FAQ​

How is this different from therapy?​

This work is therapeutic in approach — I'm a credentialed Educational Therapist and teacher (State of Connecticut), and the relationship, the pacing, and the attention to what's really going on reflect that. But it's not clinical psychotherapy: I'm not treating diagnosable conditions or providing mental health treatment. The focus is on skills: executive function for your child, and for parents, recognizing default patterns of reactivity and replacing them with more helpful responses — plus the dynamics at home that shape how the whole family functions in predictable, tricky situations. Most families notice the difference right away, in the everyday moments that used to feel hardest.

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What ages do you work with?
I work with students in elementary, middle, and high school, along with their parents/guardians.   

Does my child need a diagnosis or evaluation first?

No. Many families come to me with a full neuropsychological evaluation in hand, and I build from it. Others haven't been evaluated yet, or are somewhere in between. Either way, we start from where you are.

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Often, parents have a hunch something's up long before there's a diagnosis or a crisis — and the instinct is to wait, hope, or take "trust me, I got it" at face value. I get it. But I've seen where this pattern often leads: bright kids who manage fine in flexible classrooms, then hit a wall when the demands of upper grades — or college, especially — outpace their skills to keep up, right when they're least willing to accept help. If your hunch is telling you something, it's worth listening to.
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What if my child doesn't want to do this?
That's more common than you'd think, and it usually changes fast. A lot of resistance is about not knowing what they're walking into — another adult, another program, another thing being "done to" them. In person, that usually shifts quickly. Kids get a feel for the space, the way I talk with them, and the fact that I'm not handing them a lecture or a label. Most leave a first visit thinking something closer to "I could use this" and "this guy's actually pretty cool" — not because I sold them on it, but because it felt real. If your child's the reluctant one, that's not a reason to wait — it's often exactly why an in-person visit helps.

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Do you work with kids, or with parents, or both?

Both, depending on the offering. Some programs are student-focused with parent coaching built in. Others, like PAUSE at Home, are parent-only. Either way, if I'm working with your child, I'm working with you too — the family piece is never separate. If you're not sure which fits, a discovery call will sort that out quickly.

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Is this in-person or virtual?
In-person is the strongest format, and most work happens at the Learning Lab in Kentfield. Virtual sessions via Google Meet are available and used regularly, especially for check-ins and for families outside Marin County.

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How much does this cost?
Pricing varies by offering, from a single-session consultation up through multi-month coaching cycles. A discovery call is free and is where we figure out the right fit and the right investment for your family.

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Do you accept insurance?
No. This work isn't billed through insurance — educational therapy and coaching fall outside what insurance typically covers, since this isn't psychotherapy or a medical treatment. Payment is out of pocket.

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Do you accept Self-Determination Program (SDP) funding, or are you a registered vendor through the Regional Center?
Yes. I'm a registered vendor with the Golden Gate Regional Center (service code 331), and families using Self-Determination Program funding can use it toward this work. 

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What if my child already sees a therapist, tutor, or other specialist?
This work is designed to complement existing support, not replace it. I'm glad to coordinate with your team, with your consent.

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How do I know which offering is right for us?

Start with a free discovery call. That conversation exists specifically to figure out the right starting point — you don't need to have it figured out before you reach out. You can also browse what's available for parents and families to get a sense of the options first.