About ME

Today…

Today my children are 15, 22 and 25. Today I’m learning that while parenting doesn’t end when children are grown and out of the house, it morphs drastically. Today I see my role in their early lives as even more important than I knew at the time.

Today I’m grateful for all my parenting moments, big and small. Today I’m aware that one of my biggest parenting challenges has been letting go, no matter the age of my child.

My first few years as a mother were guided by instinct. Parenting felt natural and easy.

When my second son was born I hit a wall with parenting-by-instinct. I’d been thrown into a new sport with no knowledge of the game. I realized, the hard way, that I needed to train and workout if I was going to play!

I got back on the field in 2002 when I discovered Positive Discipline.

My relationship with my son was forever changed. Here I had discovered a roadmap for parenting that came with its own toolkit. I felt INSPIRED to share it with everyone I knew.

My life’s work is dedicated to helping you enjoy the precious time you have with your family.

Formal Education

  • B.A. from Georgetown University, 1988.
  • M.S.W. from the University of California at Berkeley, 1992.
  • Positive Discipline Educator, Positive Discipline Association, 2005.
  • Certified Positive Discipline Trainer PDA, 2008.
  • Certified Professional Co-active Coach, C.P.C.C. from the Coaches Training Institute, 2013.
  • Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator, 2014.
  • Certified Wild Writing Teacher, 2021

Lisa is a gentle and caring teacher who makes it safe to talk, ask, act and open up about parenting….

I always hated role plays and would roll my eyes whenever they were suggested. But I learned to love them in Lisa’s Positive Discipline series, because I learned things I never would have otherwise. There is something so powerful about stepping into my child’s shoes, and taking a minute to not just think about, but to experience their perspective, and how they see me as a mom. This perspective shift is the most powerful part of the class, in my opinion. Lisa is a gentle and caring teacher who makes it safe to talk, ask, act, and open up about parenting, which can be a pretty sensitive topic.

Marcilie Smith Boyle Certified Positive Discipline Educator | Oakland, California
Marcilie Smith Boyle

Lisa has a wonderfully inviting, hospitable, trust-building and empowering presence and teaching style.

Great class. Lisa has a wonderfully inviting, hospitable, trust-building and empowering presence and teaching style. She’s engaged but not directive, an authority yet not authoritative, challenging yet not demeaning – and fun!

Monte McClain Pastor | Oakland, California
Monte McClain

Lisa has a tremendous ability to keep me on a forward path while deeply honoring the road I’ve taken to get here.

As a mental health provider myself, I was not sure how phone coaching would feel to me. In our first 30-minute coaching conversation, I was amazed at how much progress we made and how connected I felt to Lisa over the phone. When I work with someone TRUST is essential. I so appreciate Lisa’s gentleness but at the same time, she never let me off the hook.

My coaching work with Lisa has been so much more helpful than years of traditional therapy. It’s great to understand your issues, but creating goals and actively moving towards them is what coaching with Lisa is all about. Lisa has a tremendous ability to keep me on a forward path while deeply honoring the road I have taken to get here.

Sarina Natkin, LICSW Parent Educator, GROW Parenting | Seattle, Washington
Sarina Natkin, LICSW

I highly recommend Lisa’s classes for anyone that is struggling with parenting challenges and is craving a more loving and mutually respectful connection with their children.

I attended Lisa’s Positive Discipline Series to help me with my own children AND to enhance the work that I do with families.  Lisa’s style is relaxed, collaborative, well thought out and she has the ability to dig deep with parents to discuss challenging topics in a compassionate way. I learned a tremendous amount in her class and I now have many new parenting strategies and tools. Personally, I feel more connected to my children and have a better understanding of how to navigate difficult situations when they inevitably come up. I highly recommend Lisa’s classes for anyone that is struggling with parenting challenges and is craving a more loving and mutually respectful connection with their children.

Jocelyne Gardner, MSW Pathways 4 Parents | Oakland, California
Jocelyne Gardner, MSW