Maria Sanders Parent Coach

04/15/2026

Exciting Update: Now accepting new clients (NJ only) under supervision

Hi everyone,

I’m thrilled to share that after having my LSW for over 20 years, I have officially begun my journey toward LCSW licensure! With clinical supervision now in place, I am opening my practice to new clients.

For the past 10 years, I have run a private practice specializing in coaching parents of children with challenging behaviors using the Collaborative Problem Solving approach. While I am excited to continue this specialized work with parents, I am also expanding my focus to include older teens and young adults who are struggling to find their way.

If you have any clients searching for a therapist or if your waitlist is currently full, I would love to be a resource for your referrals.
As I grow my clinical practice under supervision, I am offering therapy at a reduced rate to help increase access to services. This special rate is available to all clients I see during my supervision period.

Location: Virtual and in person at 198 Bellevue Ave
Montclair, NJ
Contact: www.mariasandersparentcoach.com
maria@mariasandersparentcoach.com
Looking forward to continuing to support our community in this new capacity!

Call now to connect with business.

10/14/2025

I'm looking forward to being a speaker at the Conference in Portland, Oregon, on October 29th.

The conference is a collaborative partnership between various community agencies to provide quality training and networking opportunities to those who work with and care for children who have been connected to Child Welfare.

06/10/2025

From the wonderful

"Seclusion and restraint are NOT trauma-informed.

You can’t claim to be trauma-informed while locking kids in rooms or physically restraining them.
⠀
These practices don’t regulate — they retraumatize.
They don’t teach safety — they teach fear.
They don’t build trust — they destroy it.
⠀
Disabled, neurodivergent, and Black leaeners are disproportionately subjected to these harmful practices.
⠀
If a system needs seclusion and restraint to function, it’s the system that needs to change — not the learner.
⠀
We can do better. We must do better."

06/10/2025

Just want to share info about a group that I am part of and would like for you to join too!

Endsarnj- https://www.endsar-nj.org/

No child deserves to be forced into a seclusion room by a caregiver.
No

New Jersey can do better!

We hope to ensure our group is diverse in all ways and that we prioritize the leadership and perspectives of those most impacted by seclusion and restraint in New Jersey. We need your help!

03/24/2025

It’s not too late to join us TONIGHT for our first Educator Support Group!
Come connect with other educators and tell us what future topics and Q & As we can provide to support you in affecting change in our schools. We can make NJ schools safer places for our students and staff!
Link to register : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSekYen-ylmZkwcIowaCScEFmHy7LUC1HsfZD8CH89ehV0Fwhg/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawJM99BleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZZE4E3cb4vB5a5JCh_x9mrTkowqGlec3FxYiQa7bfOmT-1tT6OoWLZCKg_aem_rS1ijKEDZKj-iY4XtdfLCw

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A green chalkboard background shows the text “Join us our first Educator Support Group.” Below in large white chalk lettering is “TONIGHT” with the “o” substituted with a red apple. Below that is “Monday, 3/24 7-8pm.” Along the bottom is the EndSaR-NJ logo: an outline of NJ in white with a blue adult handprint, a green child's handprint and an added outline of a red apple. End Seclusion and Restraint New Jersey. endsar-nj.org]

03/04/2025

🚨 Exciting News for NJ Educators! 🚨

Are you passionate about making schools safer for students and staff? Join EndSaR-NJ for the launch of our Educator Support Group for Changemakers! 💡
📅 Date: Monday, March 24th
⏰ Time: 7-8 PM ET
📍 Where: Zoom (link to be provided)

This monthly support group is designed to:
✅ Connect educators committed to ending seclusion and restraint in NJ schools
✅ Provide expert insights on key topics related to student safety & well-being
✅ Create a safe space for discussions, collaboration, and action!

💬 Our first meeting is a Meet & Greet! Share the challenges you see in schools and help shape future discussions.
🔗 Let’s work together to make a difference! RSVP today at EndSaR-NJ.org

03/04/2025

🚨 Exciting News for NJ Educators! 🚨
Are you passionate about making schools safer for students and staff? Join EndSaR-NJ for the launch of our Educator Support Group for Changemakers! 💡
📅 Date: Monday, March 24th
⏰ Time: 7-8 PM ET
📍 Where: Zoom(link to be provided)

This monthly support group is designed to:
✅ Connect educators committed to ending seclusion and restraint in NJ schools
✅ Provide expert insights on key topics related to student safety & well-being
✅ Create a safe space for discussions, collaboration, and action!

💬 Our first meeting is a Meet & Greet! Share the challenges you see in schools and help shape future discussions.
🔗 Let’s work together to make a difference!
RSVP at shor.by/YuFr or EndSaR-NJ.org

02/13/2025

I am offering a 12-hour training geared to teachers (but open to all) in Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS). This beginner-level course is open to educators and therapists in MA and NJ. We will also open up some seats for those in the Confident Parenting Network and the Study Group Network.

The Collaborative Problem Solving® approach is owned and developed by Think:Kids (www.thinkkids.org), a program based in the Department of Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA.

The Collaborative Problem Solving® approach is a trauma-informed, strength-based, neurobiologically grounded model that starts with the philosophy that all kids want to do well and will do well if they can—that kids lack skill, not will.

Challenging behavior is linked with deficits in areas of neurocognitive skill such as social cognition, attention and working memory, emotion and self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, and executive functioning. To help students manage their behavior, interventions should focus less on rewards and consequences and more on building skills. CPS® helps adults shift their mindset from the view that kids do well if they want to and instead the view that kids do well if they can.

The CPS® approach is designed to support children and adolescents (as well as adults) at home, in schools, foster care, and therapeutic/residential settings.

Below is the flyer for the Collaborative Problem Solving® training and link to register. Please share with anyone who has kids and/or works with kids.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

https://shor.by/i5Ps

01/27/2025

Super proud to be part of this amazing group of change makers!

Safe schools without seclusion and restraint:
It can be done.
It is being done.
We are doing it.
Together!
Join a committee or just join the mailing list. If you know that there are better ways to respond to kids in crisis, then we have a place for you at EndSaR-NJ!
Join at endsar-nj.org

12/12/2024

Thank you to the Study Group! The Montclair Study Group is a group of mental health practitioners, occupational therapists, learning consultants, executive function coaches, psychiatrists, and more.

The Montclair Study Group invited me to present an Introduction to .

If you would like to bring to your school, agency or organization, please reach send me a message.

The Collaborative Problem Solving® approach is a trauma-informed, strength-based, neurobiologically- grounded model that starts with the philosophy that all kids want to do well and will do well if they can—that kids lack skill, not will.

The Collaborative Problem Solving® approach is owned and developed by Think:Kids (www.thinkkids.org), a program based in the Department of Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA.

09/29/2024

So proud and happy to have been invited to have a chat with Erica Desper of The Center for Confident Parenting
——————————————
On today’s episode of the podcast, Erica is joined by parent coach Maria Sanders Parent Coach to explore why it is necessary for parents to set and hold clear expectations and, more importantly, how to set and hold them when faced with pushback, meltdowns and other hard to tolerate reactions. Whether you have a young child or a tween/teen and whether they are neurodivergent or neurotypical, Maria’s approach will help move your family from pushback and power struggles to collaboration and cooperation.

Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ddTzNekpvk8kdfWJDo6tA

Learn more about Maria here: https://www.beaconfidentparent.com/parent-coaching

09/29/2024

So proud and happy to have been invited to have a chat with Erica Desper of The Center for Confident Parenting
——————————————
On today's episode of the podcast, Erica is joined by parent coach Maria Sanders Parent Coach to explore why it is necessary for parents to set and hold clear expectations and, more importantly, how to set and hold them when faced with pushback, meltdowns and other hard to tolerate reactions. Whether you have a young child or a tween/teen and whether they are neurodivergent or neurotypical, Maria's approach will help move your family from pushback and power struggles to collaboration and cooperation.

Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ddTzNekpvk8kdfWJDo6tA

Learn more about Maria here: https://www.beaconfidentparent.com/parent-coaching