About Tamara

I am a professionally trained Life Coach, Certified Youth Mentor and Coach, Certified Youth Leadership Coach,  Certified Neurodiversity Famlily Coach, and International Coaching Federation (ICF) Certified Associate Certified Coach (ACC).  I  specialize in evidence-based, clinically-proven, life, education, career, job, social, commitment and motivational coaching services for neurodiverse individuals and their families.   My neurodiversity training comes from an National Institutes of Health-funded post-graduate program at the University of California at Davis Medical School's MIND Institute called Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities.

I have over 30 years-experience as a mentor and over 50 years direct, personal experience of close family relationships with neurodiverse children and autistic adults. I am a mom to a young autistic adult son, and step-mom to 4 adopted children, 2 with developmental challenges. 

I have parenting and mentoring experience with the following life circumstances:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder 
• Asperger’s Syndrome
• ADHD   
• Anxiety Disorder 
• Adoption 
• Attachment Disorder  
• Bipolar Disorder 
• Bullying  
• Conduct Disorder 
• College Planning & Financing
• Depression 
• Divorce  
• Domestic Violence 
• Gender Fluidity/LGBTQ issues
• Home Schooling 
• IEPs/504s/Special Education 
• Inter-Racial Families 
• Learning Disabilities 
• PTSD 
• Step-Parenting 
• Single Parenting  
• Therapuetic Boarding Schools

I hold an undergraduate degree from Colorado State University and a graduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and have retired from a long career in the technology sector where I spent 30+ years working with, buying, selling and starting new businesses in high technologies.  In addition to my family connections to the autism spectrum, my high-tech career gave me the distinct pleasure to be in close relationship with, and grow to have great respect for, a great number of scientists and technologists who shared many neurodiverse characteristics.

 My eclectic background, training, and rich parenting experience has enabled me to develop an approach to coaching that incorporates principles and practices based upon evidence-based strategies and enriched by the experience of living, partnering and parenting well with neurodiverse people for nearly half a century.  I combine all of these perspectives with the conviction that we are all Creative, Resourceful and Whole to bring about a new approach to building your best neurodiverse life.

While my approach to coaching uses some of the latest techniques and concepts from brain science and psychology, I am not a therapist and I am not practicing psychotherapy using these techniques. Many different therapeutic techniques can be adapted for coaches and coaching clients, and I continually work to integrate the latest, proven techniques into the work at CReW.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, as well as other therapies, are often indicated for neurodivergent people.  Coaching should be used as an addition to, not a replacement for, these therapies.

Please, check out our "Meet Our Coaches" page, or request a free consultation today!  I look forward to meeting you!