Today we’d like to introduce you to Oona Hanson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
At my core, I’m an educator. I started my career as a classroom teacher and athletic coach. I worked in independent schools on the East Coast before moving to Los Angeles to teach English and coach field hockey at Harvard-Westlake School.
When my first child was born, I shifted my focus to private tutoring and completed my Master’s Degree in English. While my kids attended Carpenter Community Charter in Studio City, I got involved as a volunteer in various areas, such as curriculum, governance, and parent education. Watching my own children become students, I was hungry to learn more about how people learn, so I went back to graduate school, this time earning my MA in Educational Psychology at CSUN.
Along with a co-founder and a Board of Trustees, I endeavored to start a new independent school for boys in Los Angeles. Although we weren’t able to open the school, I don’t regret trying because I learned so much from the process, and I loved hearing from parents all across the city. It was then that I started to put a name to my passion, and I launched my business as a Parent Coach.
I work primarily with parents of teens and tweens going through a tough time. Because I have gone through the experience of helping a child heal from eating disorder, I offer specialized support for other families navigating these terrifying and confusing illnesses. In addition to my private practice as a parent coach, I also work at Equip, an all-virtual eating disorder treatment program. Educating and empowering parents can make a world of difference for the whole family. Helping parents helps kids!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Because I work primarily with families facing a crisis, I’m grateful for the perspective, gratitude, and empathy I’ve developed from facing challenges in my own life. I wouldn’t wish an eating disorder on anyone, but I do know I’ve been given an opportunity to take what I’ve learned the hard way and help other families learn an easier way.
In terms of starting my own business, I definitely got in my own way a lot at beginning. I was lucky enough to have a dear friend cheering me on; she happened to be a women’s business coach, and she helped me identify ways of overcoming the perfectionism and imposter syndrome that were holding me back from getting started.
I was pre-med as an undergrad, and I briefly considered applying to med school in my 30s. Although I didn’t pursue that path, I did end up working in healthcare at Equip, where I am on provider teams with medical and mental health care professionals. I always knew I would be in a helping profession, and the winding road of life has brought together my passions: educating and healing.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
As a parent coach, I support families navigating a challenging time. It could be a transition to a new school, social struggles, or just the sense that something doesn’t seem right with their teen or tween. It can be hard for parents to know if they are observing “normal” adolescent behavior or something to be worried about. I specialize in supporting parents and guardians whose child is struggling in their relationship to food or their body.
I’m proud of the parent education content I provide consistently on social media, primarily on Instagram. I enjoy writing every day, and condensing concepts into a short visual format is a fun challenge. Busy parents especially appreciate sample scripts for how to handle tricky conversations with their kids. I also love conducting parent education workshops and webinars through school PTA programs, religious groups, and private organizations.
I’ve had some incredible opportunities to reach parents through national publications, such as People Magazine, USA Today, and US News & World Report. I also write for parenting sites, such as Your Teen and Grown & Flown, and am a frequent podcast guest. Another media highlight was appearing on Good Morning America in 2020.
Parenting has never felt more complicated, and families deserve compassion and support, not judgment or blame. So much parenting advice out there tends to focus on what moms and dads are doing wrong; my approach is to meet parents where they are and to empower them with the information and resources they are looking for; so often, what parents need most is the confidence to tune out the noise and tap into their own instincts.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I listen to a lot of podcasts about parenting, body image, and eating disorders, as these directly inform my work with families; some of my favorites are Maintenance Phase, Ask Lisa, and The Full Bloom Podcast. Because I’m also passionate about reading and writing, I’m a big fan of the #AmWriting Podcast.
One of the myths about LA is that “nobody walks,” but I walk all the time! Being able to run errands on foot–while listening to a podcast–is one of the beauties of living in Studio City. Hiking Fryman Canyon was already one of my favorite things to do, and I appreciate getting outdoors even more now that so much of my work is on Zoom.
As a former English teacher, I’m definitely a word nerd. I love to play Wordscapes and Wordle every day.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.oonahanson.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/oona_hanson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oona-Hanson-Parent-Coaching-101008841410639/?view_public_for=101008841410639
- Twitter: twitter.com/OonaHanson
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/Parenting-Without-Diet-Culture-561391604356364/?view_public_for=561391604356364
