Customized support for you…

to support your children

Being a parent is so hard. We are here to help you! We are experienced Occupational Therapists (OTs) who offer customized support to help parents better understand and navigate their child’s challenges.

Is your child having difficulty with any of the following?

  • Handling big emotions (resulting in frequent meltdowns and/or big behaviors)

  • Completing daily routines (e.g. morning, after school, bedtime)

  • Transitioning between activities

  • Managing sensory differences

  • Getting along with siblings and/or peers

  • Sensitivity to feedback

  • Responding to demands/expectations

  • Attention, impulse control, organization (and/or other executive functioning skills)

  • Developing skills that are impacted by various neurotypes (e.g. ADHD, Autism, Learning Disabilities)

Are YOU feeling any of the following?

  • Overwhelmed with trying to figure out what’s “best” for your child given their unique needs

  • Like you’re on a roller coaster ride of your child’s emotions every day

  • Guilty for reacting to your children in ways that do not align with your best self and values

  • Unclear about finding a “just-right” balance of how to provide support to your children while promoting their independence and growth

  • Unsure about how to set boundaries in a more calm, effective, and compassionate way

  • Uncertain in your parenting style/approach

  • Confused about the “WHY” behind your child’s big reactions and behaviors

Our Approach

Compassion

Raising children is tough stuff.  As parents, we know how important it is to have compassion for ourselves as well as our children.  We put compassion at the heart of our coaching practice with you, as well.

Collaboration

Solving problems with others requires collaboration.  As we work with parents, we not only collaborate with you, but help guide you in the process of collaborating more effectively with your child.

Curiosity

We maintain a lens of curiosity and wonder, helping you dig deep to figure out what is going on underneath your and your child’s behavior.

Childhood Development

We understand and respect the natural development of children. We help parents gain an appreciation for their child’s developmental needs and determine how to best support them as they grow.

Our OT Perspective

As OTs, we are equipped with a unique lens that is grounded in human development, interpersonal relationships/dynamics, activity analysis, and the neuroscience behind the brain-body connection. 

In our parent coaching practice, we draw upon our knowledge of the human nervous system, child development, and the crucial connection between caregiver and child. As OTs, we think holistically about an individual’s profile (including their current strengths and needs), their daily routines and activities, their relationship with others, as well as environmental and contextual factors.

Our approach is rooted in compassion (for all challenges, without judgment), collaboration (including with children), curiosity (we look beyond the surface), and appreciation for child development (we embrace kids for who they are and where they are). 

We draw from the work of Dr. Mona Delahooke (Beyond Behaviors, Brain-Body Parenting), Dr. Ross Greene (Collaborative and Proactive Solutions Model), Drs. Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson (The Whole-Brain Child, etc.), as well as recent research on interoception and other related topics.

Why Parent Coaching?

It’s not only children who need services and help developing new skills! One of the most effective ways to help children is by empowering parents with new ways to handle challenges, improve communication, and create a more positive environment at home.

Parent coaching supports parents as they learn how to navigate challenges and improve their connection with their children, by discovering effective ways to support both their own and their children’s needs. The role of a coach during this process is to guide, support, empower, and collaborate with parents within a safe and judgment-free learning environment.

We work directly with you as parents to support you in that process by helping you dig deep to understand the WHY behind your child’s struggles, and by giving you tools and strategies to better understand and guide your child as they develop. Through our services, we provide individualized support to help you and your child navigate challenges and solve problems together. You will gain new insights and perspectives, as well as customized tools and strategies that fit your family’s unique needs.

As reflective parents and OTs, we are always learning and growing, too! We do our best with seeking to understand, giving ourselves grace, and having a growth mindset within our own families and in the work that we do. As such, we aim to be as neuro-affirming, culturally sensitive, and strengths-based as possible as we grow along with the families we serve.

Our goal is to help you and your family grow together! We plant seeds of change and help you nourish the strong roots you already have in place. Our logo is a symbol of our approach as well as our vision for helping parents and their children blossom.

About the Co-Founder

Jen Papasodoro

Hello! I’m Jen and I have been an Occupational Therapist for over 30 years, working in adult neurological rehabilitation for the first part of my career before moving into pediatrics and schools, and ultimately parent coaching. I live with my husband outside of Boston, Massachusetts, and we have two young adult children.

In my free time, I enjoy traveling, cooking, and browsing antique shops, general stores, and local hardware stores. Also, every year before the Oscars, my husband and I watch all the films nominated for Best Picture!

About the Co-Founder

Carrie Carman

Hi! I’m Carrie. Before discovering the field of Occupational Therapy, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and worked at a market research consulting firm. After switching gears and getting a Masters Degree in OT, I worked as a school-based OT for 17 years, during which I supported children ages 3-18 with a large range of developmental profiles. I live near Boston, Massachusetts, with my husband, two teenage sons, and our adorable adopted dog.

On a personal level, my interests include listening to podcasts and music, taking walks, exploring new places, and collecting heart-shaped rocks!

Testimonials

  • “I’ve been putting advice I received from The OT Parent Coaches to work with my son, who’s been preparing to start middle school soon, and it has been so helpful. I cannot recommend them enough to anyone looking for help raising their children the best they can!”

    Tara, mom of one

  • “I always felt you both were very caring and non-judgmental which helped me open up and be crystal clear about things that not only our child was doing, but that we had done and said while we were dealing with certain situations as well. You made me feel well supported when it comes to problem solving. I also felt very supported emotionally as well. I always felt like I was talking to very knowledgeable and caring friends every time we got together. Our conversations were always very organic and there was a natural flow with no awkward moments. When I had to deal with other forms of services in the past, they were very robotic, cold environments, with set questions and no connection or natural, warm feeling. You were the total opposite of anything we had tried before and had not worked. Your approach was definitely customized to our child’s and our needs.”

    Fulya, mom of two

  • “The emphasis on connection and wondering was really helpful. I appreciated the non-judgmental approach and supportive nature of the sessions. The most significant takeaway for me was the focus on connection and how powerful it is for all of us in our family.”

    Mom of three