Pathological Demand Avoidance/Persistent Drive for Autonomy

PDA Families

I am a PDA-affirming clinician. I am also the mom of a PDAer.  One of my passions is working with other PDA families.  When you live this life, it can be hard to find people who actually understand.  I promise, I will not recommend sticker charts.

I always say that PDA is like a rollercoaster.  When you are headed downhill, you are going downhill fast, and you know it.  When you aren’t heading downhill, you’re still waiting for the drop.  And maybe, if you’re like me, when things are going smoothly, you sometimes forget there are more loops ahead and they catch you by surprise. Whether you are new to PDA or you’ve been doing this for a while – it’s a wild ride.

I work with parents of PDAers. For parents who are just beginning to explore PDA, I provide education about how it functions. For those who are interested in moving to a low demand parenting approach, but struggling with some of the pieces, I can help you with that. I work with PDA parents together to help get on the same page with parenting and consider new strategies.  I also often work with PDA parents individually who are working on their own issues but want to work with someone who understands the dynamics in their home.

In addition to my clinical work, I am active in the mental health community, working with other clinicians and prescribers to expand awareness of PDA.  As a former school counselor with over a decade of experience in public schools, I can help you think about and advocate for accommodations that may help your PDAer be better able to access the school environment.

Finally, I run a FREE Houston-area virtual support group.  We meet every other Wednesday at noon, and if you would like to participate, just drop me a note on the Contact page.

Ready to start your journey?

I’m here to help. Let’s talk.