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Thaw&Defrost

support services for your teen and almost-teen

Personalized & Private 
Student Support

During the teen years, it would be lovely if the icy adolescent could thaw out a bit, and the frozen in time parent could defrost too. I'd love to help you and your child bridge the gap between adulthood and childhood. 

Together I'll build rapport with your little teen angel and listen to your concerns as the expert witness of your child. We have technology and in person availability at our fingertips. 

We will still be where we are in this phase of parenting, but I'd love to help make it a little easier.

 Thaw and Defrost CAN:

  • Provide coaching to your adolescent or pre-adolescent
  • Address communication development, organizational skills, behavioral choices, and education-related needs
  • Help you and your teen or pre-teen meet in a shared space for more productive communication
  • Meet with neurodivergent students
  • Refer to resources in the community
  • Provide educational materials about development

 Thaw and Defrost cannot:

  • Provide therapeutic services
  • Diagnose mental illness
  • MAKE your child be nice
  • Provide time-warping services to skip this important developmental age
  • Tutor your child only, especially in Math (thank me later)

Story Time. 

My grandmother always said..."This too shall pass." Sweet, but when my kids were 11-18, no amount of time was soon enough.

I spent 12 years as a School Counselor-- beloved by my students and families, if I do say so myself. The reception from my own kids I got at home from a long 8-9 hour day? Rolled eyes and icy comments about my inability to understand. Anything. Especially them.

A student once came to me with some difficulties she was experiencing with her mother. Once very close, she expressed how she was sure her mother was now causing her irreversible distress that would no doubt last long into adulthood and likely the afterlife.  I actively listened to her monologue, and told her that indeed parents can be a little extra. She nodded emphatically. I told her that sometimes kids get older and, "parents, like, just can't handle it that their kid is not a child anymore." She agreed with vigor. 

Then, I turned a bit. "Ugh," I exclaimed, "and honestly?" I waited a beat, she was holding her breath. "It's really scary." She softened slowly as I discussed how it's hard to let go, how a parent can struggle with transitions, how difficult it is to let someone you love fail or even possibly fail.

"Ok, I get that," she hesitated in thought, "but why can't she just say that to me? Why can't my mom be more like you?"  I gave her my kindest, knowing eyes and turned a picture of my kids around. We were both misty at the happy and well-adjusted image. I told her with certainty, they hate me.  Her mouth dropped, she needed to know how that could be possible! I told her I didn't know, but I swore truthfully that they hate me and say all of the same things to me she reported about her mom. She thought for a second and then asked with hope, "You promise??"

"I promise," I assured her, "they really do." She returned to class, delighting in the newfound knowledge that what she was feeling was normal, and possibly, how her mom was acting was also normal. And maybe they just really, really loved each other.  She'd come to thaw out just a little. Enough to slowly let her mom in, but not so much that she can't keep growing.