Brooke Barrett Children’s Author, BCBA & Parent Coach teaching families emotional flexibility through story and science Brooke Barrett is a BCBA, parent coach, and author of The Oaklings children’s book series. She helps parents and kids build emotional resilience by blending behavioral science, ACT, and story-based learning. Her work empowers families to navigate big emotions with clarity, compassion, and confidence. When I became a mother, my life filled with more love than I ever thought possible. It felt bright, hopeful, and deeply meaningful. I was passionate about creating a nurturing, supportive home for my children. But as the early years unfolded, I also found myself overwhelmed. Between sleepless nights, big emotions, competing demands, and my own internal expectations, I became stuck in cycles of overthinking, self-judgment, and avoidance. I loved my children deeply, yet there were moments when I felt disconnected from the way I wanted to show up. As both a mother and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, I began turning toward my own training—especially process-based supports grounded in functional contextualism and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with me?” I started asking, “What’s happening in my context right now?” That shift opened the door to compassion, flexibility, and choice. Through learning and practicing the six core ACT processes, I began building my own psychological flexibility. I learned how to notice my thoughts without getting trapped in them, make space for difficult emotions, reconnect with my values, and take small, meaningful actions—even in hard moments. As this work transformed my inner world, I started bringing it into my family life through shared language, simple practices, and everyday conversations. I watched my children begin to name their feelings, understand their thoughts, and approach challenges with more resilience. Our home culture shifted toward greater understanding, connection, and emotional safety. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
