Is the daily power struggle with a child leaving you frustrated and exhausted? There is a simple yet powerful technique that can interrupt these difficult dynamics and bring calm back to the home. Learn how to activate the Wise Adult self to replace reactive patterns and gain control over the moment. Discover the five key steps of the PAUSE method to guide a child with love and consistency. Read this article to find a practical path toward more connected and effective interactions.
Dr. Marcy Willard
Dr. Willard is a licensed psychologist, expert child psychologist, and published author. Dr. Willard has experience conducting diagnostic assessments at local clinics and as a Fellow at JFK Partners in partnership with the Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Willard is a passionate advocate for parents of challenging kids. Over her 20 years of clinical practice, she has developed techniques working parents can use to support their children with mental or behavioral health issues.
She has a bachelor’s degree from University of Colorado Boulder, a Master’s Degree in psychology from Pepperdine, and a Ph.D. in Child, Family, and School Psychology from the University of Denver.
Before starting her practice, Dr. Willard CEO of Clear Child Psychology where the team touched the lives of over 1 million families. Previously, Dr. Willard worked as a clinical psychologist and school psychologist for over a decade, providing training, assessment, and consultation.
She has trained other psychologists in autism assessment using both a clinical diagnostic model and a school identification model.
She lives in Colorado and enjoys skiing, running and time with her family.
Post By Dr. Marcy
Connecting Through Play: A Modern Guide to Shared Enjoyment in Childhood
Is your child content playing in their own world? Shared enjoyment is a foundational social skill for building connections and reciprocal play. Learn to spot the subtle signs of difficulty and understand the underlying factors, including unique wiring patterns, such as an autism neurotype. Discover actionable strategies parents can use to model and initiate positive, joyful interactions today. Dive into this guide to help your child thrive socially.
Empowering Initiative: A Guide to Helping Your Child Start Tasks
Is your child a champion staller? Do simple tasks feel like huge, frustrating battles every day? This guide shows why task initiation is a core challenge and explores root causes like executive function struggles, overwhelm, and brain differences. Discover powerful, practical tips like the Gradual Release Approach and using visual timers to build focus and momentum. Unlock initiative for your child and replace daily frustration with lasting confidence.



