Parenting a child with disruptive behavior — defiance, aggression, difficulty following rules, tantrums, and outbursts — can be exhausting, consuming, and embarrassing. Parents of children with these concerns are inundated with advice from family, friends, schools, and social media, but may still end up feeling like they’re walking on eggshells around their own children. Too often, advice fails because it was intended for average, neurotypical children — it was not written for your child. Whether the problem is ultimately rooted in ADHD, autism, anxiety, or an atypical temperament, I can help you design an individualized set of precision parenting techniques that is adapted to your child’s unique psychology. Evidence-based behavioral approaches are highly effective for these concerns, and research consistently shows that working with parents is often the most powerful lever available.

Who this is for

I work with families of children and adolescents experiencing:

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct problems
ADHD-related behavioral challenges
Frequent tantrums, defiance, or difficulty following rules
Aggression or explosive behavior at home or school
Difficulty with transitions, compliance, or peer relationships
Avoidant anxiety

Especially for younger children, the most effective approach is often to work primarily — or entirely — with parents rather than the child directly. Change in therapy is hard, and children do not always have the self-awareness, executive functioning, and motivation to benefit on their own — they may not have a problem that they want to solve. For that reason, parents are often the most powerful agents of change in a young child’s environment.

How it works

Treatment is grounded in parent management training, an evidence-based approach with strong research support. When anxiety is part of the picture, I also draw on principles from SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), which helps parents respond to anxiety in ways that build their child’s confidence rather than avoidance. Sessions focus on helping parents understand the principles driving their child’s behavior, develop effective and consistent responses, and build a stronger relationship alongside clearer expectations.

Parenting a child with these challenges is hard work, and your well-being matters too. Part of our work is making family life more manageable — reducing daily conflict, simplifying routines, and helping you find the support and rest you need to parent the way you want to.