Psyched About Kids is a platform where parents, educators and therapists can find great information, tools, and community networks that focus on healthy child development.
The Psyched About Kids philosophy is based on a heart-centred approach to parenting and uses strategies from the latest brain science research.
A warm, supportive, and trusting relationship between caregiver and child, a consistently nurturing environment and stimulating interactions forms the ultimate foundation for raising happy, successful children, youth and adults.
We provide the knowledge, techniques and tools to take you down the parenting path in the most successful way possible.
Mission
To promote healthy child development by making brain science accessible and practical.
Vision
Every parent acquires and implements the knowledge to help optimize their child's development.
Meet our Child Development Specialists
Joanna Piekarski
Joanna is originally from Toronto, Ontario. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology from York University. She started in the field of child development as a behavioural therapist where she gained valuable experience and acquired knowledge of proactive behavioural strategies.
She became interested in learning more about brain science research and attachment-based interventions and continued her studies at the University of Toronto, completing a Masters Degree in Education, specializing in developmental psychology.
Joanna is currently a Child Development Specialist for a non-for-profit organization in Calgary, Alberta.
Lara Higgins
Lara graduated with a BA in Sociology from the University of Western Ontario, with a focus on social inequality. She has a true passion and belief that strong families create strong communities. Lara embraces her role as Intake Manager at a local not-for-profit organization, offering health care, parent education and housing services, that empower families to reach their full potential.
Over the past six years, she has had a unique opportunity to contribute to the implementation of attachment-based family programming arising from the latest scientific research. She has seen firsthand that there are some very simple science-based strategies that can truly enhance a child’s development. Taking the most relevant scientific research and translating it into practical, basic parenting strategies has become her focus.
For almost 2 decades she has been a dedicated wife, and mother of 2 boys - now 12 and 17 years.
