Parenting solutions that wont leave you with more questions than you started.
Our Tampa child psychologists offer parent consultations that not only equip you with trusted advice and ready-to-use behavior scripts, but empower you to be your child’s most valuable resource.
Parenting should be straight-forward, right?
There’s an undiscussed narrative that parents should be “wired” to handle child behavior problems on their own. But where does this come from? We don’t do this when help is needed in other important areas of life. Most people aren’t debating whether or not they need help from an attorney when faced with a legal problem.
Being a citizen doesn’t imply we must be experts of law, so why do we assume being a parent suggests we must know everything about child development? Trying to be your own child psychologist is no different than trying to be your own lawyer or doctor. There are some things we can’t DIY, and parenting children with challenging behaviors is one of them.
You are not the problem, but you are the solution.
There is no denying that you are the expert of your child. As your child’s best resource, you hold the space for helping your child. We come in by filling that space with strategies and knowledge so you can help your child in the most effective way possible.
Dr. Kristin Edwards is a Licensed Child Psychologist in Tampa, Florida.
“Parents are the core of our work at Tampa Pediatric Psychology. We aim to empower parents with holistic and science-based knowledge so they can be the best resource for their child. The parents who work with us can expect fewer and less intense tantrums, less anxious children, reduced hyperactivity symptoms, fewer undesired behaviors, and decreased parental frustration.”
— Dr. Kristin Edwards, Owner of TPP
Reclaim your self-confidence and the joy of parenting
Parenting a child with challenging behaviors is tough, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming and you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Through education on child development and highly researched parenting strategies, you can move past feeling stuck and find peace in parenting— all backed by science and from the comfort of your own home.
Applying a one-size-fits-all behavioral approach to young children does not work.
You may have heard (from friends as well as professionals) that you need to give harsher consequences, take away more privileges, or to just be more “in charge”. But you know that those strategies do not work with your child. Some children require a behavioral approach that looks at behavior problems as skill deficits, rather than intentional defiance. Working with us will introduce you to scientifically proven strategies that are intended for children who are resistant to traditional discipline approaches.
What if you could feel
more optimistic about parenting?
Over the last several decades, a vast amount of research on child behavior has been published that now gives us the opportunity to understand why some children behave differently than others, and more importantly, what methods of discipline are most appropriate for these children. Knowing this allows us to respond to those behaviors in new ways that are not only compassionate, but effective.
Parent Consultations
Tampa Pediatric Psychology utilizes evidence-based approaches such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Parent Management Training in our ongoing parent consultations. In each session, behavior interventions and skills are taught and modeled, role-played with parents, and sometimes applied in live coaching situations with both parent and child. Parents are equipped with information and skills to increase confidence and self-sufficiency in setting limits and managing the behavior of their child. Likewise, children gain skill in controlling their own behavior and meeting parents’ expectations.
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Your first appointment will give you the opportunity to share your concerns more in-depth and clarify what you would like to work on. At the end of the assessment, you will receive recommendations for next steps individualized to your family’s needs. For many families, we will continue with a series of parent consultations aimed at improving emotional regulation and behavior problems. We also sometimes suggest further assessment, outside resources, or referral to another pediatric specialist. If your needs are not a good fit for what we offer, we will help connect you with someone better. Your wellbeing is our first priority, not your business.
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We aim to help you better understand your child’s challenging behaviors and teach you strategies that work for your child’s unique needs. Parents are often interested in discussing how to appropriately use rewards and consequences such as time-out, how to improve child compliance, encourage healthy emotional regulation, strategies to manage misbehavior in public settings, and what to do about aggressive behaviors. The purpose of our consultation appointments are to ultimately help you problem solve specific behavior problems so they are no longer disruptive to your family.
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We use live coaching with parents who are interested in receiving live feedback and support from a behavior expert right in the moment it’s needed. Live behavior coaching is highly research-based and effective at teaching strategies to parents that are often difficult to learn by simply reading the strategies online. During live coaching calls, we will walk you through some of the toughest interventions to implement so you don’t have to figure out if what you are doing is “right” or not.
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We often participate in school meetings with parents aimed at developing positive interventions to address challenging behavior in the classroom. As a former kindergarten teacher, Dr. Edwards has first-hand knowledge of what type of support teachers really need. We also often collaborate with other professionals such as pediatricians, child psychiatrists, and other pediatric specialists on behalf of our clients.
Meet Dr. Kristin Edwards
“I have a passion for helping parents manage disruptive child behaviors so they can feel more confident, calm, and consistent in their approach to discipline, and overall more optimistic about parenting.”
A significant amount of my professional training and experience has been focused on challenging behaviors in young children. It is not uncommon for me to hear parents say, “I love my child, but it’s hard, because everything’s a fight.” I know that a simple diagnosis doesn’t begin to capture the stress a child’s behavior can put on a family, nor does it help families accurately understand their child or know how to effectively help them.
I truly enjoy helping parents understand their child’s behaviors so they are better able to solve behavior problems, and as a result, restore their family’s relationships and sanity.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions.