Hi! I’m Heidi.
I believe that peaceful parenting has the power to change the world. I also believe that the key to this change is supporting parents and caregivers so they don’t feel shame or overwhelm and don’t overcomplicate things.
For years, I “white knuckled” my way through Peaceful Parenting.
I’d stopped yelling (for the most part) but—as my son would often remind me—I was still easily frustrated and stressed out. There was such a long list of “things not to do” if you didn’t want to mess up your child and so much of the advice I was given by other peaceful parents didn’t feel responsive to my child’s actual needs, even if it made sense in light of his reflexive reactions.
I needed support so that I could stop trying to be the perfect parent and step into my authentic “good enoughness.”
And so do you.
The first thing I found that helped me to shift things was the book Raising Good Humans and the meditation practice it sparked. Prior to that I had done yoga and even some meditation. But I’d stopped because as a young lawyer, I thought that I couldn’t dedicate enough time to the practices. (And that was before I had kids.) That book, however, not only taught me about the stress response—as a physiological reaction and not something that I could control—it also helped me embrace the idea of good enough parenting and loosen my grip just a little bit on the perfectionism that had been driving me forward since childhood.
The second thing I found was somatics. Because after a while, despite my meditation practice, I fell back into thinking that being perfect was better than not being perfect, even if the cost of trying to be perfect was very high. And while part of me knew that my reasoning was faulty, I really struggled to change things. That is, I struggled until I found some compassionate witnesses to be with me while I confronted that faulty reasoning and then digested, composted, and transformed all of my feelings surrounding it into life force energy that I could use to support both myself and my children.
My Qualifications
One of the things that distinguishes me from many other parent coaches is my strong belief in training and education, as well as personal development. I also believe strongly in sharing with you my lineage, or the teachers and approaches I've learned from and incorporated into my work.So here's a non-exhaustive list of my teachers and influences:The Big Three (teachers I have studied with and been certified by, specifically in the field of parenting):
Hunter Clarke-Fields: Author of Raising Good Humans and Raising Good Humans Everyday; host of the Mindful Parenting podcast; and creator of the Mindful Parenting Course
Dr. Laura Markham: Author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids and Peaceful Parent, Happy Siblings and creator of the Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids Online Course
Robyn Gobbel: Author of Raising Kids With Big, Baffling Behaviors; host of The Baffling Behaviors Show podcast; and founder of the Baffling Behaviors Institute
Other Major Influences:
Dr. Gordon Neufeld: attachment-based developmental approach to parenting
Jamie Lynn Tatera: mindful self-compassion for parents and children
And let’s not forget:
My children (ages 5 and 10) and husband
My ~8-year career in high-pressure litigation, including as a federal appellate clerk
My meditation, breathwork, somatics, and other energy practices, teachers, practitioners, and retreat leaders
All of the books I’ve read, podcasts I’ve listened to, lectures and courses I’ve attended, and parents I’ve supported
Behind the Curtain
Even though I recognize that it isn’t exactly science-backed, I have found personality typing to be extremely accurate and fully see myself as an INTJ, Enneagram 6, and 5/1 Generator.
I am unabashedly progressive and empathetic in my political views, but it doesn’t always looks like it because I have little appetite for performative activism or the “Woke Olympics” and I am a deep thinker who focuses on understanding nuance.
I don’t believe in the “just keep scrolling” idea of avoiding conflict online because, while there’s no point arguing with trolls, the idea prevents us from growing our understanding and community.
I’m not nearly as serious as all this makes me sound. I love travel, food, and beautiful (sometimes expensive) things, and every year I recommit to reading more fiction than nonfiction. (I haven’t managed that one yet, but at some point it will happen.)
The Nitty Gritty
-
I live in Seattle, Washington (U.S.A.) but while I do meet with local clients in person, the majority of my work is online, and so I can proudly say that I work with people all over the world.
-
All families benefit from parent coaching. The only real prerequisite to working with me is that you be open to connection-based and non-punitive parenting methods.
That said, the majority of my clients have been trying to practice peaceful parenting or a related style for at least six months and identify as one or more of the following: perfectionsts, intellectuals, deep thinkers, and/or highly sensitive.
In addition, it is very common for one or more member of the family (parents or children) to be gifted, highly sensitive, strong willed, deeply feeling, ADHD, and/or anxious.
-
I mostly offer coaching, but also a membership and some courses. For more information on my offerings, check out the work with me tab.
-
My email address is heidi@heidigarciaparenting.com. I usually respond to messages within 48 hours.
Does working with me feel like the next right step for you and your family?
Get to know my style better by downloading my free “Embody Peace” workbook.
Do you follow me on Instagram?
