Ready to Implement Collaborative Problem Solving®(CPS)?

Elisa is a Certified Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) Trainer. She helps parents understand the factors contributing to their child’s behavior and works with them to foster connection, improve communication, and increase confidence in their parenting. Elisa supports families in reducing stress and creating greater harmony and cooperation at home.

Approach

Elisa’s approach is aligned with the Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) philosophy—the foundation of HBCC’s mission—and influenced by her background in social work. Relatable and strengths-based in her style, she works collaboratively with parents to develop meaningful goals, create a safe and supportive space for open conversation, and integrate client feedback throughout the process. Incorporating systems thinking, Elisa considers family dynamics and the broader environments that shape a child’s experience, helping parents identify actionable steps they can take to support growth and foster hope for positive change. She helps parents reduce stress, strengthen relationships, and discover more compassionate, collaborative ways of navigating challenges with their children. 

Supporting Families & Neurodivergent Communities

Elisa is passionate about supporting families raising neurodivergent children and those facing social, emotional, or behavioral challenges. Drawing on her lived experience as a parent and her background in clinical social work, she creates safe, judgment-free spaces where parents feel understood, supported, and empowered. Her work focuses on helping families build empathy, self-regulation, and problem-solving skills that promote effective communication and emotional well-being at home and in the broader community.

Experience You Can Trust

Elisa holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. She is a Registered Associate Social Worker (ASW131623) on the path to becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is a contracted provider with several insurance providers.

Elisa’s experience includes delivering Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) parent training and individualized therapy, helping caregivers improve communication, self-regulation, and confidence in their parenting. She has also facilitated role-play workshops, guided parents in developing trauma-informed school behavior plans, and provided CPS trainings for educators, clinicians, and administrators to promote understanding across systems of care. Her clinical background spans work with children, adolescents, and families in outpatient, academic, and community settings, where she integrated evidence-based practices into her work.

Let's start with a conversation. Elisa is available to see clients both in person (Laguna Hills) and virtually. She offers a free consultation to discuss your unique needs and explore how you can work together.  Complete the contact form above and we will get back to you.

 Steve is a Certified Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) Trainer who understands you want a better relationship with your kiddo.  Yet, most of the parents he meets with have been given generic parenting advice that often backfires with “outside-the-box” or “challenging” kids, making unwanted behavior even worse!  His guidance is different because the problem isn’t your parenting, it’s the outdated, one-size-fits-all advice that treats unwanted behavior as THE problem, when it’s really a sign of your kiddo’s hidden struggles.  

 Approach

Steve’s approach is aligned with the Collaborative Problem Solving® (CPS) philosophy—the foundation of HBCC’s mission.  As a result, he helps families stop battling unwanted behavior and instead understand what lies beneath it because, in most cases, your kiddo isn’t giving you a hard time as much as they are having a hard time.  Ironically, every meltdown, shutdown, or outburst is a kiddo’s way of communicating unmet needs and saying, “Help!” 

Supporting Families & Neurodivergent Communities

Steve shows you simple ways to respond that work with your child's unique wiring, creating calmer days, kids who believe in themselves, and a happier home.

His support has 3 simple steps: 

• Recognize: Know what’s underneath your child’s unwanted behavior. 
• Respond:  Use simple strategies to respond to your kiddo’s hidden struggles.
• Relax: You’re not alone. Gain the confidence to know you’re not just doing enough—you're building a foundation that supports connection and cooperation.

As a parent herself, she understands the unique challenges families face. She's the author of The Language of Advocacy workbook and workshop series, teaching parents how to speak up for their children. She has also served on the board of Helping the Behaviorally Challenging Child (HBCC) and currently facilitate support groups through NAMI Orange County.

 Experience You Can Trust

Steve holds a Master of Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University, A Master of Church Leadership from Vanguard University, and a B.A. in Pastoral Ministry from Southern California College. As an Assistant Professor of Psychology for more than two decades, he taught courses such as Developmental Psychology, Childhood and Adolescence, Psychological Disorders, and Behavior Modification—just to name a few.  He’s been diagnosed with ADHD and is very familiar with how it impacts everyone at home. 

Let's start with a conversation. Steve offers a free consultation to discuss your unique needs and explore how we can work together.  Complete the contact form above and we will get back to you. Steve takes clients with PPO insurance as an out-of-network provider.