“Parent coaching with Amy has transformed our family. When we started, we were exhausted and exasperated with parenting and our kids. Now we have more fun, enjoyment and laughter AND feel successful at the end of the day” Melissa and Ernie, parents of 5 year old twins and a 2 year old girl in Newton MA
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Client Delight
“Working with Amy was the best investment we made last year. The improvement in our quality of family life is priceless.”
– Rosy Hosking and Robert Majovski
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So many of the strategies we are working on also help each of us personally…
Before we started parent coaching with Amy, we were feeling a bit confused and helpless. After working together for a few months, we feel armed with knowledge, tools, and strategies that we didn’t have before. That may sound simple but it’s huge. We feel greater confidence as parents now that we can better understand our children’s experiences in both big and little ways and have different tools to help them when they need it. So many of the strategies we are working on also help each of us personally and our family in general. We can genuinely say that we have gotten exactly what we hoped to get out of our sessions. Best of all, Amy is compassionate, fun, and easy to talk to, and she helps us without any judgment.
Robyn and Mike D., Reading, MA, parents of a 6 year old boy and 3 year old daughter
Practical parenting tools and larger vision…
When I started out working with Amy, I was overwhelmed by my (10 year old) son’s behavior and struggling to balance his needs and wants with my own. Her support has been invaluable, both in providing me with practical parenting tools and in guiding me to be able to see the larger vision of what I most value and want – to support my son in the long run. To use the forest/tree metaphor: when I started working with Amy I felt like parenting was a process of continually running into trees. Working with her has allowed me to see each of those trees as a possibility for growth and connection with my kid, and the larger forest is now my vision of our family values and goals.
Nina M., Amherst MA, Mom of a 10 year old boy
I have learned several techniques to help my mind when it starts to spin…
Seven weeks ago, our house felt like it was beyond repair. My kids and I couldn’t hold a conversation without screaming; and I couldn’t ask them to do things around the house without a complete attitude and a fight. I was overwhelmed, out of control, and extremely anxious. I thought we had no chance of turning things around because of their ages and felt maybe it was just too late in our relationships.
However, through coaching with Amy, I have learned several techniques to help my mind control itself when it starts to spin. I find everyday it’s become less and less chaotic since the house has become calm. Today, I am finding the kids are showing their faces around us more often and sitting in the same rooms as us. We still have work to do in a few areas, but the atmosphere in our home has been far more pleasant and without an immediate attitude when the kids are asked to do something to help.
Doreen D., Marshfield, MA, parent of two teens
She helped us understand how ADHD and DCD affect our child’s mind and body…
We started working with Amy after a diagnosis of ADHD and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) for our oldest child left us feeling completely overwhelmed. Amy is relatable and knowledgeable. Her approach is multi-faceted; she helped us understand exactly how these disorders affect our child’s mind and body, while also encouraging us to explore our own emotions, reactions and communication styles with each other and with our child. She provided us not only with specific tools and strategies to better interact with our child, but useful context to explain certain traits or behaviors. We would definitely recommend Amy to any parent struggling to understand their child and their own parenting approach with more clarity and intention.
Emma C. and Dan B., Boston MA, parents of two children ages 2 and 5
I’ve shifted from hovercraft, drone-strike parenting to gardener…It feels like I’m taking the most important graduate-level class of my life!
Parent coaching with Amy helped modify my parenting approach to be much more effective for the next stage of my children’s development. I’ve shifted from hovercraft, drone-strike parenting (OK, that may be a little bit of an exaggeration) to gardener – planting the seeds, tending to the needs, pulling weeds, and helping to thrive.
In the beginning, I felt like I was in crisis-mode. I was frequently anxious which affected my mood and ability to handle sensitive teen emotions. And sometimes I even felt like I caused more angst than was initially there. Now, I feel more capable, less impatient, more empathic, less anxious, more forgiving. I really appreciate the big mind-shifts and acronyms to help me remember and use them. It feels like I’m taking the most important graduate-level class of my life!
Emily S., Mom of two boys ages 10 and 13 in Lexington, MA
Choosing to work with Amy is one of the best decisions I’ve made!
Amy’s parent coaching has been transformative for me as a mother and as an individual. Her wealth of creative ideas has not only addressed parenting challenges but has also positively influenced my personal growth. Amy’s genuine care extends beyond parenting; she values you as a whole person. The strategies I’ve implemented have brought ease and improved communication within my family life. Choosing to work with Amy is one of the best decisions I’ve made!
Jamie B., Mom of a 6 year old boy in Philadelphia, PA
Amy helped us resolve the most painful parts of the day…
My friend referred me to Amy when I was feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with some negative dynamics going on in our home. After a few months of working together, I feel like my family is lighter and happier together. I have a toolkit of mindsets and strategies to go back to when I need support. Amy helped us resolve the most painful parts of the day so that now we can focus on the deeper work of getting along and supporting each other as a family. I learned to understand and honor my own needs so that I can parent more effectively. My communication with my family has improved and we have more fun together. The little shifts have made all the difference and I feel excited to keep working to know and understand my kids, myself, and my husband so that we can all thrive and feel happy together.
Lara Frankovich, mother of 3 boys ages 8, 13, and 15, Colorado
Her coaching has been critical in my healing journey…
Every week I look forward to my session with Amy. I was dealing with both familial and personal struggles when I began working with her. Through our weekly sessions over the last year, I have made tremendous strides, and am noticing many positive changes and improvements in my life today. Her coaching has been critical in my healing journey. She has provided a constructive and safe environment where I have felt comfortable sharing details of my experiences, and where I have received much needed support in processing and recognizing issues of past and present. Amy offers a variety of helpful tools, tips, exercises, and resources; I feel much better equipped to navigate many different situations, pulling from the toolkit of techniques she has helped me build. I continue to see improvements in how I handle scenarios and relationships as a result of our work together.
Ashley, New York, NY
Parent coaching with you has been invaluable!
Parent coaching with you has been invaluable! Having a skilled, knowledgeable professional to talk with has made my family life feel more peaceful. I’m always better informed after each session. I love that I walk away from every coaching session with actionable tips and tricks to use in various parenting situations, including interactions with my parenting partner. Your tone is especially helpful. It’s calm, yet assertive. I find that I am able to call on it and use it in various circumstances (silliness at dinner, not listening when it’s time to leave the playground, etc.), when offering my kids different choices of things to say or do. I’m impressed with how organized and prepared you are and how quickly and clearly you communicate your ideas. And it’s great having my Parenting Playbook to refer to at any time. I’ve told many of my friends about you, too
Ashley A., Mom of two boys ages 5 and 8 in Cambridge, MA
I am more in-tune with my daughters developmentally
When I started working with Amy, I was completely overwhelmed and felt like I was not equipped to parent. I felt like every negative action/behavior of my children was indicative of my failures as a parent. I still feel that way on really bad sleep-deprived days, but now I have a better understanding of what is in my control and what is not. I feel more relaxed and less tightly wound with parenting things a lot of the time.
Amy has helped me with mindset changes, resets, concrete examples, and ideas for things to do in the moment. I am more in-tune with my daughters developmentally.
Parent Coaching has been an amazing resource that has helped me to enjoy my children and family much more. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this work.
Megan, Mom of 3 and 7 year old daughters in Columbus, OH
I have reduced the feelings that I’m performing badly as a parent.
I came to Amy to help me connect with my teenagers. She helped me work through interactions (past and future) while teaching me techniques to enhance my communications and situational analysis. I’ve learned a lot about what drives my reactions, and how I can be more mindful about timing and less reactionary to behavior that doesn’t match my expectations.
Amy helped me see how the kids really are expanding my world view – by the way they are and how they make their way through the world. I have reduced the feelings that I’m performing badly as a parent and increased harmony in the house by not pushing things at the wrong times or in the wrong ways – and by creating space for my kids to do what they need to (including alone time to recharge).
Michelle Farrington, Mom of two teens in Arlington, MA
It honestly felt magical…
When in the throes of the pandemic at home with a 3 year old and infant, we felt utterly overwhelmed with the many behavior challenges that were developing in our toddler. When coming to Amy we felt like we were in survival mode. Yet after our first conversation we gained hope that we could take small steps towards changing patterns that were negatively affecting our family on a daily basis. She met us where we were at with approachable suggestions that both of us as parents felt comfortable with, allowing us to feel confident in making changes. Each week we would work on a new struggle and every time there was a positive result. It honestly felt magical seeing these struggles we dreamed of changing come to life. When our son began attending public school at age four and threw epic tantrums as he didn’t want to go into the building in the morning, we frantically contacted her and she was able to fit us in that day to have a session. She truly feels like a lifeline. Working with her is one of the best investments we have made for our family. We cannot recommend her enough!
Doug and Ashley, Roslindale, MA
We know we will come back to Amy for help and guidance…
Navigating life with a 3 year old was challenging enough but with a newborn on the way we knew we weren’t prepared. Our daughter was already very mommy dependent and we were expecting that to get worse. And it did. But Amy helped us through it by adjusting our thoughts and giving us techniques and tools to use during this difficult stage. We know we will come back to Amy for help and guidance when we hit the next rough patch.
Brett and Heidi, parents of a new baby and 3 year old, Newton MA
We’ve developed a playbook that I can reference…
Recently, I was experiencing a host of communication challenges with my sweet and strong-willed 3 year old son. Not only was I out of ideas, but I had also lost my confidence.
I had read the parenting books, listened to a million parenting podcasts, etc. but I needed personalized strategies that were tailored to myself and my son.
From my first call with Amy, I instantly felt better! Not only did we strategize many different situations, but she was supportive, empathetic, affirming and just a pleasure to talk to.
Over the course of our sessions together, we’ve developed a playbook that I can reference and I feel like my toolbox is full.Thank you, Amy, for helping me get my confidence back and giving me some fantastic parenting support and advice!
Mackenzie Henderson, North Reading, MA
She provided personalized techniques…
My teenage son could not return to school during the Pandemic due to his social anxiety. After a couple of psychologists who specialize in anxiety failed to help him, I decided to learn some skills myself to help him recover by reaching out to Amy. I have been very impressed by Amy’s exceptional empathy, kindness, and professional skills. She provided ample great ideas and personalized techniques that helped me bond with my son and improve his self-confidence. As a result, he was able to attend several in-person summer camps and is adjusting to a new high school now! I hope other parents with anxious kids can benefit from Amy’s great help too.
Father of a teenager boy with social anxiety, Newton, MA
Definitely worth every penny to help yourself and your family.
Amy provides insight, support, and compassion to parents struggling to connect, listen, laugh, and understand their children. Through patience and humor, Amy finds a way to navigate the intensity of parenting and partnership. Amy shows you patterns in your behavior, insight into your child, and how to connect with your spouse. If you want to feel more calm, more connected to your kids and spouse, and more centered within yourself, Amy is the coach for you. Her accessibility, gentle guidance, and support are wrapped in levity, understanding, and care. Definitely worth every penny to help yourself and your family.
Jen Carter, M.D., Stratham, NH. Mom of three children ages 8, 10 and 12
I felt embraced and cared for.
Dear Amy,
Working with you was more enriching and satisfying than I could have imagined. From the moment I reached out to you about working together, I felt embraced and cared for. During the four months of us working together, I felt like you connected with our situation, and when sharing resources or strategies, you made relevant and meaningful connections between my experience and my daughter’s and how they could be helpful.
I really appreciated the playbook questions to be answered before and after the calls, as they kept me focused and helped me recenter before our calls. They are now a journal of sorts, and an invaluable document as I continue to work on growing through these challenges that have decreased dramatically.
It was an extraordinary process to not just learn about my daughter’s style and temperament, or her values and strengths, but to also see how this was an opportunity for me to grow. I tell everyone I can about the impact of this experience on my person, my relationship with my daughter, and on our family. I foresee that I will return again and again as new challenges arise, and I’m so looking forward to it.
My sincerest gratitude for everything!
Marta B, Northampton, MA
Coaching with Amy has been one of the best investments we’ve made.
We sought out parent coaching because we felt like we lost our patience too easily as parents and then often felt judgmental of ourselves. We both knew that there was a way to apply our mindfulness practices to parenting, but needed guidance. Amy helped us learn to collaborate with our child more often to get his input on difficult situations, like morning routines, which helps him invest in the solutions. We also have more productive conversations with him when we process difficulties because we have a framework. We feel closer as a family.
Amy is non-judgmental and easy-going, which makes being vulnerable enough to make real changes easier. Her humor, practical approach and excellent questions made all the difference. Coaching with Amy has been one of the best investments we’ve made.
Amy and Pete, Mansfield, MA
Parent coaching with Amy has transformed our family.
Parent coaching with Amy has transformed our family. When we started, we were exhausted and exasperated with parenting and our kids. We felt as though we’d gone through our “toolbox” and were out of ideas on how to have cooperative, yet happy kids and family. By the end of the day we often felt bad/sad about our own actions that day.
Parent coaching has enabled us to take a step back to learn about each of our kids and their emotional, physical and developmental needs. And because we recognize that each is unique, and often changing, our parenting needs to be flexible and less rigid than we’d set up. We can have more fun, enjoyment and laughter AND feel successful at the end of the day. Remembering to find the joy and playfulness makes for happy kids and parents!
We’ve worked through countless real, concrete solutions to our family’s everyday challenges. We’re building a toolbox. We’re learning how to use it in real time and having more fun, too.
Melissa and Ernie, parents of 5 year old twin boys and a 2 year old girl in Newton, MA
I am able to be the parent I wanted to be.
I have been talking about this experience of parent coaching with every parent I talk to. I’ve shared the value of the resources and time reflecting and processing. At the beginning I felt overwhelmed, hopeless, and like a complete failure. Now I feel confident and recharged. I am able to be the parent I wanted to be. Our weekly conversations have been most helpful. You are so positive, supportive, and nonjudgmental, which is what we all need when talking about our insecurities with parenting.
Mo Reed-McNally, mom of 5 and 7 year old boys in Amherst, MA
I’m grateful I’ve had you as a touch point and lifeline.
Your parenting, relationship, and individual coaching has been invaluable to me through this year which has been challenging in so many ways. I’m grateful I’ve had you as a touch point and lifeline. Your parenting insights and ideas made me step back and examine the type of relationship and family I want to create –and recognize that our family and relationship doesn’t have to be the one that just happens, but that I can be more in control and a creator of both. You have been a true treasure and ray of light for me during a difficult year.
Sara, mom of 7 year old girl and twin 5 year old boys in Marin County, CA
Coaching strengthened our relationship with our older daughter and each other.
The most important impact of parent coaching for us is that now we’re on the same page as parents in terms of how we handle our daughter’s behavior. Before that, our strategies were reactive or inconsistent. Through our weekly coaching sessions, we gained clarity on what was happening and learned how to handle meltdowns effectively. We learned to pay attention to WHY our daughter was behaving negatively, which enabled us to get much better at meeting her needs. Now it’s hard to remember the last time there was a hitting or yelling episode! We are both on the same page and can tap in for each other when one of us needs a break. Parent coaching with Amy was a really worthwhile investment that has strengthened our relationship with our older daughter and each other. We are truly grateful to Amy for her guidance through a big transition for our family.
Andy and Elizabeth, parents of girls ages 4 and 7 months, Roslindale, MA
Amy helped us bring back a sense of delight of being with our son.
Amy helped us navigate through a really turbulent time and brought back a sense of delight of being with our son. He is now less whiny, better at coping with emotions, and more self-directed and we are calmer and more confident in our approach to parenting, which makes all of us feel happier to be together. What makes Amy truly stand out is her hands-on, judgement-free approach—over six sessions, she equipped us with the tools and language to approach parenting challenges and help our son build resilience and navigate his emotions. We learned to emphasize the positive and to show our son the process of our thinking through things. We now encourage him to participate in problem solving and he comes up with great ideas. Seeing things from our son’s perspective gave us new insight into his needs. We are all enjoying less conflict and more fun around the house!
Jennifer Chen and Simon Montlake, Cambridge, MA
I have greatly decreased my yelling…
I am grateful to have found Amy as a coach. I felt out of control and stressed out as my kids got older and moved into their pre-teenage years.
Amy helped me take a step back and understand my interactions with my kids. She helped me craft a mindful approach to parenting that makes me and my kids feel better about ourselves.
She taught me that the most powerful tool is modeling and that is a gift. I have greatly decreased my yelling and have learned to take a pause before reacting to situations.
Amy’s personal approach made me feel connected and understood.
Alyssa, mom of 3 children ages 8-13 Newton, MA
Amy is very intelligent and articulate.
Amy is the only person that I felt comfortable expressing my personal experiences to. She responded to all of my experiences with understanding, care and openness. She finds positive points to each experience. She is calm, warm and compassionate. She is very intelligent and articulate. She has helped me to handle adversity without stress and upset, but rather, as a manageable matter that can be resolved. She helped me to communicate and bond with my children in a different way than I had before. By responding to my children in a more accepting way, they have come to feel happier and more fulfilled at home and find home as a place where tensions are diffused rather than built.
J.L., mother of 2 girls ages 8 and 11 in Newton, MA
Our parent coaching sessions feel easy and natural.
Amy has a unique way of being present with me and focusing on me as a client.
She is able to meet me where I am in a given moment AND bring us back when the time is right to a broader intention for the session. She helps me access my own intelligence and life reference points when working through struggle, and shares her own stories when relevant, creating a sense of the universality of this parent journey.
Our parent coaching sessions feel easy and natural. I trust her. She challenges me to be my best self. All who find her and discover a fit are in for an extraordinary treat!
G.M., mother of two sons ages 10 and 13 in Newton, MA
I am a much happier, stronger person than I was when we started
I am incredibly grateful that I had Amy as a coach during a time of intense personal change and growth. She helped me to reflect on and understand difficult losses, she helped me to be a better parent to my teenaged children through big transitions, and she helped me make changes in my life that have allowed me to grow and to thrive. I am a much happier, stronger person than I was when I started coaching 12 weeks ago–Amy has made such a difference in my life.
Amy, mother of 2 teens in Newton, MA
I felt supported, heard, and understood every step of the way.
Through the whole coaching process, Amy was the very definition of committed. She was completely focused and engaged, took copious notes, asked highly relevant questions, engaged in dialogue for the sake of discovery and clarification, and took the time to compose thoughtful emails. I felt supported, heard, and understood every step of the way.
Father in Brookline, MA
We are having more fun with our kids now.
We would definitely recommend parent coaching with Amy. She helped us build our parenting muscles, work better as a team and build our confidence to parent well and in line with our values. We are having more fun with our kids now and feel like we have some more structure and control over what happens at home.
Parents of two young children in West Roxbury, MA
Amy helps me prepare.
Amy helps me prepare. She helps me think through questions to ask my children to initiate difficult conversations, then role-plays with me so I feel confident in having those conversations.
Mother of teens in Newton, MA
Amy helps me to focus on what is most important in my life.
Amy reminds me to pay attention to and move toward what lights me up and what makes me feel most alive. This helps me to focus on what is most important in my life.
Mother dealing with separation and job transition in Newton, MA
There is now a wonderful friendship and love between me and my son…
It has been two years since I did parenting coaching sessions with Amy and I still use ideas and techniques I learned during that time. I am so happy that there is now a wonderful friendship and love between me and my son which I had not thought would be possible when I started the coaching. He now reads more books and makes better choices. I am so grateful to Amy for those conversations, and her support and wisdom that changed my approach to parenting and brought light into our family life.
Olga, Newton parent of 7 & 3 years old
My stress level has decreased to a more manageable level.
Working one on one with Amy has been invaluable to our family. With her help, I have become more firm, clear, and confident in my parenting. Before I worked with Amy, my stress level about parenting was on the high end. As a result of working with Amy, my stress level has decreased to a more manageable level. My family routines have greatly improved and I’ve learned to make a more concerted effort in nurturing all of the relationships in our family. I highly recommend Amy Behrens as a parent coach.
Maura, mother of boys ages 6 and 2 in Roslindale, MA
Amy brought a greater sense of clarity and direction into my life.
My experiences of coaching with Amy brought a greater sense of clarity and direction into my life.
I walked away from the experience of parent coaching feeling more directly focused and integrated in my own existence, with a clear picture of where I was, where I wanted to be, and with a plan for bridging the gap between the reality of my life as it is, and the future as it will be.
I would recommend her services to anyone in need of some counsel and support on their own forward march as a parent and human being. The experience was completely positive and beneficial, and has resulted in an acceleration of my own journey of insight and self-actualization.
Paul, father and stepfather of 3 sons in Brookline, MA
Amy was able to customize a program for me that fit my home and family.
With Amy Behrens as my parent coach, I have become more aware of my parenting, more positive in my interactions with my children and much happier about myself — something counseling and dozens of parenting books weren’t able to help with.
Amy listened to the issues I’ve had about parenting and helped me envision the relationship I wanted with my children in the future. She provided me with a fresh lens and tools to help me deal with my current situation. What stood out for me in this process was how, through her careful listening, empathy and coaching skills, Amy was able to customize a program for me that fit my home and family. I would highly recommend Amy Behrens as a talented parent coach and indeed already have to several of my friends!Julie Crosson, MD, mother of 2 in Newton, MA
Success Stories
Survival Mode to Confidence and Peace
Survival Mode to Confidence and Peace
Check it outParenting Teenagers
Parenting Teenagers
Check it outFrom Overwhelm to Enjoyment
From Overwhelm to Enjoyment
Check it outSibling Dynamics with New Baby
Sibling Dynamics with New Baby
Check it outCommunication with 3 Year Old
Communication with 3 Year Old
Check it outTeen with Social Anxiety
Teen with Social Anxiety
Check it outIntense Meltdown
Intense Meltdown
Check it outMoving Back Transition
Moving Back Transition
Check it outADHD Diagnosis
ADHD Diagnosis
Check it outNew Perspectives
New Perspectives
Check it outDivorce Transition
Divorce Transition
Check it outWhiny Child
Whiny Child
Check it outBlended Family
Blended Family
Check it outLearning Independence
Learning Independence
Check it outNew Sibling
New Sibling
Check it outPersonal Growth
Personal Growth
Check it outMindful Approach
Mindful Approach
Check it outDaughter with ADHD
Daughter with ADHD
Check it outWorkshop Reviews
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Mindfulness workshop at MGH
We invited Amy to speak to a group of faculty physicians as part of a team building experience focused on helping to bring joy back to the practice of medicine.In today’s healthcare environment, we find that our faculty are spread very thin across a multitude of administrative necessities that sometimes feel like they get in the way of delivering the best patient care. Our leadership team thought that Amy’s guidance on practicing mindfulness could be helpful in this context.
Amy worked with us to plan out a talk that was highly tailored to our audience and the result was a relaxed, enjoyable, and memorable evening. Feedback from our faculty physicians indicated that they were able to make immediate changes in their behavior and practices (some are even considering adding daily meditation to their routine!).
Mallory Davis, Administrative Director - Neurology Massachusetts General Hospital
Art Camp
Jessica RAVED about your art camp- how she understands colors better, loved going out into nature for inspiration and the effect it had, how the day was paced and divided effectively. She clearly had an inspired, joyful experience.
Julie, Newton, MA
Peacemakers Groups
Hello Amy!
I just had the most delicious conversation with my daughter, Dorothy, and must write you before I forget.
She is now in year 11 (10th grade in US) at an IB international school, and loving it. So, part of their curriculum is to do service activities. She just told me her idea for next term, which is to start a “Peace Makers” group with the younger students. She went on to describe, in great detail, what she would do and was telling me so many things which were directly from you!
She talked about stories you told with Gandhi, Martin Luther King, about the role playing, the gratitude journal, the bauble jar! All this, in vivid description, from 10 years ago:-)
So amazing the impact you have had on her (and countless others’) lives. Needless to say, I had tears running down my face at the beauty of this inspired kid, her ideas about how to talk to the little ones about Peace.
I only wish I could express in words my appreciation for you!
On behalf of Planet Earth, thank you for the important work you do!!
Eileen, mom in Lisbon, Portugal
Racial Justice Work
Dear Amy,
Recently David Fleishman, our Superintendent came to our Principal Meeting to share the success of the parent forum that was held on the topic of talking about race with our children. He was so complimentary of you and the other parents whom you have teamed up with around this initiative – and of course, I shared all of your amazing work here at Zervas!
I just wanted to let you know this and to see if there is anything I can do to support you with your work. Please let me know.
Diana Beck, Principal at Zervas Elementary in Newton, MA
Fairy House Camp
Hi Amy ! I just wanted to send you a note…Madison LOVED the last 2 days with you and her friends. She is so proud of her fairy house and spent 20 minutes walking me through the creation this afternoon. Kudos to you for giving these girls such a fun experience.
Gillian, Newton, MA
Fairy House Camp
Thank you again for including Ashley with yesterday’s camp! She had “the best day ever”!!! The fairy house is amazing!!! Now I just have to keep my little one’s fingers off it!!
Please keep me updated on your camps and if you do anything during school vacation weeks I know Ashley would love to be included!!
Many thanks!
Katie, Newton, MA
Classroom Presentation on World Religions
Dear Amy,
I wanted to thank you for coming into Ms Williamson’s class yesterday and sharing what you did with the children. Your “story” really resonated with Emily and we spoke a lot about different religions last night. She asked so many insightful questions which really were triggered by your discussion. As a parent I truly wanted to thank you. I can totally see how you must have been a wonderful teacher.
Thanks again!
Cathy, Newton, MA
Interfaith Women’s Gatherings
Hi Amy,
The women’s gatherings are the highlight of my month. Your passion and dedication to bringing a diverse group of women together to discuss a range of topics is evident in the care you put into the programs and to the lively and thoughtful discussions we have every time. I learn a lot from the other women and always go home with notes on books to read or the budding ideas for a project. The social part of the group before the discussion is a great opportunity to meet other women and to forge connections.
Thank you for bringing us together!
Jaqi, Salem, MA
Interfaith Women’s Gatherings
Hi Amy,
Your monthly gatherings are refreshers for me. I come whenever I am in town. I come to them open to hearing and listening. I love what I hear and learn. I cherish the participants and their offerings and gifts. I value what you do. I leave feeling myself whole and listening to myself.
I also listen to others, with their thoughts, struggles, joys, successes, and I deepen in my understanding of what we are talking about by cycling more deeply into my own thoughts as I listen to others fully express their thoughts. I often find myself thinking of what people have said long after I have left the group. I always grow from the experience, and feel very full and enriched by it. Because of the uniqueness of each interaction, there are times when it feels magical.
Thank you for a wonderful, enriching group that allows me a connection and deepening to myself and to others who I would not necessarily know otherwise.
Erika, Newton, MA and VT
Parent Discussion at Zervas Elementary
Dear Amy,
Thanks so much for your note! It means so much to me. I really appreciate your kind words, and your taking the time to write. Last night’s discussion felt warm, intimate even, thought-provoking, and uplifting, which I believe in large part was facilitated by your warmth, acceptance, and style of leadership. I loved your idea of having everyone sit in a circle. I was thrilled and a bit surprised to hear the extent to which just about everyone who commented seemed to feel so positive about the school and the Zervas community overall, with regard to respect and tolerance for differences.
Lots of love,
Cindy, Newton, MA
Mindful Parenting
I enjoyed hearing others’ experiences and knowing that I’m not alone with parenting struggles. Amy had practical ideas about how our own experiences influence our parenting and how to manage those feelings and thoughts.
Alex
Mindful Parenting
This series really helped me slow down, work on connecting, and generally be more aware and thoughtful.
John
Mindful Parenting
I loved being able to talk and listen to everyone’s issues. It was great to be able to laugh at the absurdity of parenting. I wish we could meet every week! Every parent needs reflection, space and instruction, and all of those have been part of this class.
I want a Mindful Parenting II class!
Suzanne
Mindful Parenting
I appreciated the honesty among parents, the humility about this hardest job that we are all doing, and the respect among the participants. I loved the chance to talk openly and constructively about improving our parenting techniques. I learned how to better respect my son’s opinion and needs, to be less reactionary, and that it is ok to not be perfect.
Siobhan
Mindful Parenting
I learned how important it is for me to take care of myself, think about what is behind somebody’s behavior, and feel other’s feelings. I enjoyed being able to discuss and share ideas with other parents in an open discussion, practice each week, and put our thoughts into question with the group. I wish we had more time together!
Weihong
Survival Mode to Confidence and Peace
When in the throes of the pandemic at home with a 3 year old and infant, we felt utterly overwhelmed with the many behavior challenges that were developing in our toddler. When coming to Amy we felt like we were in survival mode. Yet after our first conversation we gained hope that we could take small steps towards changing patterns that were negatively affecting our family on a daily basis. She met us where we were at with approachable suggestions that both of us as parents felt comfortable with, allowing us to feel confident in making changes. Each week we would work on a new struggle and every time there was a positive result. It honestly felt magical seeing these struggles we dreamed of changing come to life. When our son began attending public school at age four and threw epic tantrums as he didn’t want to go into the building in the morning, we frantically contacted her and she was able to fit us in that day to have a session. She truly feels like a lifeline. Working with her is one of the best investments we have made for our family. We cannot recommend her enough!
– Doug and Ashley, Roslindale, MA
Parenting Teenagers
I came to Amy to help me connect with my teenagers. She helped me work through interactions (past and future) while teaching me techniques to enhance my communications and situational analysis. I’ve learned a lot about what drives my reactions, and how I can be more mindful about timing and less reactionary to behavior that doesn’t match my expectations.
Amy helped me see how the kids really are expanding my world view – by the way they are and how they make their way through the world. I have reduced the feelings that I’m performing badly as a parent and increased harmony in the house by not pushing things at the wrong times or in the wrong ways – and by creating space for my kids to do what they need to (including alone time to recharge).
– Michelle Farrington, Mom of two teens in Arlington, MA
From Overwhelm to Enjoyment
When I started working with Amy, I was completely overwhelmed and felt like I was not equipped to parent. I felt like every negative action/behavior of my children was indicative of my failures as a parent. I still feel that way on really bad sleep-deprived days, but now I have a better understanding of what is in my control and what is not. I feel more relaxed and less tightly wound with parenting things a lot of the time.
Amy has helped me with mindset changes, resets, concrete examples, and ideas for things to do in the moment. I am more in-tune with my daughters developmentally.
Parent Coaching has been an amazing resource that has helped me to enjoy my children and family much more. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this work.
– Megan, Mom of 3 and 7 year old daughters in Columbus, OH
Sibling Dynamics with New Baby
Navigating life with a 3 year old was challenging enough but with a newborn on the way we knew we weren’t prepared. Our daughter was already very mommy dependent and we were expecting that to get worse. And it did. But Amy helped us through it by adjusting our thoughts and giving us techniques and tools to use during this difficult stage. We know we will come back to Amy for help and guidance when we hit the next rough patch.
– Brett and Heidi, parents of two great kids, MA
Communication with 3 Year Old
Recently, I was experiencing a host of communication challenges with my sweet and strong-willed 3 year old son. Not only was I out of ideas, but I had also lost my confidence.
I had read the parenting books, listened to a million parenting podcasts, etc. but I needed personalized strategies that were tailored to myself and my son.
From my first call with Amy, I instantly felt better! Not only did we strategize many different situations, but she was supportive, empathetic, affirming and just a pleasure to talk to.
Over the course of our sessions together, we’ve developed a playbook that I can reference and I feel like my toolbox is full.
Thank you, Amy, for helping me get my confidence back and giving me some fantastic parenting support and advice!
– Mackenzie Henderson, North Reading, MA
Teen with Social Anxiety
My teenage son could not return to school during the Pandemic due to his social anxiety. After a couple of psychologists who specialize in anxiety failed to help him, I decided to learn some skills myself to help him recover by reaching out to Amy. I have been very impressed by Amy’s exceptional empathy, kindness, and professional skills. She provided ample great ideas and personalized techniques that helped me bond with my son and improve his self-confidence. As a result, he was able to attend several in-person summer camps and is adjusting to a new high school now! I hope other parents with anxious kids can benefit from Amy’s great help too.
– Father of a teenager boy with social anxiety, Newton, MA
Intense Meltdown
As parents we struggled with our two-year old daughter who was having intense meltdowns with increasing frequency, as well as hitting her older sister. For months we tried many strategies recommended by friends, family and online parenting resources. Nothing seemed to improve her behaviors. It caused significant stress to us and even made us think twice about running errands with her or bringing her to public events.
Within a few weeks of reaching out to Amy our situation improved dramatically and friends started to comment on what a ‘night and day difference’ they noticed in our daughter. We felt very comfortable opening up to Amy. She seemed to have endless strategies for every issue we brought up. Each session was packed full of helpful ideas, and her thoughtful manner and use of comic relief made the sessions enjoyable. And, most importantly, it worked. Even with what seems like very simple changes in how we interact with our daughter, we noticed dramatic improvement in her behavior. We feel equipped with many tools to deal with meltdowns at home and in public. But best of all, after employing strategies that Amy suggested, the meltdowns rarely happen now, and, our daughter seems happier, more confident, and the rest of the family can go back to enjoying normal family life.
The impact she has had on our family has been tremendous. So much so that we have recommended her to many friends and even gave her name to our pediatrician to share with parents of her patients. We firmly believe that the advice she provided to help us now can also be applicable to situations down the road as the girls get older. We can’t thank Amy enough and already know we will not hesitate to turn to her for advice as new challenges arise in the future.
– Lauren and John, parents of two girls in Brookline, MA
Moving Back Transition
I’m a mom of 7-year-old twin boys. We had just moved back to Massachusetts after spending 3 years in England. A long story short, there were several transitions going on and we were all handling them in our own way. At some point it became normal for my boys to speak to me disrespectfully and I became a reactive, yelly mom.
One of my sons is very sensory oriented and it added an extra layer of complexity. I started searching for a parent coach to help guide me through it all because I was at a loss. I read blogs, books, articles…you name it and I never was able to find a situation that perfectly fit me. It’s because there isn’t one- every situation is different.
After some searching, I found Amy, thankfully. After one discussion with her, I knew she was the perfect fit. Amy has a very calming and reassuring voice. Not only did what she said made sense, she gave me the tools on how to apply everything. The difference with Amy is that you are accountable for the change.
Having a coach encourages you to apply the tools that are given to you. Amy would check in with how I felt, how the tools worked, how we could tweak them- all of it tailored to me and family. Books and blogs can’t do that. Amy was my biggest cheerleader – no feat was too small to mention. When I faltered, she encouraged me to keep going.
It’s been almost a year and the improvements in my family have been life changing and we are continuing to make improvements, but I can breathe again. In a perfect world, every parent should have a coach and I was lucky enough to find Amy.
– Beth, Mother of twin 7-year old boys in Westford, MA
ADHD Diagnosis
Having a child who was recently diagnosed with ADHD was completely overwhelming to me and was very disruptive for my family.
Amy helped me with strategies for helping my son and all of us in dealing with his issues, with very specific ideas based on our lives which she carefully observed.
Amy also helped me to organize the plan on putting together the “team” for our son, since I really didn’t know who needed to be involved. Amy is very responsive and thorough, and always follows up each session with an e-mail recap of what we discussed.
This is one of the most helpful things that Amy does. Not only does she talk with you to help, but also organizes what was discussed in each session so that you don’t forget the key strategies and take-aways, which could end up lost the busyness of a day. In each session, Amy asks what was working and what wasn’t working from the week before, to make sure we were doing our homework! In this way, Amy helped us to implement strategies to help our family, not just talk about them.
– Laura, mother of two in Newton, MA
New Perspectives
The holistic and living-systems framework that Amy introduced me to gave me a much deeper understanding of the many different factors that may have been contributing to the issue at hand with my daughter. This enabled me to not only understand my daughter’s challenge but also to be more conscious of my own thoughts, reactions and behavior.
The weekly calls enabled me to gradually try to implement the approaches we had discussed in our calls and then to reflect on how this went during our calls.
Of course, no behavior change is instant and sustained change takes time and even after these 12 weeks I will continue to work on and implement what I’ve learned for months to come.
What has stayed with me are the new ways of thinking, of seeing a situation, of approaching a tense situation, and of recognizing when I’m falling into my old patterns.
I was also surprised to see in how many other areas of my life I was able to apply these insights—not only in my family, but also at work and my community. As a working mom, I feel the insights I have gained have helped me to be less reactive and more intentional, and most of all, more present in my daughter’s life and in my own.
– Julia, mother of twin 9 year old girls in Queens, NY
Divorce Transition
I met Amy Behrens at a divorce retreat. I felt an immediate connection with her and knew I’d feel comfortable sharing my parenting matters with Amy.
The divorce transitions are challenging for the whole family. My daughter is a young adult, but we needed some assistance working out our issues. I wish we could have taken advantage of Amy’s support years ago.
She helped us as mediator as we opened our hearts and worked through some difficult conversations. She took the time to listen to each of us individually & together.
Amy is an upbeat, positive and very encouraging parent coach. It’s times like this when you feel all alone, experiencing so many changes that you need someone in your corner that understands exactly what you’re going through with the positivity mind set- we are going to get through this and you’re not alone!
– Mom and adult daughter, Milford, MA
Whiny Child
Within six sessions, Amy helped me simplify my approach to two steps that I can use in any situation. She helped me tune into my own emotions and tune into my child’s emotions. I learned to set boundaries I can hold with logical consequences when needed.
I can parent more in the present moment and be a lot more real with my children instead of reacting with all of the different voices of advice from others in my head. I trust myself more now and I feel calmer and more able to be the parent I want to be.
– Mom of two girls, ages 4 and 18 months, in Boston, MA
Blended Family
Luckily for us, my husband and I found Amy’s services and were able to agree to try Amy’s parent coaching. Amy’s ability to pull out differing points of view and be non-judgmental in her assessment of what was going on (feelings, thoughts, worries, triggers, etc.), and to then offer solutions enabled us to better understand each other and the boys so that we could communicate and work as a family. The coaching tools Amy used to help us reflect before and after each session, as well as the coaching conversations themselves really helped us stay on the path of changing our family interactions.
Now, everyone in the house can breathe easier. While things are not perfect, they are improving and I have faith they will continue to do so. My husband and I are more aligned on how to address issues. I am able to relax and enjoy my boys more. My husband is too, which is an amazing thing. Most importantly, the boys are happier. They feel appreciated, and know we are both there for them. They now see my husband not as a threat, but as a big addition to their lives. It’s really wonderful to see. Parent coaching with Amy has been essential in this transformation. I have so much more confidence in our family unit now, and I am grateful.
– Kate B, parent of two boys in Acton, MA
Learning Independence
What makes Amy truly stand out is her hands-on, judgement-free approach—over six sessions, she equipped us with the tools and language to approach parenting challenges and help our son build resilience and navigate his emotions. We learned to emphasize the positive and to show our son the process of our thinking through things. We now encourage him to participate in problem solving and he comes up with great ideas.
Seeing things from our son’s perspective gave us new insight into his needs. We are all enjoying less conflict and more fun around the house!
– Jennifer Chen and Simon Montlake, Cambridge, MA.
New Sibling
Amy also taught us to lean into the things our daughter loves and ensure that she has time with each of us, which is especially important now that she has a baby sister. We learned that we truly need to prioritize self-care in order to have the energy to parent well. We discussed so many resources that we look forward to continuing to reflect together regularly on our own. Parent coaching with Amy was a really worthwhile investment that has strengthened our relationship with our older daughter and each other. We are truly grateful to Amy for her guidance through a big transition for our family.
– Andy and Elizabeth, parents of girls ages 4 and 7 months, Roslindale, MA
Personal Growth
Working with you was more enriching and satisfying than I could have imagined. From the moment I reached out to you or first spoke to you on the phone about working together, I felt embraced and cared for. I didn’t feel like there was a superficial business exchange about what the issues were and how we could work together on them. I felt like I was talking to someone who didn’t need to know anything about me to really care, to make me feel completely at ease, comfortable and open to share, and never judged. That allowed me to be open about anything I thought could be relevant, and receptive to pointers about the role I might be playing in my difficulties with my daughter.
During the four months of us working together, I felt like you connected with our situation, and when sharing resources or strategies, you made relevant and meaningful connections between my experience and my daughter’s and how they could be helpful. I’ve told you before that hearing from you about struggling with similar issues as a parent de-stigmatized some of it for me as well. So much of my experience as a parent feels like it needs to stand up to other people’s judgment and opinion and it can feel isolating or like I, specifically, am doing something wrong.
I really appreciated the playbook questions to be answered before and after the calls, as they kept me focused and helped me recenter before our calls. They are now a journal of sorts, and an invaluable document as I continue to work on growing through these challenges that have decreased dramatically.
It was an extraordinary process to not just learn about my daughter’s style and temperament, or her values and strengths, but to also see how this was an opportunity for me to grow. You helped me to see my daughter clearly and value her for who she is, how to bring the best out of her, and you helped me see how to bring the best out of myself as a parent. As a part of this process I found peace with the fact that this is a long term objective and that there is gradual change, while at the same time, the same issues (and new ones) will continue to arise.
I tell everyone I can about the impact of this experience on my person, my relationship with my daughter, and on our family. I foresee that I will return again and again as new challenges arise, and I’m so looking forward to it.
My sincerest gratitude for everything!
Marta B, Northampton, MA
Mindful Approach
Amy helped us learn to collaborate with our child more often to get his input on difficult situations, like morning routines, which helps him invest in the solutions. We also have more productive conversations with him when we process difficulties because we have a framework. We feel closer as a family.
Amy is non-judgmental and easy-going, which makes being vulnerable enough to make real changes easier. Her humor, practical approach and excellent questions made all the difference. Coaching with Amy has been one of the best investments we’ve made.
– Amy and Pete, Mansfield, MA
Daughter with ADHD
After working with Amy, I feel like I understand my daughter much better now. I have so many new tools and resources to pull from. But most importantly, I have a new mindset. I’ve learned to respond differently to challenging situations and to be proactive to create more successful outcomes. I’m more curious and less judgmental. I’ve seen how creating more structure allows for more flexibility. These changes have boosted my daughter’s self-esteem and alleviated much of my tension.
I achieved my goal of improving my relationship with my daughter; we truly enjoy our time together and our home is a peaceful one. But I’ve also learned how to both support and empower her and I realize that is ultimately my job as her parent. Parent coaching has been one of the best gifts I’ve given myself – and my daughter.
Cindy E. Sudbury, MA