Natalie Forester
Good Inside™️ Certified Parent Coach
Clinical Social Worker
Imperfect Parent
Natalie began her career working in children's mental health and has accumulated over 10 years of experience working directly with children and families. elps parents & families prioritize connection and embrace nuance as they figure out how to raise kids amidst today's modern parenting chaos. She draws from her experience living in the rural Midwest to offer a grounded & real perspective on raising whole humans.
Natalie's mission is to help families foster self-compassion as a way to help them make space for imperfection and the challenges of life. With authenticity, dedication, and a dash of humor, she helps families build the unique skills they seek in becoming the next right version of themselves.
Natalie has had the privilege of experiencing first hand the power of supporting parents as they become more compassionate toward themselves and their own inner experiences. Natalie has found deep purpose and meaning in working with caregivers as a way to directly impact children's lives. Helping caregivers is helping children.
Are you....
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Feeling like you're at your wits' end with your child/children?
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Feeling like parenting in general is triggering all sorts of your own "stuff"?
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Feeling confused about why your child behaves the way they do?
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Feeling like you've tried literally everything with no success?
Answering "yes" to any of the above questions doesn't make you a bad parent. You're here because you're a good one.
If your child's behaviors and/or your beliefs about who you are as a parent have started to take control of your mood, thoughts, or actions, it may be time to seek some extra support.
Parent Coaching Helps With...
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Establishing Calm Confidence
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Navigating Tough Behaviors
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Nurturing Healthy Relationships
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Connecting Through Play
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Building Routines & Rituals
Tula Therapy Believes...
There is no perfect parent.
There is no perfect parent, and thank goodness for that. Kids don't need a perfect parent, they need a "good enough" one. Kids need just one adult to see them in all of their imperfect glory and love them unconditionally anyway. In seeking parenting support, we'll look at your own attachment style and how that impacts how you relate to your children. We'll explore different parenting styles and learn how and why the way you communicate with your child makes such a big difference. None of the self-exploration is done in shame. Instead, the emphasis is building self-compassion and expanding the tools you have at the ready for when the sh%* hits the fan. Parenting is a doozy, and your village is here.
Kids do well if they can.
Collaborative Problem Solving is based on the above philosophy: kids do well if they can. The idea is that if a child is behaving in a way that is causing disruption in some way, it's because of a lack of skill, not a lack of will. This means that if a child had the skills required to follow through with expectations & directions, they would. If they don't have the skills, they simply can't.
The good news is, this is solvable! We can work together to learn what it looks like to use Collaborate Problem Solving in your home. Working alongside your child is the first step to restoring balance in your relationship.
Understanding childhood brain development is important.
These are children, not mini adults. When looking at a child's behavior, it's important to remember that a child's brain functions much differently than a fully developed adult brain. Unlike children, adults have a fully developed frontal lobe. This is the part of the brain that allows for making rational choices, problem solving, and practicing impulse control. Sometimes it's helpful to remember that we're the ones in the relationship with the ability to use these skills at the ready, not our kiddos. When we can get on our child's level and begin to understand them developmentally, it becomes easier to understand what their behavior may be communicating. This opens up the door to problem solving and disciplining in a way that respects their humanity and views them as humans doing the best they can with the tools they've got.
