Our Experts

Our advanced-degree, parenting and child development specialists are passionate about the science and sharing it with you to help you solve big and small parenting challenges

Ruth E. Freeman, LCSW

President & Founder

Specialities:
  • Mental Health,
  • School Age,
  • Relationships,

Ruth is a psychotherapist in private practice who has taught parenting education to hundreds of parents annually over the past 30+ years. She is co-founder of the Connecticut Parenting Education Network and lead author of Building Family
Futures, a University of Connecticut train-the-trainer parenting education curriculum. Ruth has also served as the Family Services Director for The Cove Center for Grieving Children, Family Services Manager for EASTCONN Head Start and Primary Therapist
at the Newington Children’s Hospital Inpatient Psychiatric Services. Ruth’s approach
to parenting education incorporates her clinical experience with children and families
in crisis, as well as key concepts synthesized from a wide range of sources. Ruth freely
and humorously shares the real-life blunders, challenges and successes she has had
applying positive parenting as a bio mom, stepmom, foster mom and “Nana.” Hear more from Ruth.

Amy Alamar

Ed.D.

  • Specialities:
  • School,
  • Teens,
  • Relationships,

Joyleen Albarracin

MA

  • Specialities:
  • Spanish Speaking,
  • Toddlers/Preschoolers,
  • Discipline,

Juan Pablo Arango

PhD

  • Specialities:
  • Education,
  • Adolescents,
  • Social-Emotional Learning,
  • Family Relationships,

Dana Asby

MA, MEd

  • Specialities:
  • Mindfulness,
  • Confidence,
  • School,

Kimberly Barton

Ph.D

  • Specialities:
  • Medical Disorders,
  • Anxiety,
  • Depression,
  • ADHD,

Marianne Barton

PhD

  • Specialities:
  • Child and Adolescent Development,
  • Mental Health,
  • Autism,

LeAnn Beaulieu

MA

  • Specialities:
  • Elementary and High School Education,
  • Social Emotional Learning,
  • Early Childhood,
  • Parent/School Connections,

Jonathan Beazley

LADC, LMFT

  • Specialities:
  • Substance use and abuse,
  • Adolescence and Young Adulthood,
  • Parent-teen Communication,

Hilary Ben-Ami

MS

  • Specialities:
  • Education,
  • Executive Function,
  • Middle School,

Hanna Brinkhaus

MA, LCSW

  • Specialities:
  • Toddlers/Preschoolers,
  • Infants,
  • Mental Health,

Andrea Brinnel

Ed.D.

  • Specialities:
  • Education,
  • Special Education,
  • Toddlers and Preschoolers,

Catina Caban-Owen

PhD, ACSW, LCSW, MPA

  • Specialities:
  • Spanish Speaking,
  • Mental Health,
  • School,

Autumn Cloud-Ingram

LCSW

  • Specialities:
  • Birth,
  • Discipline,
  • Teens,

Jennifer Dealy

PhD, LMFT

  • Specialities:
  • Separation,
  • Divorce,
  • Co-parenting,

Tanika Eaves

PhD, LCSW, IMH-E®

  • Specialities:
  • Infants,
  • Birth,
  • Relationships,

Joe L. Freeman

LCSW, M Div

  • Specialities:
  • Discipline,
  • Mental Health,
  • Relationships,

Lucinda Gibbons

MMFT

  • Specialities:
  • Parents sharing family responsibilities,
  • Marriage and Family issues,

Cornelius Holmes

LPC, NCC

  • Specialities:
  • LGBTQ+,
  • Trauma,
  • Diversity,
  • Sexual Health,
  • Identity,
  • Mental Health,
  • Relationships,

Sophie Hornick

MS, CCLS

  • Specialities:
  • Medical issues,
  • Hospitalization,
  • Grief/Loss,

Jeannine Sloane

MS Ed

  • Specialities:
  • Early Childhood,
  • Anti-Bias Education,
  • Art Therapy,

Heather Kobylinski

MA, SAC

  • Specialities:
  • Teens,
  • School,
  • Substances,

Anna Koehle

MA

  • Specialities:
  • Child welfare,
  • Adoption,
  • Infertility,
  • lifestory consulting,

Sarah Kopencey

Psy.D.

  • Specialities:
  • Adolescents,
  • Young Adults,
  • Eating Disorders,

Stefanie Larsen

MS, OTR/L

  • Specialities:
  • Sensory Processing,
  • Co- and Self-Regulation,
  • Picky Eating,

Marc Lehman

LMFT

  • Specialities:
  • Adolescents,
  • Mental Health,

Lisa Day-Lewis

LPC-A, MEd

  • Specialities:
  • LGBTQIA+,
  • Teens,

Cora Megan

MA, IMH-E®

  • Specialities:
  • Toddlers/Preschoolers,
  • Early Discipline,
  • Childcare,

Lisa J. Meltzer

Ph.D., CBSM

  • Specialities:
  • Pediatric,
  • Sleep,
  • Consultation,
  • Research,

Acey Neel

MA, LPC

  • Specialities:
  • sexual and gender identity formation,

Denise Parent

LMFT

  • Specialities:
  • Mental Health,
  • Depression,
  • Anxiety,

JoAnn Robinson

PhD

  • Specialities:
  • Infants,
  • Potty Training,
  • Taming Tantrums,

Stephanie Rondeau

MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS

  • Specialities:
  • Nutrition,
  • Wellness,
  • Fitness,

Susan V. Schaefer

M.Ed., M.A.T.

  • Specialities:
  • Education,
  • School Success,
  • Executive Function,

Michelle Sebak

MS

  • Specialities:
  • School,
  • ADHD,
  • Anxiety,
  • Autism,
  • Neurodiversity-Affirming Support,

Martha Staeheli

PhD

  • Specialities:
  • School,
  • Relationships,
  • Confidence,

Liz Sweigart

Ph.D

  • Specialities:
  • Technology,
  • Social Media,

Colleen K. Vesely

Ph.D.

  • Specialities:
  • Child and Family Development,
  • Gender Identity,
  • Diversity,

Poshi Walker

MSW

  • Specialities:
  • LGBTQ+,
  • Gender,
  • Transgender,

Denise Webb

APRN, PNP

  • Specialities:
  • Infants,
  • Birth,
  • Relationships,

Aaron Weintraub

MS, Curriculum Advisor

  • Specialities:
  • Autism,
  • Anxiety,
  • ADHD,

Bradford Wiles

PhD

  • Specialities:
  • Teens,
  • Relationships,
  • Technology,

Na Zhang

PhD, MEd

  • Specialities:
  • Couples,
  • Health,
  • Child and Adolescent development,
  • Parents,
  • Wellbeing and Prevention,

Peace at Home