Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendra Delahooke.
Kendra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always loved children. I worked in childcare for over ten years, and my passion for taking care of children eventually lead me to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology. In order to obtain my license, I had to complete over 3000 working in treatment centers where I gained experience working with children who faced behavioral and emotional challenges.
This is when my ideas about mental health (and the field of psychology) took a major hit! I realized, for the first time, that the way children and teenagers were being treated in treatment centers was harmful and in fact harmed their development. During this time I began to focus my attention and energy supporting parents and teaching them how to best support their child.
This was when I knew I found my niche of mindful parenting. I then opened up a private practice with the intention of taking the stress and confusion out of parenting to help “super-parents” raise “super-kids.” I currently help parents develop the strategies and tools to best support their child’s unique needs and create a peaceful and joyful home environment.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all! My traineeships were extremely stressful, and I worked with many children and teenagers with an extensive trauma history. I was burned out and overwhelmed by how badly these children needed support… The kind of support they were not getting.
Another challenging part of my journey was standing up for what I believed in. During my training, I was told to use behavioral interventions (such as timeouts and level systems) to help “discipline” children who were misbehaving.
But I have always known that children who “misbehave” are not doing so intentionally, they are simply acting in the only way they know how in order to protect themselves from danger. This got me in trouble at work, but it also added more fuel to my fire to change the way children are supported!
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a mindful parenting coach dedicated to bringing mindfulness into families and homes across the US. I am committed to helping families reduce patterns of stress and anxiety and increase joy and connection. Children thrive developmentally when they are connected to their caregivers, and mindfulness practices help parents authentically connect to their children.
I believe that having FUN is an essential part of healthy development and I always keep my sessions fun and exciting. I am extremely proud of the programs I have built as many families have benefited from transformations. After working with me parents share that their children are behaving better, their marriage is stronger, and they feel more connected to their true calling.
My parenting approach is different than most. Because no two children are alike, parenting is a very individualized and I am dedicated to helping parents understand, see, and respond to their child for who they are. The world of conscious parenting is just beginning, and I feel very excited to be a part of the change!
Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years? Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
Huge! Thanks to neuroscience, I believe the field of mental health will be making major changes to the way they treat “naughty” and “bad” behavior in children.
Conscious parenting is beginning to become popular, and many parents know they want to change but oftentimes don’t know how. In the next ten years, I hope that hiring a parenting coach will become the norm to increase education and support around the hardest job in the world- being a parent!
Contact Info:
- Address: 11340 W. Olympic Blvd Suite 210
- Website: www.kendradelahooke.com
- Phone: (424) 268-2762
- Email: kendradelahooke@gmail.com
- Instagram: kendradelahookemft
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kendradelahookemft/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kendra-delahooke-lmft-los-angeles-7
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