Dr. Julia Sen PhD

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Dr. Julia Sen PhD PhD | Helping brown career moms break generational patterns & raise confident kids 💛 without the hustle or the guilt.

Therapy can be incredibly helpful for children.But one thing we discussed in IBY recently is that therapy works best whe...
04/29/2026

Therapy can be incredibly helpful for children.

But one thing we discussed in IBY recently is that therapy works best when parents are part of the process, indirectly.

Children practice new emotional skills in therapy, but those skills strengthen through everyday interactions at home.

You can support that growth by asking the therapist:

• “What skills are you working on right now?”
• “How can I reinforce this at home without overwhelming them?”

Then look for small ways to practice those skills together.

Why this matters:

Children’s brains learn emotional regulation through relationships, especially with their parents.

Healing doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens in connection.

I’ve got you and I believe in you.

04/20/2026

When children are overwhelmed, their nervous system is often stuck in survival mode.

Logic won’t land until their body feels safe again.

One practice we talked about recently in The IBY League is coherent breathing, which activates the vagus nerve AKA the body’s calming system.

Try this together 👇🏽

• Inhale through the nose for 5 seconds
• Exhale slowly for 5 seconds
• Repeat for a few rounds, both ways through the nose if possible

And here’s the powerful part 👇🏽

When you do this calmly with your child, your regulated nervous system helps guide theirs back to calm 😌

This is co-regulation in action.

Next time emotions run high, try breathing together first before solving the problem.

I’ve got you and I believe in you.

At some point, the outside voices get loud.Teachers, professionals, family members - all offering reasons for your child...
03/30/2026

At some point, the outside voices get loud.

Teachers, professionals, family members - all offering reasons for your child’s behaviour. Some of it’s helpful while some of it feels overly simplified or labelling.

Sometimes those voices can start to drown out your own and you may begin to question what you see at home.

You may start viewing your child through someone else’s lens.

What often gets missed is context - what your child is carrying, what their days look like, what actually helps them settle or connect.

Grounding questions I come back to are:

💙When things are calmer, what do I know to be true about my child?
💙What else could be happening right now for them?

Those answers usually hold more clarity than any label ever could. Giving our child the benefit of the doubt by asking yourself those simple questions helps create connection, calm, and confidence in you and your child!

I’ve got you and I believe in you!

Many parents assume that if they’re arguing about bedtime, discipline, or behaviour, the problem is strategy. But more o...
03/23/2026

Many parents assume that if they’re arguing about bedtime, discipline, or behaviour, the problem is strategy.

But more often, it’s fear.

One of you might be afraid your child won’t learn responsibility while the other might be afraid your child won’t feel emotionally safe or understood.

Same love. Different fears.

When stress is high, those fears collide and suddenly it feels personal.

Sometimes the most helpful shift isn’t agreeing on what to do, but slowing the conversation down enough to ask:

💛What are you most worried will happen if we get this wrong?

💛What did you need from adults when you were a kid in moments like this?

Ask yourself those questions right now!


Those questions don’t erase differences, but they often reveal shared values underneath them.

And that’s usually where real alignment starts.


I’ve got you and I believe in you!

For children who thrive on routine, predictability, and familiarity, March Break isn’t always a “break.”It’s a sudden sh...
03/16/2026

For children who thrive on routine, predictability, and familiarity, March Break isn’t always a “break.”

It’s a sudden shift:

• different wake-up times
• less structure
• new expectations
• more transitions

And for some nervous systems, that feels like uncertainty, not freedom.

A supportive approach:

Instead of removing structure completely, try soft structure. That might look like:

• keeping one anchor point each day (morning routine, meal time, bedtime)
• previewing the day together in simple language
• naming changes before they happen

Reflection for parents:

➡️What parts of our regular routine help my child feel most settled?

➡️What changes tend to create the most stress for them?

➡️How can I offer flexibility without removing all familiarity?

March Break doesn’t need to be perfectly planned. It just needs enough predictability to help kids feel safe.

I’ve got you and I believe in you! 💛

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