MELISSA BENAROYA, LICSW

Personal Details

Bio

Melissa Benaroya is a highly respected & renowned licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who has dedicated her career to empowering individuals and families & creating positive change within communities. With her unwavering commitment to mental health & holistic well-being, Melissa has become a trusted coach, keynote speaker, educator, & author, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of children.

Melissa's journey into the realm of early childhood development was influenced by her own life experiences and a deep-rooted desire to make a difference in the lives of others. In obtaining both her master’s & licensure in Social Work she developed a keen understanding of human behavior and the complex interplay of emotional, cognitive, and social factors.

Melissa is also a Credentialed School Counselor, Certified in Positive Discipline, and Certified as a Gottman Educator offering the Bringing Baby Home Program for families with young children, and workshops on Emotion Coaching. Melissa practices as a parenting consultant, coach, and speaker to groups and individuals by blending her clinical training with her knowledge of child development & discipline. In 2011 she co-authored the book The Childproof Parent.

Driven by a passion for working with children & families, Melissa honed her expertise in child development, parenting strategies, and relationship dynamics. Her extensive training & clinical experience has contributed to her deep understanding of the challenges families face in today's fast-paced and often stressful world. Armed with this knowledge, she is on a mission to support families in building strong foundations, fostering healthy connections, & navigating the ups and downs of everyday life.

Melissa lives in the Seattle area with her husband, two teenagers, & dog Harley. She has little self-control when it comes to chocolate chip cookies and keeps her sanity with an active lifestyle of cycling and yoga!

Current position (1)

Speaker, author and parenting consultant

Childproof Parenting

Degrees (2)

BA in Sociology

UC Santa Barbara

1992 to 1996

Masters In Social Work

California State University Long Beach

1997 to 1999

Presentations

Presentations (9)

Building Your Parenting Tool Box

This workshop offers parenting strategies that result in children who want to be in partnership with their parents. Melissa blends Positive Discipline and Gottman techniques in her approach to help take the power struggles out of our day-to-day interactions with our children. Melissa will share specific discipline strategies that foster respectful loving family relationships and teach self-discipline. Content presented is based on her book The Childproof Parent.

Emotion Coaching: An Essential Part of Your Parenting Tool Box

Emotion coaching helps parents guide their children through life's ups and downs in a way that builds confidence, resilience and strong relationships. Developed by Dr. John Gottman, author of Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child, this process helps your child learn how emotions work and how to behave in healthy ways when feelings are strong and develop skills that help them thrive socially and academically. Come learn and practice with your community of parents.

Creating Healthy Families: Putting Yourself & Your Relationships First

This workshop for parents is based on the research of Drs. John & Julie Gottman. Come and learn about the Gottman Sound Relationship House and how to build your emotional bank account. Melissa will share some simple steps that are scientifically proven to strengthen relationships, and can enrich your lives through your connection with one another and your child.

Fostering Empathy in Children

From the groundbreaking work on Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman (1996) identified five characteristics, which more than general intelligence or IQ, predict a person’s eventual success in life. These traits (self-awareness, mood management, motivation, empathy, and social skills) can be fostered in children and taught in classrooms, making them powerful strategies for parents and teachers to model when working with children. Helping kids read emotions and develop empathy is an ongoing process and can’t be taught in a few days or weeks. Melissa will share three specific strategies to help foster empathy in our children.

Partners in Parenting

Learn why taking care of your relationship is critical to your child’s development! Based on the research of Drs. John & Julie Gottman, this hands-on workshop will help participants learn the secrets to increasing relationship satisfaction and parenting as a team.

Beyond Praise: Avoiding The Approval Junkie Syndrome

Tired of using threats and bribes? In this workshop we will discuss specific ways to encourage and motivate children without creating approval junkies. This workshop is great for parents of children of all ages!

Fostering A Growth Mindset Through Empathy, Encouragement & Resilience

Having a Growth Mindset is holding the belief that traits can be developed and improved. We will discuss the importance of empathy and how we can help our children persist in the face of obstacles, see failure as an opportunity to learn and enjoy the process because they are not solely focused on the outcome.

Empowering T(w)eens

This workshop allows families to gain support and learn ways to coach their teens and preteens to navigate conflict. Melissa will share strategies, based on the work of Dr. Lisa Damour, for working through challenges with your child while modeling the tools needed to manage conflict with confidence, that simultaneously empowers students to stand up for themselves and be active bystanders when others need their help. This workshop creates a space where parents can learn together and be more intentional in their parenting. The goal is for parents to walk away with greater confidence and clarity about what they can do and say to support their t(w)een.

Screens & Sanity: Managing Tech Time with Confidence

During this workshop, Melissa will cover some of the basics of proactively setting limits on screen use and avoiding challenging behaviors associated with children’s use of screens and devices. Based on the latest science and research, she will clarify the emotional, behavioral, and physical impact of screens, share guidelines and strategies for managing screen use, demonstrate how to model healthy screen use for your child, and share strategies to avoid and navigate challenging behaviors associated with screen use. Parents and caregivers walk away with clarity and tools in their pocket to put into practice immediately.