Pronounced Mar-ee-ya

I’m on a mission to help more mothers of young children receive the support they need so they can connect and understand their children and enjoy motherhood.

*Moms of children ages 0-9 is my focus-when the needs of children are great & the emotional imprint is taking form for the rest of their lives.

How did I get here?

In May of 2020, isolated by the lockdowns, I had painted every piece of paper and fabric in the house, celebrated every stuffed animal’s birthday, drank gallons of tea, doubled the size of our garden, and while I loved so many of those moments with my whole heart, I was also TIRED. I was grumpy. I was having my own tantrums-I was angry and I needed to find out why.

Then it dawned on me, while laying on the floor watching my kids play around me, that what they really wanted was the BEST OF ME. This thought illuminated my whole consciousness and it still guides me every day. The seed for Illuminate Parenting was planted.

I began to work with a parenting coach. I learned more effective ways to communicate and be with myself and family. I began to understand my own needs and meet them in creative ways, as best I could.

Today, I’m a certified parenting coach through Jai Institute for Parenting and a group leader of Simplicity Parenting programs.

Certifications

I want you to mother with purpose and peace.

Here’s how we can work together:

1:1 Coaching

12 Week Course & Coaching

Group Learning

Access your free guide now

Stop conflicts with your child

Yelling, feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, at your wit’s end- is a nightmare you don’t have to live. No parent set out knowing what to do…it’s never too late to turn things around.

I could turn up to coaching completely splurging and Mária’s calm rooted presence would help me have these "aha!" moments where suddenly I’d be like "ah yes that's it! After finishing the 12 week program I feel like now we are building a solid base from which anything is possible.

— Emily, mom of 2

Mária’s energy was grounded and non judgmental. I truly appreciated diving deeply into topics and then getting a hearty helping of online resources from Maria to further investigate on my own time. 

—Nina, mom of 2

Fun Facts

1. I love to garden.

I’ve had a garden every year since 2010. You’ve got a couple of containers on your porch, right? Next thing you know…your family finds you gardening in your PJ’s on spring mornings because you just went down to “pick a couple of chives for the eggs.”

 

2. My father never met my children.

My dad died from bladder cancer when I was 29. I believe grief is deeply transformative and even a restorative force. He was full of wisdom and contradictions, loved adventures and learning. This photo is circa 2001 on a family trip to San Miguel Allende, Mexico.

 

3. I’m a licensed acupuncturist.

During my eight years working as a licensed acupuncturist, I learned that the stress and trauma we carry in our bodies absolutely affects all our relationships including how we parent. So to change the way we parent we have to work with our nervous system. This is why I believe that motherhood can be a healing journey. I love treating children and adults with this amazing healing system and continue to study pediatric holistic approaches to ADHD, anxiety & respiratory diseases.