I am the mother of two boys living in South Jersey. I graduated with a degree in Communications from the University of Maryland, and worked in magazine publishing in Philadelphia. When my children were born, I chose to leave my office job and stay home with them. As a stay-at-home mom, I was very involved in the day to day activities of my boys. I joined a moms group, became friends with the other neighborhood moms, and signed up for lots of mommy and me classes. When the boys were older, I was on the Board of Trustees at their preschool, and I also became the President of that local moms group. When the boys were in elementary school, I volunteered with the PTO. I was around young children and moms all day. When the kids were infants I would often hear how concerned everyone was about how much sleep their babies were getting. Everyone had a story about how they were up multiple times a night, or the hoops they would jump through to get the baby to nap. When my boys were in preschool, it was more stories of transitioning to big kid beds, bedtime wars, and climbing into mommy's bed in the middle of the night. It seemed no one was getting any sleep. Everyone had suggestions to help these moms, things they read in Facebook groups, or information they Googled, but no one had real solutions. What worked for one family, was not working for another. Sleep coaching was just starting to catch on, but how to know who to trust? As my sons grew, I decided I did not want to go back to work full time, but instead wanted to help other moms with their little ones. That is when a friend introducted me to Kim West, and the Gentle Sleep Coach community.
ABOUT My Training
The Gentle Sleep Coach Program is the first and most extensive professional sleep coach training and certification program available. The program involves over 80 hours of training with a faculty panel that includes 2 medical doctors, a psychologist, an attorney, lactation counselor, postpartum doulas and a family therapist. Each coach must pass an exam and participate in case mentorship with Kim West, LCSW-C (a.k.a. “the Sleep Lady”) who has been helping tired parents for over 20 years. Clinical mentorship and ongoing advanced training are required to maintain certification as a Gentle Sleep Coach. Some of my training topics included:- Basic counseling and child development- Sleep science and behavioral modification techniques to help parents of children age 0 to 6 years old.- Secure attachment theory- Support for the breastfeeding motherThe training also consisted of lectures from top specialists, including:- Postpartum Depression from Dr. Shoshana Bennett, author and leading specialist on Postpartum Depression- Medical Conditions and Sleep Apnea in Children led by Dr. Lewis Kass, Director of Children’s Sleep Center- GERD and Sleep led by Dr. Anthony Loizides, pediatric gastroenterologist.
0-5-Month-Old Training Summary
The GSC Program also includes an exclusive advanced training specifically focused on how to gently work with babies 0-5 months of age using the Baby-Led Sleep Shaping and Coaching.This gentle approach aids families to first shape their baby's sleep and then when appropriate (and according to their baby's unique temperament) offer alternatives to the "cry it out" method for newborns, based on an infant's developmental readiness to self soothe.Some of the curriculum training topics include:How feeding, attachment, soothing, and temperament all factor into your infant's sleepThe key developmental milestones from birth through five months and how to encourage sleep at every stage.Safe co-sleeping guidelinesGuidance on how to assess when the baby is ready for sleep coaching based on current research and evidence-based strategiesThis specialty training is designed to give Gentle Sleep Coaches the knowledge, education and all the tools and resources they need to successfully work with families of newborns through 5 months of age in a safe, healthy and developmentally appropriate manner.
The GSC Program also includes an exclusive advanced training specifically focused on how to gently work with babies 0-5 months of age using the Baby-Led Sleep Shaping and Coaching.This gentle approach aids families to first shape their baby's sleep and then when appropriate (and according to their baby's unique temperament) offer alternatives to the "cry it out" method for newborns, based on an infant's developmental readiness to self soothe.Some of the curriculum training topics include:How feeding, attachment, soothing, and temperament all factor into your infant's sleepThe key developmental milestones from birth through five months and how to encourage sleep at every stage.Safe co-sleeping guidelinesGuidance on how to assess when the baby is ready for sleep coaching based on current research and evidence-based strategiesThis specialty training is designed to give Gentle Sleep Coaches the knowledge, education and all the tools and resources they need to successfully work with families of newborns through 5 months of age in a safe, healthy and developmentally appropriate manner.
My Family
I live right outside Philadelphia in South Jersey with my husband and my boys. We like to discover new restaurants, visit family and friends in New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, ski in the winter, vacation to the shore in the summer and, of couse, root for the Eagles!
