What does mother/child relational therapy look like?

Short + Fast Version
If you’ve been feeling disconnected from your child—whether you’re in the fog of postpartum, battling with a fiery threenager, or navigating the distance of a tween or teen—relational therapy can help. Together, we slow down, get back to the basics of play and connection, and relearn how to enjoy each other again.

In session, we’re often on the floor playing, being silly, or working through simple activities that help you see and connect with your child in new ways. For older kids, we mix in talking, role-play, and skill-building, but play and experiential learning are always at the heart.

Parents usually leave feeling closer to their kids, more relaxed in moments of play and conversation, and more confident navigating the harder stuff when it comes up.

Expanded Version (for parents who want the details):

Have you been struggling with your connection with your child? Maybe you’re in postpartum and bonding feels harder than you expected. Maybe you’ve got a threenager who melts down at the drop of a hat and you can’t figure out how to play with them without losing your cool. Or maybe your tween or teen is starting to pull away, and it feels like your relationship is slipping out of your hands, sometimes it’s them raging at you, sometimes it’s both of you clashing.

Relational therapy is about pausing, coming together, and gently finding your way back to each other. Through an attachment and play-based lens, we slow things down, relearn how to connect, and create space for safety, silliness, and honest conversation.

My role in the room

I’m not here to judge your parenting or to “fix” your child. My job is to guide you both—sometimes by slowing the moment down, sometimes by offering new tools, sometimes by simply helping you feel less alone in the hard parts. Think of me as a safe third person who can spot what’s getting in the way of connection and help you find your way back to each other.

What sessions are like

• For little ones: We’re often on the floor, reconnecting through the basics of play. Sometimes I’ll use play-based assessments at the start (a few simple structured activities you do together while I observe) to better understand where your relationship is at before we dive in.

• For preschoolers and “threenagers”: We focus on playful connection while also practicing boundaries and ways to stay in relationship through the big feelings.

• For older kids, tweens, and teens: Yes, we play too. Many older kids need a reset that comes from rediscovering childlike connection. We also talk, role-play, and practice skill-building—but the heart of the work is still play and experiential learning.

Parent-child sessions are typically 50 minutes long.

What it’s not

This isn’t about diagnosing or labeling your child. And it’s not about proving you’re a “bad” or “good” parent. It’s about helping you and your child rediscover each other, repair where things feel broken, and find new ways of being together.

What parents often leave with

Parents who do this work often describe feeling:

• Closer to their kids than ever before

• More relaxed and confident during play and conversations

• Better equipped to navigate conflict without spiraling into guilt, shame, or frustration

And kids? They often start to soften, laugh more, and let their guard down—because they can feel the relationship shifting too.