Together We Navigate is written by a parent who’s navigated the mental health system firsthand, and a public health professional who knows how to find the information that actually matters. You’ll find honest, practical guidance on finding a therapist for your child, understanding your options, and managing the overwhelm along the way.
Ready to start? Start with the complete guide
From One Parent to Another
Hi, I’m Laurie. I have a PhD in Community Psychology and 25+ years’ experience in public health, but when my own family was navigating the mental health system, none of that made it easier. The information was scattered. The process was confusing. And I felt completely alone in it.
I created Together We Navigate to be the resource I wished I’d had: trustworthy information, practical tools, and honest support, written by someone who’s been through this before.
What to Do When Your Child Needs a Therapist
A step-by-step guide for parents who don’t know where to start.
Finding a therapist for your child or teen is harder than it should be. The referral lists are long. The insurance information is confusing. And nobody hands you a roadmap.
This guide walks you through the entire process – from recognizing the signs your child needs support, to finding the right therapist, figuring out how to pay for it, to knowing what to do if the first one isn’t the right fit. Eighty-seven pages written in plain language, by a parent who navigated this herself.
What’s inside:
- How to tell if your child’s struggles may need professional support
- How to find a therapist who takes your insurance (and what to do when they don’t)
- What to expect in the first appointment, and how to prepare your child
- How to talk to schools, coordinate care, and advocate for your child
- What to do when your child refuses to go, or if you think therapy is not working
Price: $47
See the full step-by-step roadmap first
Overwhelmed to Organized
When your child is getting professional support, the paperwork, appointments, and information can pile up fast. This 66-page toolkit helps you wrangle it all, appointments, symptoms, provider contacts, and medication tracking, so none of it slips through the cracks.
A natural companion to the therapy guide. Also useful on its own if you are already working with a therapist.
Price: $27
Free Resources for Parents
Emergency mental health resources for parents and teens when you need help now.
Learn how to respond to your child’s emotions in ways that keep them talking to you.
From the Blog
Updated regularly. Honest writing about the hard part of parenting a child with mental health challenges, the waiting, the setbacks, the small wins, and everything in between that clinical resources don’t tell you.
Let’s Stay Connected
I publish a weekly newsletter on Substack for parents navigating this. Honest reflections, practical guidance, and the stuff nobody else is saying (at least not out loud). No noise. Just one parent to another.
Read and subscribe on Substack
You can also reach out if you have a question using my Contact form.
Recent Posts
Is My Teen Overreacting if They Ask for Therapy?
When a teen asks for therapy and hears no, everyone loses something. The teen stops believing it’s safe to ask for help, and the parent loses a kid who still opens up to them. I’ve watched it happen more than once, and it’s stayed with me.
Understanding Mental Health 504 Plans and IEPs for Children and Teens
If your child’s anxiety or depression is showing up at school, there are formal support pathways available, and you have to ask for them. Here’s a quick parent’s guide to 504 plans and IEPs for children with mental health challenges
