Services
PRIVATE SESSIONS for individuals and/or parenting partners
Private sessions give parents the opportunity to focus solely on their family, enabling a deeper exploration of specific issues and experiences while developing strategies of support. Many parents attend both individual and group sessions.
Sessions are scheduled during weekdays and evenings via Zoom. Barbara sees people in a wide variety of schedules- biweekly, monthly, every few months or even just once.
GROUPS
Groups can be such a crucial way to lessen the experience of feeling isolated as a parent and to normalize so many feeling and experiences. Through peer support parents can feel more accepting of themselves and confident in their parenting journey.
Groups are offered through Zoom
All of my on-going groups are based on an informal sharing with parents bringing in issues relevant to their families. I do not bring in any pre-set agendas with specific issues to be discussed. We do explore issues within a connected approach to parenting, defining behaviors as developmentally driven and communicating underlying needs. We look at ways of setting limits with behavior while supporting needs as well as parent triggers and how to take care of ourselves.
Groups are separated by age ranges to be able to explore the expanding developmental themes that present in each age group and specific needs arising.
Groups offered include
Parent Support for parents of Children ages 3-5 years.
Parent Support for parents of Children ages 4-7 years.
Parent Support for parents of Children ages 8-10 years.
Parent Support for parents of Children ages 10-16 years.
Dads' Group
This is a monthly group for fathers of children ages 3-10 years old. Dads get together to discuss development and discipline questions, the role of being a father, relationships with spouses and, in every group, learn from other dads.
"Barbara Olinger's Dad Group is definitely a life saver for all dads, new or experienced. There are already many mommy groups, but to be able to find a group just for dads in an environment where all dads can feel comfortable voicing out their concerns, issues and questions was definitely a hard find. Being a dad would be much more challenging if it wasn't for Barbara's Dad Group. Thanks!"
– Wilson L.WORKSHOPS
Workshop topics have included parenting triggers, limit and boundary setting, parenting different age groups, sibling issues, and non-defensive communication.
SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS AND SUPPORT GROUPS
- Franklin Elementary School
- Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH)
- Play Mountain Place
- DIG Childhood Center
- Free To Be Me Preschool
- Playa Del Rey Cooperative Preschool
- First Presbyterian Nursery School
- Ocean Charter School
- Citizens of the World Charter School – all campuses