Client Stories

“Nobody’s ever talked positively about my child”

Jeanie enrolled in one of my eight-week parent coaching programs because she and her son had “reached a new level of struggle.” 10-year-old Corey had always been difficult. When his parents asked him to do something, he would argue, insisting that he shouldn’t have to do it, or else he would “negotiate,” promising to do it later or promising to do it if he got something in return. “He’s never been an easy kid,” Jeanie said. “But now he’s outright defiant. His anger has gotten worse, too.”

“I’m no longer traumatized by her tantrums”

Hannah’s mom had reached out to me because, as she put it, Hannah (who was 10) was “negative,” with a “bad attitude.” “She pushes back on nearly every task,” her mom said. “And she throws huge tantrums when she doesn’t get her way.” When her mom tried to help her get her homework done, Hannah’s initial response – “You’re too stupid to help me” – would quickly turn to rage. Hannah would get up from the table and stomp around the house, all the while screaming insults and throwing anything in her path.

**Eddie’s story: “But I don’t WANT to stop hitting you!”**

I love Eddie’s story not just because it shows how he learned to self-regulate, but also because Eddie, who was only 5, was so clear about how he felt when he was asked to go to his Cool-Down Space!

What People Are Saying

As a licensed therapist who works with children and families, I have high praise for Rebecah Freeling.

Gina Mendicino, LMFTSan Francisco, CA

Rebecah Freeling understands what makes “spirited” children tick and how they are different from the “easy” kids.

Helen F. Neville, BS RN author of Temperament Tools: Working With Your Child’s Inborn Traits

Rebecah has been life-saving for us…She really enjoys these challenging children and…gives you techniques to deal with every type of situation.

Andrea Durant, MD

We were literally at our wits’ end trying to parent a teen with ADHD and oppositional behaviors. Thankfully we found Rebecah Freeling and gave her program a shot. We couldn’t be more pleased with the progress after only a couple of months. Rebecah listens to your issues, dives in on the family circumstances, and provides practical, hands-on and simple advice to tackle the “tricky” and unwanted behaviors. The changes have been real and it’s put us in a place where we feel in control and more assured of how to respond (and whether to respond) when behaviors flare. Rebecah is terrific — always responsive to calls for help between sessions and each session ends with a short, practical list of steps to implement for next time. We couldn’t recommend her more highly.”

Karen RRipon, CA

Rebecah Freeling is a MIRACLE WORKER! Our child has been “intense” since day one, and working with Rebecah has been life-changing. Applying what we have learned has completely changed our home life and our parental relationships with our intense child. Rebecah’s services are worth every penny. My only regret is that we didn’t hire her years ago!

Hella SBrooklyn, NY

My 9 year old daughter, with ADHD, refused to cooperate, do chores or listen to anything we said. My 4 year old was quickly following in her sister’s footsteps. Both kept having crying, screaming tantrums. Rebecah helped us with quick and easy parenting behaviors designed to improve our relationship with the girls and help us be better parents. Rebecah’s techniques have made a huge difference in our lives. (We’ve asked Rebecah to extend our coaching package as her help has been invaluable during these challenging times.)

Nikhila P San Francisco, CA

Rebecah really helped turn things around for our son, who started exhibiting tons of strong-willed kid challenges (like hitting at home and preschool), along with exasperating fixations on routines and lots of meltdowns. After just a few sessions with Rebecah, our kid started to markedly change, and those behaviors have now almost entirely disappeared. Rebecah gave us so many specific ideas and strategies to weave into the day to day and they REALLY worked. She is amazing at adapting what she knows to your kid and your family. We cannot recommend her highly enough!

Maggie PSan Francisco, CA

Our family benefited so much from our sessions with Rebecah. She listened carefully to every challenge we were facing, and provided practical advice to address difficult behaviors. Even more importantly, she helped us understand our child’s mindset and she taught us how to involve our child in the creation of rules, so we can collaborate rather than engage in constant power struggles. We didn’t anticipate such immediate results — and we also weren’t expecting that the sessions would do so much to help us get on the same page as parents!

Elyse MNew York City, NY