Melissa Holland, MS

Melissa (she/her) is a certified Parent Coach and Self-Regulation Specialist with Wonder and her own private practice. She helps parents address their children’s challenging behaviors through online courses, workshops, coaching, and consulting, focusing on emotional and self-regulation. With a Master’s degree in Counseling and Human Development, Melissa integrates her professional training and personal experience to provide compassionate, effective support.

Melissa’s journey into parent coaching began with her own parenting challenges, which she refers to as “The Undertow.” When her son’s behavior became explosive and erratic at age four, she discovered the transformative power of understanding stress behavior versus misbehavior. Learning how the body’s stress response affects behavior changed everything for her as a parent. Now, she is passionate about helping other parents navigate similar struggles with empathy and mindfulness.

In her coaching practice, Melissa emphasizes psychoeducation, helping parents understand the stress response, the impact of trauma, and the importance of self- and co-regulation.

She collaborates with parents, knowing they are the experts on their children, and approaches challenges with non-judgmental empathy and curiosity. Melissa is particularly passionate about supporting adoptive parents, recognizing the unique complexities adoption can bring for both children and families.

Melissa believes in intentionally balancing the hard parts of parenting with moments of joy and connection. Her philosophy focuses on reducing stress while amplifying the good, creating space for parents to find more ease, moments of connection and happiness even when behaviors remain challenging. Her approach combines humor, self-compassion, and a practical understanding of family dynamics to support meaningful growth and connection.

Living in Boulder, CO, Melissa shares her life with her husband, son, and their big, fluffy cat, Rocket. When she’s not coaching parents or creating courses, she enjoys reading, drinking coffee, exploring her son’s favorite hobbies like Minecraft and Star Wars, and indulging her love of “armchair traveling” through books and Google Earth. Her mantra to live by lately is “hold it lightly”; she’s still learning how.