About Melissa
Melissa Holland is the founder of “Inner Wisdom Parenting”. She supports parents in addressing their children’s challenging behaviors, with online courses, workshops, coaching and consulting in the essential areas of emotional and self-regulation, self-compassion and mindfulness.  She is an experienced coach and teacher, previously in the areas of positive psychology, career and life transitions.Â
She lives with her boys in Boulder: the big one (husband), the little one (son) and the fuzzy one (Rocket, the Cat). When she’s not creating courses or supporting parents, she’s reading, learning, drinking coffee, feigning interest in Minecraft and Star Wars, reading about trail running (not actually running – yet) and hanging out with her favorite boys. Her motto to live by – lately – has been “hold it lightly”. She’s still learning how.
In addition to her own private practice, Melissa is the official Parent Coach for three quality organizations:
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Wonder: A Confident Living Company provides a continuum of therapy and coaching for pre-teens, adolescents, young adults and their families by combining individual and parent coaching with family therapy. Profile coming soon.Â
The Joy Collective, located in Boulder, CO, offers holistic care in fertility, pregnancy, postnatal & parenting, in person as well as telehealth and online options. Melissa's profile.Â
Gal's Institute, located in Delafield, WI (near Milwaukee), offers therapy services, couples counseling, prevention and healing for the individual, family & adolescent. Melissa's profile.
About Inner Wisdom Parenting
I provide support for parents who are challenged by their child's behavior.Â
I teach and guide parents in a body-informed approach to parenting. This means, that we focus our attention on what is below the waterline: what is beneath the behavior?
To use the iceberg analogy, this means, we need the right equipment to explore this uncharted territory. And for our parenting, this means our "equipment" to discover this hidden world includes:Â
- understanding how the body and brain are designed to respond to stress
- learning the subtle signs of stress behavior vs misbehavior
- discovering the unique stressors for each child - a lifelong, every-changing process
- and exploring what is calming and regulating for each unique child, as well as what truly restores their energy while releasing some tension
Professional Training
- Parent Coach Certification, Being With, a year-long intensive training with Robyn Gobbel, LCSW, therapist, educator, in the "relational neurosciences", the science of behavior and the nervous system, and the biology of stress, trauma and attachment
- Certified Facilitator of Self-Reg, extensive training in emotional and self-regulation, MEHRIT Centre
- Befriend your Nervous System, Deb Dana, LCSW, clinician and consultant specializing in complex trauma
- Beyond Behaviors: Effective Neuroscience-based Tools to Transform Childhood Behaviors, Dr. Mona Delahooke
- The Power of Self-Compassion, Kristin Neff and Christopher Germer
- Nurtured Heart Approach, a parenting methodology and philosophy, based on relationship, connection and positive psychology
- Mindfulness and meditation, Naropa University, Shambhala Center and Johann Robbins, Impermanent Sangha
- Master's of Science degree in Counseling and Human Development
