Co-Regulation Coaching
A private coaching program to support you in cultivating a supportive sensory diet and a toolbox of practical strategies to support your dog in reducing anxiety, reactivity, or aggressive behavior.
Do you feel …
frustrated because you adopted a dog for emotional support, but now you’re more stressed because of their behavior?
at a loss because your dog “goes nuts” during normal everyday situations?
exhausted because so much vigilance is required to prevent your dog from bolting, biting, fighting your other dog(s) or chasing your cat?
heartbroken because you think you might have to give up your dog?
Do you want to feel…
confident because you know exactly how to help your dog(s) feel safer and calmer?
grounded when navigating social situations with your dog?
ease when unexpected things happen because you and your dog(s) are connected and in tune with each other?
joy because you and your dog(s) have a deeper relationship?
All coaching and grief guidance services begin with a 30-minute virtual Affinity Call.
During this call, we will discuss:
your goals/expectations to ensure that they’re realistic, specific, and can be accomplished through the services that I provide
any questions you have about my philosophy or process
why you want to do this work
During this call, we will NOT discuss:
my assessment of your dog’s behavior
recommendations for how to change or manage your dog’s behavior
I’ve got you! Over six, 60-min sessions we will collaborate to cultivate a supportive sensory diet and a toolbox of practical strategies so that you and your dog will:
1
both get your needs met
2
feel a positive shift immediately
3
resolve EVERY behavior issue
4
learn to listen to each other with ease
5
feel less anxious and more content
6
have a deeper relationship with more peace and harmony
About the Program
follow to learn more…
Through investing in yourself and your dog, you will receive a recording of each session, worksheets to guide you in listening to your body and understanding your dog's body language, links to video tutorials, and text support to ask questions and receive encouragement between sessions.
Ultimately, a lifestyle shift that transforms how you feel about yourself and your dog!
FAQs
-
-
I use a combination of humane, force-free, and positive reinforcement methods. I do not use punishment in any form. Some specific methods I use include:
adjusting the environment or the task to meet the dog’s needs
advising you on equipment, gear, and other tools to enhance your and your dog’s ability to engage in a meaningful activity
-
All coaching and grief guidance services begin with a 30-minute virtual Affinity Call.
During this call, we will discuss:
your goals/expectations to ensure that they’re realistic, specific, and can be accomplished through the services that I provide
any questions you have about my philosophy or process
why you want to do this work
During this call, we will NOT discuss:
what I think of your dog’s behavior
advice for how to change or manage your dog’s behavior
-
Yes! Working together requires that we establish an agreement that clearly defines goals, expectations, and the logistics of our work. Intake paperwork also includes assessments to measure your quality of life, your dog’s sensory processing patterns, and an objective measure of your dog’s behavior.
Paperwork includes:
a questionnaire that provides me with information about you and your dog
a Terms and Conditions form
a Canine Sensory Profile
-
Most of my work is conducted virtually, via Zoom. You will access our sessions via a cell phone, tablet, or computer from the comfort of your own home.
I find virtual coaching and consultations to be beneficial for a variety of reasons, including:
accessibility for humans who live in rural areas or at far distances from me
accessibility for humans experiencing chronic fatigue; post-traumatic stress; sensory processing differences; difficulties with attention and memory; or limited space inside the home
ensuring that the focus of our work is on building YOUR skills and enhancing YOUR relationship with your dog
minimizing stress on dogs who display fear and anxiety around unfamiliar humans
less stress on my sensory system, which allows for me to use the full capacity of my clinical reasoning, communication, and empathic skills
-
Yes. I will meet with you inside your home when:
you live within 30 miles of me (in the Albany, NY greater capital region)
it is not possible to effectively evaluate your dog’s behavior via virtual consultation
technological, physical, cognitive, or sensory limitations prevent you from otherwise accessing this work
In-home visits incur a travel fee. This fee is the same rate as your regular pricing tier, prorated for the amount of time it takes me to travel to your home and back. See pricing tiers here.
-
When I interact with your dog, I am gathering information on only 2 things: how your dog interacts with an unfamiliar human, and how your dog behaves when an unfamiliar human is in their home. This information may or may not be useful to understanding the issue for which you are coming to me for support.
In order to truly understand your dog’s behavior, it is necessary to gather information in a variety of ways, using a variety of methods, including:
interviewing you and your family, and reviewing your answers on a questionnaire
using standardized assessment tools and questionnaires
observing videos* of your dog’s behavior in different environments
observing your structured or unstructured interactions with your dog during virtual sessions
interviewing other humans who know your dog, including your veterinarian, dog walker, other dog health or behavior professionals you have worked with, daycare staff, and groomer
*When the behaviors in question involve aggression or anxiety, I will not review videos in which you specifically prompt your dog to behave in these ways just so I can see it. Aggression and anxious behaviors result out of stress to your dog, and there is no reason to cause stress to your dog just so I can see their response. If you have security camera footage or doorbell recording device footage, or happened to capture a behavior organically, then we can review that. But we will not purposely stress your dog to record their behavior.
-
Each coaching session is 60 minutes.
-
During each coaching session, we will begin by defining our goals for the session. This is often determined by you and whatever is a priority for your day or week. If you are not sure about the priority for the session, I will help you define this. From there, we choose a path depending on your needs, which may include:
processing a difficult situation by sharing what happened and using somatic (body-based) strategies to move through difficult feelings
problem solving a situation to identify how you can adjust the environment, communicate something to your dog, set a boundary, care for yourself or your dog differently, meet your and your dog’s needs better
build knowledge and skills in self-awareness, sensory processing, somatic consent, boundary setting, nervous system health, understanding dog communication
build skills and practice exercises with your dog (I will help you understand an exercise, set up your environment and camera, and then will observe you while you work with your dog so that I can tell you what you’re doing well, identify challenge areas, and help you make adjustments
build skills and practice exercises to help you budget your sensory needs, care for your needs, and manage stress
plan for how to incorporate learned knowledge and skills into your daily routine
-
Yes! This work requires that you dedicate time each day to building your awareness, knowledge, and skills. This work requires attention to your needs, your dog’s needs, and the relationship you are building together.
Sessions are designed for building knowledge and skills, understanding patterns of behavior, problem solving, and planning for how to incorporate learned knowledge and skills into your daily routine.
Homework is designed to help you build awareness of yourself and your dog, and to practice skills for yourself or with your dog that we learned in session.
You will not make progress without bringing this work into your everyday life between sessions.
-
I accept payments via:
Venmo
PayPal
Apple Pay
Zelle
Cash App
credit card (through my website)