Guest Profile
Susan Stiffelman
Susan Stiffelman embodies a unique blend of licensed psychotherapist, credentialed teacher, beloved auntie and down to earth mom. Her book, Parenting Without Power Struggles is based on her work with thousands of parents and children, from celebrities to everyday moms and pops.
In her book, Susan offers solid, rubber meets the road advice that has been thoroughly tested on kids of all ages and demographics. At the same time that she draws on her solid training and experience, her approach to raising kids falls into step with the spiritually-based understanding of people like Eckhart Tolle and Marianne Williamson.
Susan is an adventurer: She took her 15 year old son on a two and a half month trip to Uganda, Tanzania, Australia and New Zealand. The trip included volunteering at the community outreach compound of former Black Panther Pete ONeil, visiting Masai tribes, and spending time at village schools in both Africa and Maori establishments in New Zealand.
Shes an innovative teacher: She was employed as a private teacher for a family whose international travels allowed her to teachand learnwhat it means to be a global citizen from day to day experiences. The experiences she had also shaped her understanding of what a child can learn when given unbridled freedom and inspiration.
Shes a passionate educator: homeschooling her own son until the age of eleven, taking him around the worldincluding India when he was two years oldand educating him in such a way that he received a scholarship at American University where he studies Peace and Conflict Resolution in their International Studies program
Susans an outside-the-box thinker: She taught herself Hindi as a teenager and when she ran out of people to practice her conversational skills, she began calling people named "Singh" out of the phone book.
Shes a dynamo: Diagnosed with the ADHD label, she manages to accomplish more in a week than many do in months, juggling writing her book with maintaining a private therapy practice, conducting parenting workshops, writing an online advice column, conducting telephone parent coaching sessions, all the while raising her teenage son.
And finally, Susan is deeply committed to enjoying her life, living with appreciation and having fun. She has had a regular meditation practice since she was seventeen years old, and has always made the nourishment of her heart and soul as a number one priority.
Susan lives in Malibu, California with her son except when hes off at college, her dog Rosie, and a full and grateful heart.
