Mind by Design

In this episode of the Mind by Design Podcast, I sit down with Sam Young, M.Ed., the incredible founder and Head of School at Young Scholars Academy. Sam has built something truly special—a virtual enrichment school designed to help twice-exceptional, gifted, and neurodivergent students feel understood, supported, and genuinely excited about learning. Sam brings such an inspiring perspective to th...

In this episode of the Mind by Design Podcast, Jana chats with Mohini Pollock, the inspiring founder of Literacy Playground, who shares her journey from classroom teacher to successful entrepreneur. Mohini opens up about what drove her to step away from the traditional education system and create a program that empowers families to support their children's reading and writing skills right at home....

In this episode of the Mind by Design Podcast , host Jana Parker chats with Heather Erba, co-founder of ConnectEd Developmental Therapies, for a warm and insightful conversation about helping kids thrive—emotionally, socially, and academically. ConnectEd, based in San Jose, has been supporting families for over nine years with their brain-aligned approach to child development. Heather explains how...

In this episode of the Mind by Design podcast, host Jana Parker sits down with Michael Prater, the visionary behind Tessellations High School. Michael shares his story from traditional education spaces to the forefront of educational innovation at this unique school in Cupertino, CA, revealing the philosophy and mechanics behind a high school experience designed to nurture gifted minds and foster...

Join Jana as she welcomes April Rehrig, a Special Education Advocate, IEP trainer, Parent Coach, and the visionary behind Rise Educational Advocacy. April's passion for empowering families as they work to understand the often overwhelming world of IEPs and 504 plans shines through as she shares her journey from a school psychologist and teacher to an advocate for educational equity.  Rise Educ...

Join Jana for this episode of the Mind by Design Podcast as she welcomes Harmony King of the Key Collective . Listen as Harmony shares how this innovative organization is changing lives by offering first-class, personalized support services that cater to clients with a wide range of needs, including neurodiversity, mental health challenges, and addiction recovery.  The Key Collective offers distin...

In this episode of the Mind by Design Podcast, Jana is joined by Tricia Minarik, a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional clinical counselor, and the visionary behind the DBT Center of Silicon Valley .  Tricia welcomes you into her world of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a life-changing approach designed to help adolescents and adults navigate the complexities of high-r...

Join Jana as she sits down with Polly Fry, an innovative educational therapist and the founder of Kaleidoscope Educational Therapy. Polly shares her transformative journey from concerned parent to pioneering educational therapist offering a unique approach to addressing dyslexia and other learning differences through individualized, evidence-based interventions. You’ll learn about the inception of...

In today's episode, Jana reviews Imagination Lab school. Jana shares her perspective about ILS, asmall but growing independent school, in its first few years of conception. The Head of School is Chris Bezsylko.  ILS is located at the Cubberley Community Center within the Palo Alto School District.  This year they moved into a part of the center where they have access to one very large learning...

In today's episode, Jana visits Athena Academy. Jana shares her perspective about Athena Academy, a school in Palo Alto, California, that specializes in teaching students with dyslexia and twice exceptional learners who have strong visual spatial skills. The school takes a holistic approach to teaching with a focus on hands-on projects, small class sizes, and social-emotional learning. The tea...

In today's episode, Jana visits St. Nicholas private school in Los Altos Hills. Jana shares her perspective on how St. Nicholas school measures up and why this school might be a good choice for your family. At Mind by Design we work with so many families who have questions about schools throughout the Bay Area. This episode is designed to provide information about these schools so that they ca...

In this episode I review St Christopher School in San Jose. Find them at https://www.stchris.us/

I’m really excited to be getting back into podcasting and sharing what I learn from community providers and schools with the community! I had the opportunity to visit Los Altos Christian School and Touchstone Learning and this is a short review of both of those schools. At Mind by Design we work with so many families who have questions about schools throughout the Bay Area. This episode is designe...

I was in into this interview with Aaron DeNardo, founder of Laughing Giraffe Therapy, and occupational therapy clinic in San Jose, CA. Visit the website, www.laughinggiraffetherapy.com.

In this episode I interview Yamile Bowman of the Bay Area’s Therapy Works! This is a prominent therapy clinic with offices in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties. To access their services, visit www.mytherapyworks.com or email hello@mytherapyworks.com. I can be reached at www.themindbydesign.com or jana@themindbydesign.com.

Interview with Caitlin Hoffman, founder of Academic Coaching Works, Parent Coaching Works, and Digital Detox Works!

Chris Bonfilio is the Founder/Owner of Connecting to Tutors , a tutor matching service in the Silicon Valley.  After working as the Director of Student Services for 10 years with a reputable tutoring company, Chris takes her passion for working with families and has founded her new company, matching student needs with tutors who can help.  Like me, Chris believes that finding the right match for a...

In this episode I chat with Sandy Reader, a Life Coach who specializes in Executive Function Coaching.    Sandy's services are virtual and she can support students literally anywhere in the country!  Check out her website at https://www.efcoachreader.net/ and don't hesitate to reach out and connect with her!   I'm Jana Parker, a Licensed Educational Psychologist in Campbell, CA. I prov...

There is often a misconception in public education that if a student has problems reading, special education services may be in order. After working in special education for 15 years, I can tell you that if a student can be support in general education, that is ideal. Some people think that reading specialists only exist in special education. The reality is that reading specialists actually suppor...

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Danielle Wischenka, a therapist licensed in both California and Colorado.  Dr. Danielle is the founder of Better Health Therapy , and is dedicated to helping children, teens and adults feel better, and develop, improve, and transform all aspects of health.  I just love Dr. Danielle's enthusiasm for her craft and commitment to her work.  Dr. Danielle's pr...

Check out my interview with Transgender School’s founders, Bridget Sampson and Jackie Thornhill. They are a loving mother and her transgender daughter with a vision of saving lives, keeping families together and making school, work, and all spaces safe for transgender people. Transgender School offers courses to educate allies about how to support the transgender people in their lives. They also h...

Check out my first interview of 2021 with none other than MY BROTHER, Todd Parker, Performance and Mindset Coach, Executive Leadership Coach, and College Professor.  Todd and I discuss emotional intelligence, developing habits, and perspective as we start the new year.  And of course, we throw some fun loving sibling humor in along the way.     Todd can provide valuable coaching for parents, late...

Listen in as I interview Jesse Roselin, Head of School for Pacific Preparatory and Tutor Corps.  Pacific Prep is an accredited K12 Online Private School that supports students in-home and virtually, through individualized learning.  Tutor Corps supports students through tutoring of all content areas and additionally supports executive function.     Jesse and I discuss the advantages of schooling o...

Lorette Keane is the founder of Methods for Success, an Educational Therapy practice.  Lorette specializes in supporting dyslexia but also tutors in other academic areas.  Listen in to our conversation about differently-wired learners and support through these unprecedented times of COVID and school closures.  Lorette is a passionate, knowledgable, and committed therapist who brings her personal l...

Jennifer Piercey is the founder of OnTarget College Consulting. She helps students explore their academic interests, community engagement, extracurricular activities and what the idea of the “right fit” college means for each student. Then she helps students work their way through the entire college application process. She offers comprehensive programs as well as hourly consulting that covers mul...