Welcome to my website!  I'm glad that you found me, because I enjoy helping parents whose struggling children need to be in settings where they can begin to thrive. I can support you as we navigate the waters between where your child is now, and the goals you have for your son's or daughter's health, behavior and well-being.

I must add a caution for the independent souls who research the web and make choices for the child based on what they find there, or on the experience of a friend of a friend. You are about to make an extensive investment of time, money, emotion and your child's life. My fee is a very small percentage of that investment, and for that you get my forty-five years of experience with a huge number of programs and clients. Though no one can guarantee results, I can guarantee that you will have a choice of the BEST programs that fit your child's needs. And I am proud to say that EVERY parent who has followed my advice is pleased to have worked with me.

In my practice I am committed to knowing which programs are legitimate [you've read the Boot Camp horror stories], which aren't, and which are appropriate for each child's needs. I base my recommendations on what I know through placements and site visits, backed up by the considerable expertise of a national network of colleagues I keep in touch with through a Talklist. From them, I can get an instant response to the current state of any program.

If you came to me through a recommendation from a therapist I have worked with, or from a family whose child has grown through experiencing the excellent therapy, loving and accountable community and good schooling I led them to, then you are already feeling relieved about reading this.

No matter what issues your child [ages 6 to 18] or young adult [18+] is dealing with, I can help you as I have helped countless families to find solutions to common problems that are preventing their children from moving ahead:

Look through the rest of my website, and then give me a call, and/or fill out the Student Profile [no obligation] under Ready for the Next Step?

I know that phone call is a hard one to make. Many parents feel that in considering a boarding setting they are giving up, having to admit that they are helpless, or, worse [and not true] that they are completely responsible for their child's behavior, even that they have caused it. Shame, guilt, humiliation are common, but they needn't be. I will tell you that you are not alone, that your courage has brought you here, and that you're willing to consider working toward a solution.

	Interventions For those of you reading this whose child has gone off the rails, or who feel as if s/he is about to do so, and who have contemplated acting for some time but haven't admitted that you are in over your head, or simply haven't asked for help, here are some thoughts: Your child is begging you by her behavior to STOP her from doing what she's doing. He doesn't want to be the pivot point around which the entire family spins, a family whose every action must take him and his reaction into account; he doesn't want to control your lives. She can't believe she's getting away with her defiance and other actions that are covering up her pain, and will [believe me] actually be relieved when she doesn't have to do that any more. Will the situation get any better if you wait? In my experience, if your call reflects something like the situations above, the downhill path is irreversible as long as the child is at home. The best of parents have tried, but nothing short of an intervention has had any effect on the child. More rules, fewer rules, getting tougher, giving in, therapy once a week - nothing seems to work.

You will find that your story is probably similar to ours, as parents with a child who called from jail one evening and... [see the section For the Family Whose Child is Troubled for the rest of the story]

Working with me gives you the assurance of very personal attention, constant availability, and my experience of 45 years of working with parents, children, schools and therapeutic programs, along with a guarantee that my recommendations are of the highest quality professional programs [NO boot camps] and matched to your child's needs.

I look forward to hearing from you.