects where one person actually gets stuck with all of the work and everyone takes credit.
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Encouraging: Even if you don’t always see it, you have strengths. If you need to, you can roll your eyes or make a face at me when I point them out.
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Real: I will be real with you—I’ll tell you the truth and not just because I am a bad liar!
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Fun: I can pretty much guarantee there will be some laughs. Money back guarantee (j/k—but you can demand more humor if needed).
i’m Emily.
Welcome!
As a therapist with a PhD in counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and experience in various counseling settings (from general mental health to play therapy to teaching), I bring both clinical expertise and teaching experience to online therapy, supervision, and consultation.
My expertise includes supporting parents and caregivers, adult therapy, and teen therapy, with a focus on reducing anxiety and improving relationships.
I am a Level II AEDP therapist and have training in interpersonal neurobiology, advanced training and certification in play therapy, and certification in providing services online.
If you’d like to learn more about me than can fit in a short blurb, please explore the link below.
how to get started in Parenting Therapy…
Here you can find detailed instructions on how to get started working together, how we proceed, and what you can expect.
First, important things to note:
I only work exclusively online and no in-person appointments are available.
I am not in network with any insurance plans and do not provide documentation for out-of-network reimbursement. There are many reasons for this, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
I offer primarily 45-minute sessions at a rate of $225 per session. 60-minute sessions may be available at a rate of $300. These are subject to availability on a case-by-case basis.
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For intake sessions, I am available Mondays-Thursdays from 10:00-5:00. I am available for ongoing sessions Tuesdays-Thursdays from 10:00-5:00. I do not have evening or weekend availability. With regard to ongoing session availability, I cannot guarantee the availability of specific times or days based on openings you may see in my online calendar; availability there does indicate recurring availability. One of my values is to have some schedule flexibility for current clients so that when they need to make schedule adjustments, I am more likely to be able to do so. As such, an available slot does not equal the ability to put a regularly occurring appointment in that slot. If you have specific schedule needs, please reach out to confirm that I’d be able to accommodate them prior to completing an initial session.
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Once you have decided that you’d like to proceed with scheduling with me, you can mosey over and check out my lovely contact page. Here you can click the “Schedule your first session” button located at the center of the page. This will take you to my self-scheduling option. This allows you to look over my calendar and select a time that works for you. You can schedule up to 3 weeks in advance, as long as you are at least 3 days before the date you’d like to choose. It’s important to note that this first session will be a longer (90-minute) intake session. The cost is $275.
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Scheduling in my online calendar will send a request for the specific appointment you’ve selected and reserve it for you. I typically confirm appointments within 24 hours, excluding weekends, holidays, and times I am out of the office on vacation. After I confirm your appointment, you will receive an email from Sessions Health.
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After you receive the confirmation, keep an eye out for three more emails. (I know! I bet you already get plenty, but I promise we just have to do this stuff once!) You will get an email welcoming you to therapy and outlining what you can expect; this will come directly from me. In addition, you will get one from Sessions Health and Aligned Counseling and Supervision; this contains your invitation to the client portal; this is where you will complete all required paperwork, which I need back 24 hours prior to our scheduled time in order to keep your appointment and avoid automatic cancellation. Finally, you will get an appointment “reminder” that will contain your telehealth link.
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Once you’ve set up portal access, you will have just three documents to review and sign. Please note that you can sign out and progress will be saved. You may want to set aside a little time to really read these over as they have a good bit of information relevant to our work together. Documents include: the informed consent, the HIPAA privacy practices, and information about my policies for electronic communication. Please let me know if you have any questions by emailing me. After signing those you will have some demographic questions and the opportunity to tell me just a bit about what brings you to therapy.
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Once you have set up your portal and I have a phone number, keep an eye out for a text from IvyPay. This is where you will enter your credit card information for me to charge for your sessions. I use IvyPay so that I don't have to personally handle any of your credit card information. IvyPay is a third-party HIPAA-compliant payment processor that takes care of it for me.
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Most clients are nervous the first time they attend counseling, even if it's just the first time with a new person. If you’ve never been before, you may not know what to expect and may have many TV or movie references for what it’s like. Trust me, they’re probably inaccurate. You may think you’re required to tell me ALL the things or that I will ask probing questions to get to the root of everything. That’s not what happens either. We will still be getting to know each other. In our first session, I will gather information about your concerns, the history, what you’d like to get out of counseling, and any other things you think are relevant. We will get a general idea of direction, but it will take us time to get to know each other. This one is a little different from the others, as a lot of our time will be spent getting me up to speed on your life and concerns. Things shift after that…stay tuned.
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It’s important to know that the completion of this initial session is not a guarantee of working together. If it ends up not working, I will do my best to help you find another provider to meet your needs. A few things that might result in us not working together include, but are not limited to:
You decide that we are not a good fit.
I am not the most appropriate person to help you with your specific needs.
You need a specific time slot and it is not available. (Avoid this by checking with me ahead of time!)
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Once you are ready to move forward, we will get your regular appointments set up. You will be scheduled for the same recurring time slot. These are either weekly or bi-weekly depending on your needs and availability. As we get to know each other during sessions, we will determine how we will know if things are getting better. I imagine that you have checked out who I am throughout my website, so you probably already know the following info. However, it’s probably worth saying again that I very much value talking explicitly with my clients about their experience of therapy with me, rather than assuming I know what they are feeling or experiencing, or what's best for them. This means I'll regularly ask you about what is going well in our therapy work together and if there's anything we should do differently. I am not a highly directive therapist, so our sessions will focus on what you need to get out of them each time. I provide some prompts about what we’ve been exploring or your general goals, but invite you to settle in and consider how we can take care of you in our session that day.
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When we get to a point where you’re feeling confident in what you’ve learned and are practicing, we can discuss reducing frequency (if you started weekly) or wrapping up altogether. There may be the option to reduce from bi-weekly to monthly sessions, but these are available only on a case-by-case basis, scheduled week-of, and cannot be guaranteed.
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Please feel free to email me! I usually respond within 24 hours Mondays-Fridays.
Book your session
because, at the end of the day:
you—with your zoomy brain, heavy heart, & tired soul—deserve peace.
Contact me
Let’s get started.
I’ll answer your questions and we can decide if I’m the right therapist for you.
Complete this form and I’ll be back in touch via email or text usually within 1 business day.
Call or Text
423.281.4089
emily@alignedcounseling.com
office mailing address
404 S Roan St., Johnson City, TN, 37604