Appreciations
Hand in Hand Parenting:
“Kristan’s warm and caring personality shines when she is working with a group. She created a safe and open environment to allow for me and others to share without a feeling of judgment or shame. I couldn’t recommend Kristan higher. She not only taught amazing tools but she also helped us see how to use them right way which made the process that much easier to adapt into my own life. ”
— Father of 5 year old Boy
“It can be difficult to sit and open up about one of the most challenging and heartwarming aspects of parenthood: the nitty gritty reality of how you’re raising your children. (Parenting is messy, and sometimes not very productive!) But our small group of parents were fortunate enough to be mentored by Kristan, whose easy laugh and honest warmth made it easy to talk about both the bright spots and the dark corners of parenting. She listens and shares the Hand in Hand parenting philosophy in a way that’s clear and approachable. The eight weeks I spent in her class opened up some doors to me that I didn’t know existed: one, that there’s a path through the messy jumble of parenting; and two, that I already had all the tools I needed to truly connect with my children. It was Kristan’s insight, humor and warmth that helped bring all of that together”
— Mother of 3 children (ages 2, 7, 12)
“Kristan is an amazing and knowledgeable facilitator. She is full of life and deep insight. Kristan has a great sensitivity to the human experience and was able to help me find answers within myself to positively create new patterns with my child. She created a safe and non judgmental environment that encouraged me to explore my internal landscape and grow from there. I was able to discover parts of myself that were hidden and affecting my ability to be fully present with my child. She truly helped me bring humor back into frustrating situations and shared many tools that will last forever.”
— Mother of a 10 year old boy
Kristan was a tremendous facilitator for our group. She willingly shares her experiences in a very open, vulnerable, and honest way that not only encourages, but very subtly demands, that the participants do the same. Kristan did an excellent job of making sure every member had a safe and supportive space and opportunity to share their experiences and ask questions. I would highly recommend her. ”
— Father of 6 year old girl
“Kristan took the initiative to introduce Hand in Hand to our children’s school in a presentation to a group of interested parents. We are all on an arduous journey, an odyssey of sorts so I looked forward to learning a few new ideas. But what I found, thanks to Kristan, was a philosophy that seemed to get at the root of what our beautiful children really need from us. I learned that the not so pretty parts of parenting are shared by all, are necessary and not be avoided. Kristan was so enthusiastic, warm, passionate, genuine, honest and enaging. She created a beautiful connection between the members of our group of six. I walked away from our discussions so excited to try the concept that was taught that day. Being in this group was truly a gift with Kristan was truly a gift. ”
— Mother of two girls (ages 8 and 11)