Tiny Humans with Big Feelings (and Stressed Parents!): Navigating attachment and co-regulation through the ups-and-downs of the early years.

Workshop Focus: Parenting babies and toddlers is hard! Coping with a fussy baby at 3am or a screaming toddler who was given the red cup instead of the blue cup, can test a parent’s sanity. During the first four years of life, the brain develops faster than at any other time, laying the foundation for emotion regulation, attachment, and how young children respond to the world around them. Understanding infant and toddler neurodevelopment, the science behind the reality that we won’t get it right most of the time, and how to repair after parenting missteps, can help increase parents’ confidence and reduce parental stress during the earliest years.

About Emily Fried, LCSW, MSEd, CLC, IMH-E, PMH-C: Emily is a psychotherapist with expertise in infant/early childhood mental health and development for children 0 – 8 years-old, prenatal and postpartum psychotherapy and support, and neurodivergent-affirming care for children, families, and adults. Emily owns a private practice in Boulder, offering a range of psychotherapy and parent coaching services. Emily’s work is grounded in the belief that relationships are the foundation of mental health and emotional well-being, and she embraces an integrated and collaborative approach. Emily works closely with parents and children navigating challenges in mental health, behavior, and development while promoting emotion regulation, resilience, attunement, and strengthening attachment relationships. Learn more about Emily.

Parenting through the Elementary School Ages: What You Need to Know

Workshop Focus: For kids between the toddler and tween years, some things can feel easier! They can get themselves in their car seat, are more independent and are now in school more regularly… And there are a few major developmental shifts all happening during this time, therefore, some things can feel harder. Understanding these neurodevelopmental changes can help us more effectively reduce stress and anxiety – in them, as well as ourselves! Join us for this session to explore this age group and three powerful approaches to smooth out these years… and find more joy and fun in parenting!

About Melissa Holland, Parent Coach & Self Regulation Specialist: Melissa is the founder of “Inner Wisdom Parenting”. She supports parents in addressing their children’s challenging behaviors, with online courses, workshops, coaching and consulting in the essential areas of emotional and self-regulation, self-compassion and mindfulness. She is an experienced coach and teacher, previously in the areas of positive psychology, career and life transitions. Learn more about Melissa.

Adolescence: Between Dependence and Independence

Workshop Focus: Adolescence is a time of change. It is a time when the body accelerates into adulthood while the mind struggles to integrate new capacities for feeling, desire, independence, and responsibility—while still relying on adults in essential ways.

This workshop will be a space for participants to come together in community with the goal of greater understanding, connection, and support for the adolescents in our lives. We will explore the developmental tasks of adolescence, the relational tensions that arise during this period, and practical ways adults can remain steady, curious, and emotionally available in the face of adolescent turbulence.

About Ryan O’Millian, LPC, LAC: Ryan is a psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in Boulder, Colorado. He holds a Master’s in clinical psychotherapy from Naropa University and is psychoanalytically trained through the Colorado Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies, the New York Center for the Advancement of Group Studies, and the Chicago Institute for Clinical Social Work. He works with adults, adolescents, and their parents in individual and group treatment, focusing on emotional awareness, identity development, and relationships. Learn more about Ryan.

About Kimberly Bryant, LPC: Kimberly has been serving our community for close to 20 years as an Individual and Family Therapist, Therapeutic Consultant, and Parent Educator. Kimberly’s professional focus lies in supporting those seeking to heal from relational difficulties and traumatic events as well as guiding families in navigating intensive treatment when needed. She is deeply committed to supporting families as they navigate the complexities of change and growth. Kimberly sees supporting families not just as a professional duty; also as an investment in the collective well-being of the community. Learn more about Kimberly.

From Parenting to Partnership: Navigating the Transition to Adulthood

Workshop Focus:  This talk addresses the inner experience of parents during their child’s transition into adulthood from “I’m in charge” to “they’re in charge.” We’ll explore how anxiety often reflects love, imagination, and uncertainty—not failure—and how staying grounded allows parents to remain an ally rather than a manager. The emphasis is on relationship, perspective, and trusting both your child and yourself.

About Lisa Kaplan, Registered Nurse and Life & Mental Wellness Coach: Lisa is a mental well-being and resilience coach who helps people reconnect with ease, stability, and hope—especially during times of stress and uncertainty. With decades of experience supporting individuals and families in vulnerable moments, Lisa brings both professional expertise and lived understanding to her work. Her approach helps people see beyond fear and overwhelming thoughts, reminding them of their innate capacity for calm, clarity, and well-being. Lisa lives in Boulder, Colorado, where she finds grounding in nature, community, and quiet moments of reflection. Learn more about Lisa.

Generational Parenting and Boundaries

Workshop Focus: Navigating parenting through the generations can be complicated. As a grandparent it is important to understand your specific role, boundaries, and work on effective communication. This breakout session will dive into navigating complex parenting relationships for a happy, healthy family dynamic. 

About Marie Nowacki Ford, PCD, CPST, NPE: Marie is a DONA trained and CAPPA certified Postpartum Doula, New Parent Educator, and Car Seat Tech with over a decade of newborn and infant care experience. Marie has witnessed firsthand how chaotic life can be through pregnancy and after birth and became a doula to help families navigate the stresses of new parenthood and enjoy their lives together with their new baby. Making sense of the information available can be overwhelming! Marie aims to guide families through the entire journey into parenthood with a gentle, holistic approach. Learn more Mile High Doulas.

Of Course You Feel That Way: The Power and Purpose of Compassion

Workshop Focus: Of Course You Feel That Way is a self-compassion–based framework for understanding emotional responses through the lens of nervous system awareness, lived experience, and context. This experiential workshop offers parents and caregivers an embodied introduction to that work through gentle yoga, mindfulness, and guided reflection.

Participants will be invited to slow down, reconnect with their bodies, and practice meeting stress, overwhelm, and emotional reactivity with curiosity rather than judgment. Through movement, breath, and mindful attention, parents will explore how self-compassion can support regulation, resilience, and greater understanding—both for themselves and for their children.

No prior yoga or mindfulness experience is required.

About Jenny Hecht, LCSW, CYT: Jenny is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Yoga Teacher with over 20 years of experience working with middle and high school-aged youth and adults in a variety of settings. Jenny’s practice is grounded in strengthening the distress tolerance skills of people she works with through mindfulness practice and supportive examination of the thought patterns that are limiting each individual’s potential. While trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques, Jenny’s approach is relational and client-centered, focusing on the specific goals of each individual and working with them in partnership. Learn more about Jenny.

Staying Connected: Communication That Builds Understanding

Workshop Focus: Effective communication is the foundation of resilient families, yet knowing how to truly connect with our children can feel challenging as they grow and change. This session will equip you with age-appropriate communication techniques that help you stay attuned to your child’s needs while fostering trust and openness. Discover how to listen deeply, respond with empathy, and create conversations that strengthen your bond rather than create distance. Whether you’re parenting a young child or a teenager, you’ll gain practical skills to navigate everyday moments and tough conversations with greater confidence and connection.

About Susan Caso, MA, LPC, Author: Susan helps people find the feeling of connectedness that creates heartfelt interactions. She is the author of The Parent-Teen Connection: How to Build Lifelong Family Relationships. She is a therapist and speaker with over twenty years in clinical practice. Susan helps parents, teens, couples, and families create emotional safety to build stronger relationships. As a mom of three, parenting across two generations, she brings lived experience to her work and knows it’s all about being connected. Learn more about Susan.

Calm in the Chaos: Managing Parenting Stress and Overwhelm with Mindful Self-Compassion.

Workshop Focus: Parenting is emotionally demanding, and in today’s high-pressure world, many parents feel stressed, depleted, and stuck in cycles of overwhelm and burnout. In this interactive workshop, Samantha will teach practical, research-based self-compassion tools to help parents regulate stress, reduce guilt, and respond more calmly and effectively to everyday challenges. Through brief teaching and guided exercises, participants will learn how to reset their nervous system, quiet their inner critic, and build emotional resilience.

About Dr. Samantha Monk Grigsby, PhD: Dr. Grigsby is a Clinical Psychologist licensed in New York and Colorado. She is the Founder and Director of Foothills CBT, a group psychology practice in Boulder, Colorado, where she and her team provide evidence-based therapy, consultation, and clinical supervision. She also serves as a Senior Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder, supervising doctoral students through the Raimy Psychology Clinic. Dr. Grigsby has specialized training working with children, adolescents, adults, and parents. Her clinical expertise includes anxiety, panic, worry, social anxiety, test anxiety, depression and everyday stress and overwhelm. Learn more.

Regulation Is the Self-Care: Neurodivergent Parenting Without Burnout

Workshop Focus: Parents are repeatedly told to practice self-care. Yet for many neurodivergent families, self-care feels inaccessible, ineffective, or like one more place to fail.

This 60-minute breakout session reframes parental self-care through a neurodivergent, mother-centered lens, addressing both the experience of raising neurodivergent children and the often overlooked reality of being neurodivergent as a parent.
Rather than offering productivity-based wellness strategies, this session introduces regulation as the foundation of sustainable self-care across the lifespan of parenting. Participants will explore why traditional self-care advice frequently fails neurodivergent parents. And what actually supports nervous-system stability in real family life.

Blending education, reflection, and practical tools, this session is designed to reduce shame, increase capacity, and help parents build self-care that fits their nervous systems rather than fighting against them.

About Stacey Acquavella: Stacey is the founder of Neurodivergent Uprising and a neurodivergent mother of three. With a background spanning law, education, and nervous-system informed leadership, she supports neurodivergent families and mothers navigating parenting, advocacy, and burnout. Her work centers regulation as infrastructure helping parents move from survival toward sustainability through shame-free, neurodiversity-affirming support grounded in lived experience. Learn more about Neurodivergent Uprising.

Launched 10 years ago in response to a troubling rise in stress, anxiety, and depression among youth in our community – including elementary-aged children – the Reducing Stress & Anxiety Conference was created to support parents and caregivers facing increasingly complex challenges. At the time, youth risk behavior data showed growing rates of depression and suicidal thoughts among middle and high school students, trends that coincided with rising academic pressure, increased cell phone and social media use, and were later intensified by COVID-19. In 2021, Children’s Hospital Colorado declared a “state of emergency” in youth mental health, and by 2024, the Surgeon General identified parental stress as a critical public health concern, reinforcing the need for prevention, education, and support. Today, PEN continues to host this annual conference to provide latest practical tools, trusted guidance, and opportunities for meaningful connection, helping parents navigate their evolving roles with confidence and resilience.

Join us for a full day of expert guidance, practical tools, and community connection for parents, caregivers, and grandparents. Hear an inspiring keynote, attend age-specific and skill-building breakout sessions, explore local resources, and connect with other parents. You’ll leave with strategies to reduce stress, boost resilience, and support your child(ren)’s emotional and mental well-being at every stage of parenting!

While extremely beneficial, you do not need to stay for the whole conference to participate.

Yes. Space is limited to 200 participants. Register early to secure your spot.

At this time, Spanish interpretation will not be provided. If you are interested, please contact us at events@parentengagementnetwork.org.

Due to the interactive intention behind this parent conference, we are not able to offer virtual participation for this event.