The Moment I Realized I Was Causing the Meltdown (and What I Changed Instead)

I remember the first five years of my career so clearly.

I had extensive training. I knew what I should be doing. And yet every time an infant or child started to cry during a session, my heart would race. My palms would get sweaty. And I'd have one thought running through my head on repeat:

At the same time, I felt enormous pressure. So much to work on, so little time.

So what did I do? I tried to fit everything in. More activities. More strategies. More therapy. And honestly, looking back now? Of course the child became overwhelmed. Who wouldn't?

The shift that changed everything

Then one day, I had a moment of clarity: This is obviously not working.

And instead of doing more, I did something that felt genuinely uncomfortable at the time.

I slowed down.

I started paying attention to cues — not just reacting to behaviors, but actually noticing when a child was beginning to disengage, when their body was getting tense, when they needed a pause before we continued. I went at their pace instead of trying to control the session.

And something surprising happened.

I got more done. Not less.

Because I wasn't constantly working through meltdowns, I was preventing them. Sessions felt calmer. Parents were more engaged. And the children started progressing faster than I expected.

What finally clicked for me

That's when it clicked for me.

It wasn't about doing more. It was about having a clear, simple starting point — and knowing how to adjust in real time instead of improvising under pressure.

The difference wasn't my training. It was having the right tools ready before I walked in the door. Things like a short therapeutic touch routine I could use to help a child regulate before we started anything else. Simple ways to read cues without overanalyzing. Clear language I could use with parents that didn't require me to over-explain in the moment.

When you have those things, you don't freeze. You don't rush. You don't inadvertently push a child past the point where they can still learn.

If you want the exact tools I use in my sessions, I put them together in one place.

Starter Kit • $9

Get the Therapeutic Touch Session Starter Kit

It's a 2–3 minute, 3-step routine — legs, feet, then back — demonstrated on video so you can see exactly what slow, rhythmic, and consistent touch looks like in practice.

• 3-step therapeutic touch video demonstration
• Cue-reading guide so you know when to continue, adjust, or pause
• Session integration notes for real pediatric visits
• Parent coaching language you can use right away

Get the Starter Kit

Simple. Quick. Something you can try in your very next session.