I'm a therapist working with families on a regular basis. My kids still have meltdowns.

"As an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (LAMFT), I work with couples, individuals, families, kids, or any mix of the bunch on parenting strategies - or, as I like to call them, leadership development tools. I spend my days helping parents navigate the beautiful chaos of raising children and coping with conflict in relationships as a whole. I teach secure attachment, nervous system regulation, leadership skills, and attunement. I also coach clients on how to stay calm in the storm and grounded in acceptance."

"Yet, last week, I found myself, eyes closed, crouching on my daughter's bedroom floor, experiencing what I would imagine is the closest thing to heart palpitations, as she howled because her seventh set of clothes "felt weird." This wasn't one of those Instagrammable parenting moments, and it is not a moment I would highlight on my résumé. This was real life, where theory and clinical experience collide with itchy leggings and the emotional dysregulation of a tiny, fierce human."

"My kids are still those kids sometimes Here's the honest truth: even with all the clinical training, a framed Master's Degree, and carefully laminated visual charts in my office, my kids are still those kids sometimes. The ones who throw tantrums in public. The ones who argue about brushing teeth like it's a Supreme Court case. The ones who may or may not have toppled a banana stand in the middle of Trader Joe's, forcing their single mother to abandon her cart in shame. The ones who leave me, a licensed professional, wondering: "Wait... how did I get here?""

An associate marriage and family therapist provides parenting strategies framed as leadership development tools for couples, individuals, families, and children. Practices taught include secure attachment, nervous system regulation, leadership skills, attunement, and techniques to remain calm and grounded in acceptance during conflict. Clinical expertise does not eliminate everyday parenting chaos; real-life moments can produce intense emotional responses despite training and credentials. Children still tantrum, resist routines, and create public disruptions, revealing a persistent gap between theoretical knowledge and lived parenting. Embracing imperfection and consistently showing up for children are prioritized over striving for parental perfection.

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