Lisa Vanek, LCSW

For First Responder Families:

You’re proud of your spouse’s service, but the sacrifice is real. You’re managing family events alone, handling the household when things get especially busy at work, and carrying the weight of worry every time they walk out the door. You know they’re serving the community, but sometimes the tension between that calling and your family’s needs feels overwhelming. Your children are struggling too, and you don’t always know how to help them. 

I understand because I’ve lived it for almost 30 years. As the wife of a police officer, I know exactly how difficult it is to juggle these demands. You don’t have to navigate this alone. Together, we’ll work on putting healthy boundaries around what and how much to share with your children, creating a family rhythm that helps everyone feel connected, and negotiating household responsibilities so you don’t feel like you’re carrying everything. 

For Parents:

You’re dealing with meltdowns, defiance, aggression, and emotional outbursts that seem to come out of nowhere. Maybe your child is refusing to do schoolwork, being defiant at home and school, refusing to attend school, or even running away from adults when they’re upset. You’ve tried everything you can think of—taking things away, having countless conversations, getting guidance from school—but nothing seems to be working.

I work with children by providing a safe place to process their big feelings with complete freedom within appropriate limits. They know they can share what they want without worrying that I’ll “tattle” to their parents. And I help parents by providing coaching and insight into what their child is trying to communicate with their big behaviors.