Shayna and her fellow counselors have created an amazing space where kids get to feel like they are…read morein charge, while they are also supported and safe. Her all-day-outdoors summer and school break camps are much beloved by my 7-year-old, who has been attending since he was six. Some of the things that make the camp unique are the mixed age grouping, the kid-led selection of activities, and the high level of education, skill, and experience of the staff who hold or are pursuing master's degrees in psychology and child development. My son's favorite activities have included the week that they kids wrote and performed a play and also made the costumes and sets, the time they built a fort in the redwoods, the week they decided to make and sell jewelry and art, urban farming... The other best part? The camp is super affordable relative to the rest, and offers sliding scale below already low rates for families in need. To give perspective on my standards for great camps, our other favorite camps (we divide our loyalties each summer) are Trackers and Galileo. The difference, which we welcome, is the smaller size and relative mellowness at Abundant Summers. We enjoy the high energy and highly-structured formats of the other camps, but we also appreciate having a camp where things are more kid-scale, relaxed. Full disclosure: I was lucky to meet Shayna when my son was just a few months old and she was one of the caregivers at Yogalayam's mom and baby yoga class. She and my son had a connection the day we met and we've been a part of her nanny shares ever since. It was a natural progression for her (and for us) to go from those lovely shares to starting this camp.

Ugh I want to give a better review for this place. The content that they cover is amazing. But they…read moreare so disorganized and communication with families is so poor. I think this place may be amazing in a few years when the iron out the kinks. In the meantime, they overbooked and then kick some of the kids out at the last minute so that you struggle to find an alternative. You sometimes don't know where your kid is. You may not know who is watching your kid. Your kid may be outside in the rain and hail even when there are flood warnings. You may not know what your kid does or build community with other families. But your kid will learn about social justice and conflict resolution. They will get to be outside and get dirty.

Christina's class has been THE most supportive thing I've done for myself and baby boy. We joined…read moreher playgroup class when he was only 4 months old (over a year ago) and he's thrived so much because of it. Our weekly play group-classes have provided invaluable social skills, bodily coordination development/learning, and parent education; my now one and a half yr. old is thriving, confident, secure & super coordinated! Christina holds a 1.5 hour class, almost all free play, with simple age appropriate objects/toys in a light-filled play space (at Then Comes Baby in Oakland). The RIE principles that she teaches has supported my son's natural development; like letting him roll, crawl, walk, etc, at his own natural pace as opposed to propping him up or helping him in ways that might by-pass his own learning & discovering. It's been such good practice to learn to let them figure things out on their own and resist the temptation to "help" or interrupt their natural curiosity and frustration as they learn new skills and limits. Of course we also get plenty of practice of setting boundaries for and with our children as well. This group has really helped my partner & I have a healthy and balanced parenting style and reduced our stress as new parents. The community of babies and parents has also been super sweet; you don't have to do this alone! Christina is experienced, knowledgable, and very encouraging. I highly recommend working with her!

From the owner: Respectful Caregiving: Balanced Families, Secure Babies…read more Respectful Caregiving is dedicated to supporting families with babies and toddlers throughout the Bay Area. My work is inspired by Magda Gerber's Educaring® Approach (RIE®). This Approach encourages trust in the infant for knowing how and when to develop. We caregivers do not consider it our responsibility to "teach" children how to move, play, or learn. Instead, it is our responsibility to provide a safe environment conducive to self-initiated play and discovery. The Approach places emphasis on the quality of the nurturing relationship between caregiver and child, and has many specific suggestions for how to make that relationship as respectful and cooperative as possible. Parents using the Educaring® Approach report significant a decrease in the perceived burden of parenthood, and a corresponding increases in their confidence and enjoyment as parents. Children raised with this Approach are emotionally aware, confident, graceful, creative, independent, and secure in their sense of selves. I offer RIE® certified classes such as Before Baby™ and Nurturing Nanny. I also offer sleep consulting, parent coaching, nursery design/babyproofing, workshops, and individualized nanny training.

I took a Parenting by Connection Course from Angela and it was truly transformative…read more She is fantastic and I highly recommend her as a teacher. She is great as a one on one parenting coach as well.

We started working with Angela more than 5 years ago when we were struggling with some parenting…read morechallenges. She is an amazing teacher, listener and counselor who has truly changed our lives with her insights about parenting/relating and her wise, compassionate and encouraging presence. We feel blessed to know her and to have the opportunity to continue to work with her.

Marcilie is an exceptional parenting coach. Reading books is useful, but Marcilie helps me see…read morethrough the internal emotional stuff that muddies my vision when it comes to conflict with my kids. She has successfully guided me through a number of really difficult situations and instilled in me a greater confidence in approaching those same types of situations on my own. I highly recommend her.

This class is a must for all educators, parents, counselors, and anyone who is working with…read morechildren. Marcilie class format was engaging and she made two very significant points that as a parent I consistently use. The first point is both people have to be on level headed to engage in a decent conversation where there will be any resolution. Timing is everything! My six year old daughter now tells me "Let's calm down and then talk." Our relationship feels more loving and less tense. Using solution focused problem solving with empathy allows children the capacity to solve their own problems. Don't we all want to have children who grow up and our great problem solvers? Most of all Marcilie's class has been invaluable to my professional career as a marriage and family therapist where I work with many hostile families. Perhaps, the most memorable take away from Marcilie's class is "Kids do better when they feel better." As a therapist, I try and remind frazzled parents to look for other reasons for their kids unwanted behavior. I would highly recommend this class!

My experience with this organization has been extremely disappointing and, in my opinion, reflects…read morea system that prioritizes billing over meaningful support for families. I was ordered by the court to participate in co-parenting counseling through COPE, which effectively left me with no practical alternative provider. Prior to beginning services, I was informed by Megan that the cost would be approximately $45 per session. I was later surprised to discover that I was being charged approximately $160 per session instead. When I raised this concern, Megan Van Carpels advised me that she would investigate the discrepancy and recommended that I request reimbursement. Despite multiple communications, I never received a follow-up or resolution. I was ultimately directed to contact Headway on my own, leaving me to navigate the issue without any meaningful assistance from the organization. I was equally disappointed with the quality of the counseling services provided. My sessions with Isabel often lacked structure, guidance, and actionable feedback. Rather than facilitating productive communication, identifying areas for improvement, or helping develop effective co-parenting strategies, many sessions consisted primarily of passive observation. As a result, I found myself questioning the value being provided relative to the substantial fees being charged. For a service that is frequently court-ordered and intended to support families during challenging circumstances, I expected greater transparency, accountability, professionalism, and therapeutic value. Instead, I was left frustrated by the billing practices, lack of follow-through, and overall quality of the services received. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this organization.

I don't have enough bad words to say about this company. After finishing and completing the…read moremandatory six week group course on zoom, where the teacher was constantly being interrupted by her kids that she was babysitting, we got put on a waiting list for over eight months to see an individual counselor. When we finally did get our individual therapist, it's someone who doesn't even have their license, but just a trainee. She was so miserable to talk to, she had the worst attitude, and I wonder why she's even working in therapy? This company sucks, I pray to God I never have to go through them again, and I would give them zero stars if I could. They do not actually care about making situations better, they care about court ordered therapy so that they can get their check. That's all I have to say about this joke of a company.

Emma is nothing short of incredible and working with her was one of the best decisions we made to…read moreprepare for birth and postpartum. She met with my husband and I several times in person ahead of the birth to help us think through our plans and honestly educate us on everything we could expect since we were first time parents. Genuinely found her much more helpful in learning what to expect than any of the birth prep classes or books I read. She gave us options without judgement and with lots of follow up research so we could make the right decision for us. When we unexpectedly had to pivot to an early induction, I was so thankful to have Emma to call. She calmed me down and really helped me plan for this big change so I went in ready and confident. During the birth, she was my all seeing guardian angel. She was very respectful of the doctors and nurses but would give me translations for why they might be pushing for certain measures and what all my options were. She spotted dips in my blood pressure and baby's monitor not working at 4am while I was asleep and made sure the nurses acted (I'm really thankful for that!). My husband who is the ultimate pragmatist is a big fan of Emma and we both give her so much credit for taking what could have been a scary and overwhelming experience and making it extremely positive. She was there for our postpartum too and helped troubleshoot some of those new parent worries. Emma is caring, kind, grounded, and an excellent listener and advocate. Cannot recommend her more highly!

Working with Emma throughout my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum was a wonderful experience…read more Meeting with her several times in advance of the birth to talk and create a set of birth intentions helped me and my husband feel more confident and excited about the prospect of the birth and transition into the early days of parenthood. It's so easy to get caught up in the anxiety and fear that come with all the unknowns of pregnancy, but from the first time we met with Emma I felt more calm. She helped us prepare for what to expect emotionally and physically, how to best think through the decision making process at the hospital, and what we would need in the postpartum time. She makes it very clear that the right choice (and there are so many when you are pregnant- home birth, birth center, hospital birth, epidural, etc etc etc etc) is whatever feels right for YOU! She is incredibly kind and open minded, and does not bring any sense of judgment for whatever kind of birth you are wanting to have. On the day of my labor and delivery Emma was a calm presence throughout the day. The labor and delivery nurses were even commenting to us in the elevator on the way to the postpartum floor what an incredible doula we'd chosen (they commented that some doulas expect to only show up when you're about to push, and that couldn't have been farther from our experience!) And she took some wonderful photos for us :) I have already recommended Emma to my pregnant friends, and would highly suggest working with her if you are looking for a birth doula, it is an investment worth making!

The Family Room offers such a welcoming and knowledgeable gathering space for families to create…read morecommunity while navigating the perinatal time and beyond. I'm a Fertility Awareness Educator in the community and have hosted talks and workshops in their group space, and it's been perfect for my needs. The space is comfortable, thoughtfully decorated, and offers all the necessities for my presentations including a projector and large viewing screen as well as ample seating space. The practitioners behind The Family Room are incredibly generous with their time, offering support in marketing efforts and engaging with fellow practitioners using the space. I would highly recommend considering The Family Room for your next workshop, support group, or other meeting space needs.

From the owner: The Family Room on Solano is a new gathering space and a classroom passionately dedicated to…read morenurturing families from preconception to birth and beyond. We offer groups and classes like prenatal yoga, new parents groups, a fertility support group, childbirth education, music for kids and much more!