5 perspective shifts that help me lead with clarity and care One afternoon many years ago, my dad was in town visiting, and we were catching up over chips and salsa at the Mexican restaurant around the corner from my house. I was about ten years into my career, working with kids who had lived […]

A compassionate guide to make sense of hard days There’s a voice in my head that says, “Be perfect. Do enough. Don’t stand out. Definitely don’t have needs.” That’s the Chameleon* part of my brain. It’s the Downstairs Brain protector I know best—always trying to help me blend in, keep the peace, fly under the radar. Honestly? It’s […]

Challenging behavior can feel like a puzzle with missing pieces. But what if we could see these behaviors as messages from the brain—a way our minds tell us, “I’m doing my best to protect you!”? That’s where a little bit of user-friendly brain science can make a world of difference. Making the Invisible Visible For […]

Tips for Therapy, Home, and School I came across the work of Marti Smith, OTR when I was still in the therapy office. We developed a friendship across the miles as I was working on Riley the Brave’s Sensational Senses. And when her new book Sensory Healing after Developmental Trauma came out, I scooped it right up! One of the things […]