Who am I?
I’m Jess. A mum, a child development PhD, and a former sleep scientist. I’ve spent years deep in the research and in the real-life trenches of parenting too.
My work supports families and professionals who want something more than sleep training scripts and sticker charts. Something more connected, more respectful, and actually grounded in how kids develop.
Raising the kids the world once called “too much.”
Integrating sleep science, neurodevelopment, and attachment
Where it all began
When I became a mum, I knew I wanted to be responsive. I had studied child development. I believed in connection. And in those early months, I followed my instincts. I held my baby, fed her to sleep, and stayed close.
But by around six or seven months, the pressure started creeping in. My daughter was sensitive and intense. She needed a lot. Even though I was doing what felt right, I started to wonder if I was getting it all wrong.
I tried "gentle" sleep training. Just for a few days. Everything in me said no. This wasn’t what she needed, and it wasn’t what I needed either.
That experience led me to start asking bigger questions not just about sleep, but about the way we’re taught to understand children and the kinds of support we offer the people raising them.
What started as a personal moment became the foundation for everything I do now.
What I stand for
💛 Connection over compliance
I support approaches that strengthen relationships, not ones that prioritise obedience at the cost of trust.
🧠 Science and lived experience
I value both peer-reviewed research and the wisdom that comes from being in it. We need both to truly understand what works.
🌱 Responsiveness is not weakness
Being attuned and adaptable is a strength, not something to train out of parents and their babies or children.
♾️ Difference is not dysfunction
I don’t pathologise sensitivity, intensity, or neurodivergence. I see them as part of the full range of human variation. At the same time, acknowledging some babies, children, and their parents are more sensitive or may be neurodivergent also allows us to better understand their needs and create environments that support them, rather than trying to force them to fit systems that were never designed with them in mind.
🔍 Curiosity before correction
Behaviours are communication. Instead of jumping to fix, I ask what’s underneath.
🫂 Parents deserve support, not shame
No more “rod for your own back” messaging. You deserve information and tools that help, not pressure or guilt.
🌈 Care for the carers, too
Your nervous system matters. You can show up for your child and honour your own needs. It doesn’t have to be either-or.
No regulatory body is checking credentials in this space, but you deserve to know who you’re learning from. Here’s what I bring...
In addition to being a late-diagnosed AuDHD mum to a neurodivergent child who woke every hour as a baby (so yes, I genuinely get it), my work is grounded in both lived experience and more than 15 years' experience across research, clinical practice, and parent education.
Qualifications & Professional Experience
-
PhD in Psychology (2018-2024)
Focused on children's learning, social and emotional development, and parent-child interactions from birth to 8 years. -
Certified Infant and Family Sleep Specialist (2021)
Training with Dr Greer Kirshenbaum. -
Certified in Collaborative and Proactive Solutions(CPS) (2024 & 2025)
Advanced Training in-person with Dr Ross Greene. -
Certified Possums & Co Parent Mentor (2021)
-
Sleep Scientist (2014-2016)
-
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) (Honours) (2010-2015)
-
Research, lecturing and tutoring roles at Swinburne University and Deakin University (2012-2024)
Recent Professional Development & Speaking
-
Presenter, How Babies Work Conference (May 2026), alongside Professor Helen Ball, Dr Pamela Douglas and other leading sleep and infant feeding experts
-
Attendee, Rethinking Autism, Yellow Ladybugs and ADHD conferences (2025, 2026)
-
Presenter, Parental Brain Summit (2024)
-
Attendee, Understanding the Interplay Between Neurobiology, Attachment, Trauma and Mental Health Workshop by Australian Childhood Foundation (2024)
I've worked in research laboratories, clinical settings, universities, and now directly with families and professionals. I'm deeply committed to helping parents, and those working with them, feel confident, informed and supported, without pressure to follow outdated advice that doesn't fit their child.