Brain-Body Parenting

Mona Delahooke, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of experience caring for children and their families. She is a senior faculty member of the Profectum Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting families of neurodiverse children, adolescents and adults.

Dr. Delahooke holds the highest level of endorsement in the field of infant and toddler mental health in the state of California, as a Reflective Practice Mentor (RPM). She is a frequent speaker, trainer, and consultant to parents, organizations, schools, and public agencies. Dr. Delahooke has dedicated her career to promoting compassionate, relationship-based neurodevelopmental interventions for children with developmental, behavioral, emotional, and learning differences.

She is the author of Social and Emotional Development in Early Intervention: A Skills Guide for Working with Children (PESI, 2017) and of the bestselling Beyond Behaviours (Sheldon press, 2020)

"I adore this book! Brain-Body Parenting updates outdated lenses, offering powerful, practical ways think about and respond to children. Dr. Delahooke shows caregivers how to understand children’s emotions and behaviors, and guides us to respond in ways that are transformative both in the challenging moments, and in our child’s development over time. Parents, teachers, grandparents, and the children they love, will all be deeply impacted by this beautiful book." — Tina Payne Bryson, LCSW, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling co-author of The Whole-Brain Child & No-Drama Discipline, and author of The Bottom Line for Baby
In Brain-Body Parenting Dr. Delahooke expands on her paradigm shifting-model of treating children with disruptive behaviors. In contrast to prevailing models that dominate parenting manuals and educational arenas, Dr. Delahooke provides a more compassionate approach that addresses the needs of a child's nervous system and offers insightful examples for readers to rethink and restructure their parenting. This book is a game-changer. — Dr. Stephen Porges, author of The Polyvagal Theory
“Brain-Body Parenting is an essential guide for parents craving a deeper understanding of their child’s needs, as well as their own. Drawing on insight from her decades of experience as a clinician and mother of three, Delahooke shows readers how to be better detectives when interpreting their child’s signals and how to apply attuned, responsive care to specifics like sleep, play, and skill development. This book is a gold mine of advice." — Janet Lansbury, bestselling author of No Bad Kids and host of Unruffled
"Dr. Mona Delahooke's latest book Brain-Body Parenting is an incredible, much needed gift to the parenting world. In her gentle, wise way she explains how our little children can struggle with learning how to navigate life and relationships. She not only shows the why, she shares so many stories of how parents can support their little ones to grow and thrive. This brilliant book needs to be in every home, early childhood setting and primary school.” — Maggie Dent, bestselling author of From Boys to Men and host of the Parental As Anything podcast
“In this revolutionary book, Dr. Mona Delahooke shares powerful insights and groundbreaking research for understanding a child's challenging behavior through the lens of neuroscience and polyvagal theory. With clarity, compassion, and easy to apply strategies, she offers parents and professionals a path to move children toward self-regulation, balance and stability. An absolute a must read.”  — Susan Stiffelman, MFT, author of Parenting Without Power Struggles
“In Brain-Body Parenting, Mona Delahooke translates the latest relational neuroscience research into easily readable and actionable support for parents, amplifying the importance of attuned and loving parent-child relationships. I will be recommending this book to every parent who has at times struggled with their child’s out of control behavior, or their own—which is everyone!” — Dr. Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids and founder of Aha! Parenting

“This book offers a radically effective approach to parenting that will turn everything you think you know upside-down. Firmly rooted in science but also practical and insightful, Brain-Body Parenting provides an easy-to-follow pathway for parents to help their children thrive without losing themselves in the process.” — Kristin Neff, PhD, Author of Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion
“Mona Delahooke speaks to parents like no other as she responds to their concerns and questions with understanding and insight. Her ability to translate and integrate neuroscience with body signaling and a child's emotional experience unravels the mystery of behaviors, offering an exquisite integration of mind, body, and heart. Dr. Delahooke’s knowledge of behavior and development is a moving force that will continue to enhance all we do as parents and clinicians” — Serena Wieder, Ph.D., clinical director of Profectum Foundation and co-creator of the DIR model
“In Brain-Body Parenting, Mona Delahooke shares extensive knowledge about how children feel, think and act, using a remarkably astute lens to reveal how and why the nervous system affects children’s behaviors and attitudes. With thought-provoking examples and scientific underpinnings, Delahooke provides myriad strategies for fortifying parent-child relationships with love, compassion, and understanding. This book is destined to become a ground-breaking classic!” — Joanne Foster, Ed.D., gifted education specialist and author of ABCs of Raising Smarter Kids
"A fascinating and practical look at how neurobiology can be applied to parenting challenges." — Julia Reffner, Library Journal  
"Brain-Body Parenting is a warm, forgiving book." — The New Yorker