Work with
Jessica Dickson
I coach parents and teach professionals.
“Teach a child according to their way” is an ancient proverb, yet it feels deeply relevant today. After a lifetime in education, I know one thing to be true: every child and every family is unique and always evolving. My passion for parent coaching comes from helping families understand themselves and their children, and creating a path forward that strengthens connection.
Becoming a mother was my lifelong dream. While it fulfilled me deeply, it also began the most challenging and rewarding journey of my life. Over more than two decades of parenting, I’ve learned through mistakes, growth, repair, and joy. As I prepare to enter the empty-nest chapter, my focus has shifted to supporting parents as they navigate their own parenting journeys.
With over 20 years of experience working with families—including 18 years teaching preschool, training educators, and developing parent programs at the Marcus Jewish Community Center—I bring a strong foundation in child development, communication, and emotional well-being.
My approach is calm, empathetic, and centered on meeting parents where they are. Together, we can nurture confident, intentional caregivers and deeper parent-child connections.
Private Coaching with Jessica
Session 1: Getting to Know Your Family
In this one-hour session, we focus on understanding your family’s unique dynamics, including what’s working and current challenges. We will identify goals that emphasize growth, reflection, and practical change, aligned with the program’s behavior-focused and parent-centric approach.
Session 2: Behavior Is Communication & Connection Is Key
In this session, we explore the idea that all behavior communicates a need, emotion, or fear. Using real-life examples from recent challenges at home, we explore what family members’ behaviors are “saying.” From this awareness, the session shifts toward building the foundation for change– connection, presence, and relational safety– and what this could look like in your family’s life starting today.
Session 3: Regulation Before Reason — Nervous System Science & Emotional Regulation
This session centers on how the nervous system impacts behavior, reasoning, and self-regulation. Parents learn why regulation must come before problem-solving and focus on practical tools and strategies to support emotional regulation, even in the face of challenging behavior.
Session 4: Setting Boundaries with Calm, Confidence, and Love
This session uses real weekly struggles as opportunities to practice boundary-setting with consistency and empathy. We explore how remaining calm, clear, and regulated can help parents model strategies for reducing power struggles within the family.
Session 5: Problem-Solving & Skill Building vs. Punitive Responses
This session helps parents reduce household friction by using a collaborative problem-solving approach that leverages natural and logical consequences. With consistency, this approach strengthens teamwork, increases understanding of cause and effect, fosters accountability, and promotes a more cooperative family environment.
Session 6: Putting It All Together — Progress, Not Perfection
Our final session focuses on reviewing goals, celebrating growth, and setting the family up for continued success. We normalize imperfection and emphasize that mistakes are essential to learning, repair, and connection. True success comes from showing up, reflecting, and rebuilding—again and again—as a family.
Reach out to Jessica
“Jessica created a safe, compassionate space that helped me grow in ways I didn’t expect. The experience was enlightening, eye-opening, and one I’m deeply grateful for.”
Presentations and Professional Development
I am happy to create a custom in-person presentation or webinar for your group or organization.
Past Topics Include:
Helping Little Bodies Feel Big Feelings Jewishly
L’Mazeltov: Becoming a Jewish Parent
Jewish Holidays 101 for Preschool Educators
A First Passover Seder for Teachers Who Never Attended One Before
Community Seder for Young Families
What People Are Saying
“Working with Jessica was truly transformative. Through her guidance I gained a much deeper understanding of who I am as a parent and why I parent the way I do. That insight became the foundation for learning how to better support my children, especially the one with ADHD and executive functioning challenges.”
join Cari Newman Coaching newsletter
