Learn about PDA and Strategies to Support Families Effectively

Meet Your Supervisor

I'm Meghan Maynard, your supervisor on this learning journey.  In addition to being a registered psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and PhD candidate, I'm a neurodivergent parent raising neurodivergent kids with a PDA profile. After using every strategy I learned over my 20+ year career in children's mental health with my own family, I faced the realization that everything seemed to be escalating the issue in my own home, rather than helping. 5 years ago, I began to learn about PDA, first as a parent, then as a clinician. It made so much sense for understanding the children I was seeing in my practice. Kids who experienced frequent meltdowns, school refusal, and even refusal to leave the car to come into session (spoiler alert -- it was "can't" not "won't"). These parents tried everything!! Charts, incentives, consistent consequences, praise, schedules and routine (and much, much more). I learned what tools support PDA'ers and which ones don't. Moreover, I tried these tools out in my own home and in my own parenting. I learned first-hand and through my clients and my life about the support that is needed. In practice, I adopt a neurodiversity-affirming lens to support families. This means non-pathologizing and being focused on the lived experiences of those I support. I'm grounded in trauma-informed care, polyvagal theory, attachment theory, and neurobiologically informed interventions. I meet the criteria set out by CRPO for clinical supervision. Questions? Wondering if we are a fit? Send me an email, let's chat. [email protected]