Therapy for Parents of Neurodivergent Children & Teens in California

When parenting feels like you are constantly trying to figure out what will work

You may have read the books, tried the strategies, adjusted routines, set limits, offered choices, removed privileges, given reminders, and explained expectations more times than you can count.

And some days, nothing seems to work.

A simple request turns into an argument. Getting out the door becomes a crisis. Homework takes over the evening. Your child shuts down, explodes, refuses, or becomes overwhelmed—and you find yourself overwhelmed too.

When you are parenting a neurodivergent child or teen, standard parenting advice may not always account for what is actually happening. Your child may be Autistic, an ADHDer, identify as AuDHD, experience anxiety or sensory and executive-function differences, or be exploring possible neurodivergence.

Parent therapy can help you understand both your child’s experience and your own.

Looking Beneath the Behavior

Not every difficult behavior is dysregulation, and children and teens still need boundaries and expectations.

At the same time, behavior that looks oppositional on the surface may sometimes be shaped by overwhelm, anxiety, sensory load, executive-function demands, a need for predictability, difficulty transitioning, or a nervous system that has reached capacity.

Understanding what is driving a difficult moment changes the question from simply:

“How do I make this behavior stop?”

to:

“What is happening here, and what response is most likely to help?”

That shift does not mean eliminating boundaries. It means responding more intentionally to the problem that is actually occurring.

When Parenting Starts Affecting the Whole Family

The strain of navigating repeated difficult moments can extend far beyond the behavior itself.

You may notice:

• Frequent parent–child conflict
• Walking on eggshells to avoid the next escalation
• Guilt after losing your patience
• Disagreement between caregivers about how to respond
• Constant worry about school, friendships, or the future
• Difficulty knowing when to accommodate and when to hold a limit
• Resentment about how much energy parenting requires
• Feeling disconnected from your child
• Feeling disconnected from your partner
• Having very little time or capacity left for yourself

Parents sometimes become so focused on managing their child’s needs that their own nervous system, relationships, and limits disappear from the picture.

They matter too.

Supporting Your Child Without Losing Yourself

A neuro-affirming approach is not permissive parenting.

It does not require you to eliminate expectations, tolerate harmful behavior, or organize the entire family around one person’s needs.

Instead, we work toward understanding your child’s capacity in a given situation, what support may help, what boundaries still need to be held, and how you can respond without becoming trapped in the same escalating patterns.

Our work may include:

• Understanding what may contribute to meltdowns, shutdowns, resistance, or refusal
• Recognizing your own triggers and reactivity
• Responding to dysregulation more effectively
• Setting clearer and more sustainable boundaries
• Adjusting expectations when appropriate
• Strengthening parent–child communication
• Reducing guilt and self-criticism
• Navigating differences between caregivers
• Balancing accommodation with growing independence
• Repairing after difficult interactions
• Protecting your own capacity and well-being

You do not have to become endlessly patient or perfectly regulated.

The goal is to develop a way of parenting that is more informed, intentional, connected, and sustainable.

Your Child Does Not Need a Formal Diagnosis

I work with parents of neurodivergent children and teens, including Autistic young people, ADHDers, those who identify as AuDHD, and children and teens who experience anxiety or sensory and executive-function differences. I also work with families who are exploring possible neurodivergence without a formal diagnosis.

We can begin with the patterns you are seeing and the challenges your family is actually experiencing.

Online Parent Therapy

Relational Heart provides virtual therapy to parents in California.

Parent therapy creates a space where the focus can be on you: how you are responding, what you are carrying, what is happening in your relationship with your child, and what might make family life more workable.

Learn More

Explore Online Parent Therapy for more information about my broader approach to parent therapy.

You may also find Defiance or Dysregulation in Neurodivergent Kids? helpful, or explore how group therapy for parents can provide community and support.

Ready to Talk?

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what has been happening in your family, what feels hardest right now, and whether working together may be a good fit.

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