Alison Potter, MSW, LICSW, Parent Educator and Consultant to Therapists
With extensive education and training as a child and adolescent specialist, clinical social worker, and educator I help get to the root cause of what is keeping you stuck in endless cycles whether in parenting or as a therapist in private practice.
I have a deep passion for teaching, supporting, and nurturing the growth of both parents/guardians and children in their relationships or therapists in private practice.
It is an honor to walk alongside families during their toughest times and to offer them the hope they need to rediscover joy and connection.
Who am I when I'm not working?
When I’m not working, you will find me spending time with my husband of almost 20 years, our rambunctious 20 lb dog, family, and friends. I have lived all over the United States, spending most of my life in Southern California, and landing most recently in 2018 in Washington State just outside Seattle. I am an avid lover of nature, photography, true crime documentaries, mystery and historical fiction books, gardening, and coffee. We also love taking trips to local places. Washington State has beauty that is unsurpassed!
At one time, I had an Etsy shop (when Etsy was new) and created and sold wedding invitations and other paper products. I was also a marketing, medical, and psychology content writer for several years and have several byline published articles swimming around the internet.
Specialties:
Parent Education Consulting Specialties:
- Child behavioral issues
- Defiant behavior
- Attachment issues
- Adoption/foster care related issues/difficulties
- Child sleep issues
- Meltdowns
- Inflexible thinking/behavior
- Addressing behavior issues related to neurodivergent diagnoses
- Attachment issues in parent/child relationships
- Exploring family dynamics as they relate to parenting
- Behavior modification
- Positive reinforcement education and implementation
- Extensive clinical and teaching experience
Therapist Consultant Specialties:
- Case consultation
- Legal/ethical issues
- Ethics and laws around working with children and adolescents
- Practice management
- Licensing test prep
- Group consultation
- Child and adolescent development
- Extensive clinical/teaching experience
Education
and
Credentials
education
- Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Studies with an emphasis in psychology and education, California State University, Fullerton, 2001
- Master of Social Work, with a concentration in Families and Children, Clinical Therapy, and School Counseling from the University of Southern California, 2004
work
- Published writer, Newsmax Fast Features
- Extensive training, education, and experience in child development, childhood disorders, behavioral management and modification, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), Play Therapy, Solutions-Focused and Strengths-Based therapies, Attachment Therapy, Crisis Training, and Ethical/Legal Issues working with children and teens.
- Extensive training and experience working with high-conflict divorce, children living in two homes, and families in co-parent or parallel parenting situations.
- Private practice therapist – children, teens, adults
- Assisted with leading IEP/504 meetings in the schools
- Regular care coordination with other professionals to ensure continuity of care
- Psychiatric inpatient hospital – Psychiatric social worker
- Children’s Hospital of Orange County social worker (pediatrics, ICU, NICU, emergency department, children’s eating disorder clinic, spina bifida clinic)
- Kaiser Hospital medical social worker (pediatrics, ICU, NICU, emergency department)
- School Social Worker (counselor) – elementary and middle schools
- Mental Health Association – Rehabilitation Specialist social work intern
- Writer – content and grant writer (medical, health, psychology, non-profit)
- Preceptor for social work intern
- Group leader – therapy groups and professional consultation for therapists
- Created and led a social skills group for kids with ADHD and behavior issues
- Developed and managed after school program in gang prevention program
- After school teacher
- Special needs classroom intern
- Elementary classrooms student teacher
- 20+ years tutoring students in elementary, middle, high school, college, and graduate levels in a variety of subjects including research, statistics, writing, and science.
credentials
- LICSW License Washington State #LW61326558
- LCSW License Colorado #CSW.09930839
- School Social Work Credential, California