Brenna Western

Brenna was born and raised in New Mexico and has been a pediatric occupational therapist since 2017, graduating with her masters from UNM. After working in a pediatric outpatient clinic for a couple years, she transitioned to Early Intervention. She realized she was missing that important connection of working more closely with parents within the natural environment of their own homes. Over the years and visits with families, Brenna observed how much parents were struggling with regulation themselves and finding it difficult to “co-regulate” or calm their children. Parents worked so hard to meet their child’s chaos with calm, but it seemed impossible and frustrating to stay calm themselves. Brenna often finds parents to be a “missed demographic” in the community that is rarely offered services and supports for themselves after prenatal, birth, or lactation supports. The focus shifts to the children. She always noted that it was not a “magical” 1 hour/week session with her that was truly going to support a child or their family. She needed parents to learn this for themselves, understand it for their child, and apply it to their whole family in all environments.

When becoming a parent herself, she realized the full complexities that come with being a parent, balancing work, friendships, self-care, relationships, and more. How does anyone manage all of this without losing it? Then throw sensory processing challenges and spicy personalities into the mix, and parenting gets overstimulating and dysregulating so quickly, finding many living in chronic survival mode. It has become Brenna’s goal to teach neuro-sensory based parenting and self-regulation skills so parents may model and teach it to their children like a life skill, empowering their child to take on life as their true, authentic self--Understanding, loving and taking care of their mental health. Join her on your journey.