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For more than 7 years, Kenneth has honed his professional skills by working in a variety of social-emotional programs in the public-school system. This experience, along with his drive for seeing young people overcome adversity, has been foundational in shaping his desire to offer his clients a more effective and compassionate approach to change.
As a non-certified Behaviorist with his LBS1, Kenneth is uniquely-positioned to build trusting relationships with students that have a natural resistance to working with clinical professionals.His innovative style is grounded in a wide variety of methodologies proven to be successful in shaping behaviors, yet flexible enough to meet the needs of each individual client, regardless of skill level or limitation.
Above all, his natural talents as an efficient problem solver and strategist are showcased in the creativity of the carefully crafted plans he engineers and puts into practice for the benefit of his clients and their families. His philosophy and work ethic are centered on attaining the lasting results that can only be achieved by focusing on the long game.
We Help Our Clients To Overcome Adversity Of All Types In Order To Fulfill Their Full Potential.
I struggled to truly identify what it is I do for families without it being a bullet point list. In its simplest form I help kids with social-emotional and/or behavioral challenges via communication. However, when I asked some families and other professionals how to word this, they said I did so much more. Then it occurred to me – Who better to inform a parent what I can do for them than another parent who I have worked with. So below is the story of one parent to you:
From One Parent to Another
If you are reading this, I can assure you that I have been where you are and can relate to your struggle in some very important ways. First off, let me tell you that there is hope. No matter what your starting point, things can change for the better. You are not alone.
Before we met Ken, I felt exactly that…alone, in over my head, frustrated, desperate for help, and like a failure as a parent. We came to Diverging Tides with 3 out of 4 family members diagnosed with ADHD, one child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and another with high-functioning Autism. We all struggled with depression and anxiety and basically felt like the family was broken.
Our kids began falling behind in the typical age-appropriate activities and rites of passage celebrated by their peers. They experienced social rejection and lacked a solid base of friends that cared for and accepted them.
Things that other families might take for granted like spending time out together in public, going to social gatherings like birthday parties and celebrations with friends, and even sharing family dinners together at the table had become so contentious and embarrassing that we eventually stopped trying altogether. Communication within the family had ground to a painful halt.
In the self-imposed isolation we became trapped and ashamed, judged by others that didn’t understand. Well-meaning, unsolicited advice from fellow parents and teachers with no real knowledge of our situation only served to discourage us further.
We clearly knew that our kids were struggling and over the years we had tried everything…multiple therapists, social groups, specialists, school interventions, and even diet changes but with little success. The only lasting result from the exhausting effort we had made was a confirmation that we really were beyond help.
Then Everything Changed…
We met Ken. Undaunted and unphased by our chaotic and out of control life, he saw past all of the behaviors and issues and saw us as people capable of change. Instead of seeing us as failures he saw us as merely lacking skills that he could teach not only to our kids but to ourselves as the parents as well. He offered to be the guide that would show us how to climb our own personal Mt. Everest and walk out of the mess that we were trapped in. Even more significantly, he promised not to abandon us in the process. We would either succeed together or we would go down fighting together.
That’s how we started our journey with a man who once was a stranger and who now has earned the trust and confidence of each of our family members. At the time of this writing, we have been working together intensively with Ken for well over a year. We have seen drastic improvement in the areas of behavior, conflict resolution, communication, and social interactions, as well as how to form healthy boundaries and take personal responsibility for ourselves.
Ken has been given a very special gift of really being able to understand people and what motivates them. He uses that gift for good and patiently observes and listens to us. Through his genuine relationships with the kids he is able to meet them where they are. He teaches and models for them the skills that he knows they are lacking, while still being careful to respect their limitations, needs, and interests. And guess what, it’s working.
This year my daughter got her first job, both my daughter and son are working towards getting their driver’s license. My daughter has transitioned back from a therapy school to full-time public school and is preparing for college. Our family can now go out to dinner together without conflict. In fact, we especially look forward to “family nights” with Mr. Smitley when he patiently referees our lively discussions and facilitates us as we talk through our concerns. We are still learning and growing but we are not lost and we are not abandoned and we’ve had our hope restored. So can you.