About Me
Hi, I'm Melissa.
I'm a mom of three, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with a Master's Degree in Counseling, and for 22+ years I've worked with kids with the biggest behaviors and the parents who love them.
These days you might know me as a #1 internationally bestselling author, a national speaker, or the coach Evergreen Awards named Best Parenting Coach in the United States. My work has been featured in USA Today, on Good Morning US, and on the cover of Enterprise World Magazine as their Most Visionary Woman Leader Driving Positive Change in Parenting.
But here's the title that matters most on this page: I'm the person moms call when they're done white-knuckling through bedtime battles and grocery store meltdowns. I help parents of strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodiverse kids understand why the behavior is happening and exactly what to do about it. Not scripts. Not punishments. A plan built for your actual child.
I've worked with hundreds of children and families across the country and internationally, and I'd love to help yours.
More About My Professional Background
I started my career at 18, working in group homes for children who had been abused, in shelters for exploited teens, and in teen drug rehabilitation programs. Those kids taught me more about behavior, and about hope, than any textbook ever could.
I earned my Master's Degree in Counseling, became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and went on to work at a school for children with emotional disturbances. I started in the classroom and later became Director of Behavioral Services, overseeing the program for students with moderate to severe autism. From there, I served as Director of Behavioral Services for a large organization supporting children and adults with autism in both school and group home settings.
In 2009, I founded my first company, providing in-home ABA therapy for children with autism. It grew to 75 employees and won national awards as one of the best companies to work for, while providing the highest quality ABA services in our area.
And here's what I learned running that company: the thing that moved the needle most for kids was never more therapy hours. It was supported, confident parents. That realization changed everything. I founded Confidently Mommin' in 2020, and in 2023 I sold my company to coach parents full time.
Along the way, I've been a guest lecturer at Azusa Pacific University and San Jose State University, supervised BCBA candidates internationally, and become a sought-after speaker on parenting and behavior. In 2026, I became a #1 internationally bestselling author as a contributing author of The Power of Connection.
More About My Personal Life
My husband Brian and I have been married for 19 years. We have three hilarious, wonderful, exhausting kids (two neurodiverse, one strong-willed, zero easy) and a sweet pit bull named Waffles. So when I tell you I get it, I really get it. The tools I teach my clients are the same ones I use at my own dinner table, on the good days and the not-so-good ones.
I'm very involved in my church, and I volunteer as the Girl Scout Troop Leader for my daughter's troop. I also practice what I preach: I usually have three coaches of my own going at any given time, including right now. Getting support isn't something I just recommend. It's how I live. And I can honestly say I love my work. I get to spend every day helping moms fall back in love with parenting, and it has never once felt like a job.
A few more things you should know about me: my favorite kind of day is packing up the kids and getting out of the house for an adventure, ideally to Disneyland, where I would live if they let me. I unwind with runs, long walks, and romantasy novels, and I will never say no to a good margarita. I avoid cooking whenever humanly possible. I have never once liked coffee, which I'm told is my most controversial opinion. And yes, I'm navigating perimenopause and an anxious brain right along with you, so every tool I teach for staying calm is one I'm actively using on myself.
