Hi, I’m Aaron Swartzman
As a longtime educator I’ve seen a rise in neurodiversity in the classroom and a decline in executive function. I’ve also seen how attuned, empowered parents support their children’s thriving. Whereas many of my colleagues dread parent conferences, I look forward to them as perhaps the most impactful 30 minutes I get to help a student all year.
I love working with parents, listening and being supportive both emotionally and practically. I enjoy finding the right time to share my relevant expertise in developmental stages, learning styles, executive function, and attachment, and most of all I love helping families find what works best for them.
In addition to being an educator and father of neurodiverse children myself, my 20+ years of experience as an improvisational artist have honed my ability to listen deeply and trust the work of transformation. Just like dance, parenting is both an art and a practice, an interplay of wisdom and specificity, consistency and surprise. When we drop into our deeper, more patient selves, we often find that we know just what to do. I’ll help you turn that insight into manageable action steps.
My Approach
A Parent Coach provides guidance to help you develop practical, long-term solutions to parenting challenges based on your strengths and values, and to build stronger, more fulfilling relationships with your children. Parent coaching is not therapy. It is a series of non-judgmental, supportive, and confidential conversations. The process is action oriented and focuses on helping you design and implement the parent-child relationship you want.
The Parent Coaching Institute process in which I trained is based on the science of positive psychology and living systems. We work together holistically to come up with the best possible strategies, use our combined expertise to make dynamic, incremental changes and observe them, learn to trust their positive impacts, and leverage momentum for ongoing transformation. I have a well developed parenting philosophy, expertise about children, and many practical tips, but the PCI process isn’t about me, its about you. I tailor the work towards supporting you and collaborating to build the family you long for.
Though many parents come to parent coaching to solve specific problems, and the process is highly effective for challenges ranging from tantrums to transitions and technology, our true work is to go beyond problem solving. We are seeking the fulfillment of your unique vision of family. Clarifying this vision and the positive feelings at its core provides a map, a rudder, and a life raft, buoying us along the complex waters of our journey and allowing us to cherish the ride.