ABOUT ME

My Story: How I Became a Parent with Perspective and Positive Psychology Life Coach

As a certified positive psychology coach, I combine my academic training in developmental psychology and education, with the science of happiness, and my personal experience with practices that integrate the mind, body, and spirit, drawn from the wisdom traditions.

I have always been interested in how people think, learn, play, develop, and most particularly what makes us flourish. My passion for understanding humans at every stage of development — from infancy through childhood, teenagers to young adulthood, and into our middle and later adult years — inspired me to study what it takes to guide children and young people to become their best selves, and what role parents, teachers, mentors, media, and technology can play in helping them thrive.

In my early professional life, I conducted studies in developmental psychology and education as an undergraduate at Brooklyn College, as a Master’s and Doctoral student at University of Michigan, and as a research psychologist at Harvard University. As a corporate executive, I promoted educational children’s books at Random House, developed the children’s advertising guidelines and family viewing policies for ABC Television Network broadcasts, and advised television producers, writers and programmers. Throughout all of my professional experiences I saw myself as an advocate for children’s well being, finding ways to apply insights from research to support their positive growth and development.

It wasn’t until I became a parent that I personally understood the value of these insights and how they could help guide me in the sometimes overwhelming decision making process that we as parents face on a daily basis. Like many children in today’s standardized world, mine “walked to the beat of a different drummer,” never quite conforming to the traditional mold. Although generally delightful and enthusiastic about life and learning, he often made it difficult for me to celebrate his uniqueness, especially when he pushed the boundaries, didn’t always obey rules, or was seen as annoying by teachers and classmates.

In my heart I knew that if we shifted our focus from what was going wrong to recognizing what was going right and building on his strengths, my child could not only succeed but would ultimately flourish. After all, a tendency to push the boundaries, for example, is a necessary ingredient of creativity, and the ability to make up your own rules is an essential quality for true leadership. 

With this perspective in mind, I began studying positive psychology and the science of happiness, earning certifications as a positive psychology practitioner and coach. At the same time, I began incorporating tools and practices designed to cultivate happiness and whole being wellness into my daily personal and family life. This not only made me a better parent, but also a wiser and more compassionate practitioner.

Through Parent with Perspective and Live with Perspective it is my goal to bring my clients useful and practical solutions to their own life, family, school, work, and career challenges, from a positive psychology point of view. 

If you are a parent, I hope to support you in getting to know who your children really are, nurturing their strengths, celebrating their uniqueness, and navigating your parenting journey. 

If you are an individual of any age or stage of life, my greatest joy would be to help shift your perspective to appreciating your own strengths and becoming your best self. 

If you are an educator or leader, I want to facilitate your process of integrating a more appreciative and compassionate perspective into your school, organization, and your own life.

I look forward to coaching you.

With love and gratitude,

— Ellen

“Using evidence-based tools and practices from the science of happiness and the wisdom traditions, I help my clients lead happier and more successful lives.”