Heather Johanson
Coach, Writer, Educator, Advocate
I hope to be a guide or resource by offering empathetic listening and sharing the knowledge and resources that I have acquired while raising my children from birth to tweens. I look forward to connecting with parents who want to raise their children up and offer a different, more connecting upbringing. I am here to support parents who want to make a change but aren't sure how, without ever having experienced mindful parenting themselves.
Hi, I'm Heather
I can offer the knowledge and experience I gained from being a full-time, homeschooling mom who also had limited experience with the type of parenting I chose when my first child was born. Already having knowledge of how we develop from earning my master's degree in Disability and Human Development from UIC, I decided to pour over parenting books and learned all I could about attachment theory, Magda Gerber's approach to recognizing babies as whole people from birth, Dan Siegel's books about brain development and parenting, and many other books discussing how to raise my children with respect and consciousness, trusting in their innate abilities and intrinsic motivation to learn and grow.
We had a family bed for cosleeping, wraps and baby carriers for baby wearing, I attended La Leche League meetings and practiced extended breastfeeding on demand, and simplified our home, reducing the clutter and overwhelm by learning minimalist habits and welcoming open-ended toys. I attended a parent-infant program at a local Waldorf school and learned from women who held the same values as me, seeing my children as whole, capable beings. They taught me, with my child present, by modeling the skills they had fully embodied from studying the work of Magda Gerber and Janet Lansbury.
As my family has grown, I have focused on cultivating qualities of mindfulness, presence, and inner awareness by continuing my meditation and yoga practices I had established well before starting a family and continued to study child development and parenting by taking courses online, in-person and attending retreats focused on mindfulness, Nonviolent Communication (NVC), social emotional learning (SEL), neuroscience, self-directed or child-led learning, and peaceful, power-with parenting. If ever there was a degree in alternative parenting and homeschooling I surely would have earned it by now!
Cultivator of
Conscious Communication
I support parents with practicing a different way of communicating, one that requires presence and awareness. Families are offered an opportunity to rethink how to connect with each other, creating perhaps a new habit of curiosity, using skills learned from my mindfulness practice and training in Nonviolent Communication (NVC).
Empathy Educator
I really enjoy rich discussions about emotions, awareness of emotions, and connecting with others’ emotions, including helping parents, partners, and children get clear about what empathy is and isn’t, how it can support connection, and how to grow our capacity for empathy.
Neuroscience Nerd
As my daughter lovingly says, I enjoy "nerding out" about ongoing research and discovery in the field of neuroscience. Learning about our nervous system can help with gaining understanding about our emotions and give clarity about our current internal conditions. I enjoy reading books, listening to talks, reviewing research, and attending conferences about neuroscience, continually learning and applying new concepts to raising children and nurturing healthy relationships.
Mindful Mama, Peaceful Parent
Continually inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings, including the phrase, "Peace in oneself, Peace in the world." I aspire each day to find peace within and show up for my family, myself included, with kindness, compassion, and curiosity. I apply the knowledge and experience I gain by practicing mindfulness through daily meditation, retreats, and, regular participation and connection with my sangha in order to approach parenting with mindfulness and presence.
