HEART SMART THERAPY
psychotherapist | parenting consultant
Hi! I'm Alejandra, but some people call me Allie for short.
I'm mom to Emilio (2) and married to Jaime who gave me the most amazing gift of being step-mom to Samuel (14). Our home is based between Bogota and Toronto. So this is our family! You will get to see a lot about us and how we navigate through toddlerhood and teenage-hood all at once, in a bicultural setting.
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heartsmart has been a dream in the making, both through my academic and professional career, as well as my personal experience with motherhood. My vision is to create a community of families that can share, learn and grow together as conscious parents so that our kids can grow up to feel safe, loved and supported.
A bit about me
I began my career at University of Toronto where I obtained an Undergrad in Psychology, specialized in Child and Youth Counselling, and followed with a Masters Degree in Family Therapy from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
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For the past years, I have ran my psychotherapy practice and owned and operated a kindergarten. I have become a certified parenting coach in Positive Discipline, as well as have emerged myself in the world of Conscious Discipline. All of this, intertwined with my own experience as a teacher, childcare director, mom and step-mom have given me the tools and knowledge to confidently guide you, without judgment, to some smoother, happier, parenting days.
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WHAT IS CONSCIOUS PARENTING?
Conscious parenting is being the best version of yourself as a parent and enjoying it, by using the right tools and strategies to find the right balance between kindness and firmness. It is understanding discipline as teaching, and not as punishment. It starts with us as adults, getting to know and being aware of our emotions, triggers, and our own childhood, and with this, taking care of ourselves in order to be able to best take care of our little ones. It is having a basic knowledge of what goes on in those little brains with huge emotions, to be able to proved them the support and guide they need to transit through the different milestones of childhood.
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It is knowing that our mistakes are simply opportunities to try again, as are our kids mistakes. It is humanizing parenting, acknowledging that we are humans raising humans.
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For many other endeavorers in life, we intentionally set aside time to prepare, learn and research. So why shouldn't we learn how to parent? Taking care of a little one (or a teenager) is no small feat, so it makes a tone of sense to seek support. It truly takes a village, and we are here to be your tribe.