Rachel Biale

Parenting Counseling

I have been counseling parents of young children for over 35 years.

View my short (3-minutes) parenting advice videos

Sleep

NOTE THIS: These videos were made quite a while ago, before the American Academy of Pediatricians released its definitive recommendation against having any objects (blankets, bumpers, stuffed animals, etc.) in an infant’s crib for the first year of life. Given this recommendation, if you follow my advice below about getting your baby attached to a “lovey,” tip-toe to her crib when she’s fallen asleep and REMOVE IT. You may also want to consult your pediatrician before getting started.

And - of much less importance - the 3rd and 5th videos end with a screen of links to other Youtube videos, which I don’t in any way endorse (but, alas, don’t know how to omit).

Behavior Challenges

I offer parenting consultations by phone, email and video conference.

How Consultations Work

My approach centers on looking at your parenting challenge in light of 3 main points and then providing a step-by-step strategy to address it:

1.    Understating the basic temperaments at play: both yours and your child’s

2.    Seeing how the problem fits with your child’s developmental stage

3.    Evaluating if big changes in your/your child’s world or major stresses in the family’s life are contributing to the problem.

Once we share an understanding of these issues, I will recommend a very specific step-by-step plan to resolving the problem.  The plan will be psychologically sound, developmentally appropriate and practical. I will make sure it is doable for you as a parent given your life-work situation, temperament, emotional resources and support network.  If the plan I suggest does not work (usually within 1-3 weeks) we’ll tweak it or go around the obstacles, reaching our goal from a new angle.

Scheduling a Consultation:

You can consult with me in any of the following ways (or combination thereof), whichever works best for you.  Regardless of mode, initial consultations are usually 45 - 60 minutes and follow-ups 5-10 minutes.

1.    Consultation Package: An phone, video conference and/or email consultation with follow-ups (usually 2-3).

2. Site visit at a daycare/preschool if your concern is about your child’s adjustment or social interactions (aggressive, cannot follow routine, too shy, etc.): Available ONLY within 1/2 hour drive of Berkeley. This type of consultation involves 3 segments:

A. Observation and discussion with teachers
B. Joint meeting with you and the teacher/s to recommend a plan of action.
C. Follow up by phone and/or email with you or the teacher/s.

Fees:

$150 for a Consultation Package, which includes initial consultation and 2-3 follow ups, hopefully taking you to a full resolution of the problem.

$250 for a Site Visit Daycare/Preschool Consultation (#2 above).

Sliding scale: I do offer a sliding scale for families with combined income (from salaries and investments) below $80,000/year, based on your finances, your needs and my availability.

Contact me to discuss a consultation. I offer a free initial conversation (approx. 10 minutes) to assess if your child’s situaiton is appropriate for my services.

What Parents Say:

It was a turbulent, sleep deprived, bleary eyed time when we called on Rachel. We were in desperate need of a new approach to get our daughter (and us!) some sleep. We were disheartened by the popular "cry it out" methods (which left me crying it out), and co-sleeping, and constant night wakings were leaving us all drained. We were at a loss, just waiting for things to miraculously change while falling deeper and deeper into the sleep deprived abyss. More than advice from a book, we needed personalized advice -- someone we could lean on. Rachel provided so much relief. Her calm, reassuring demeanor immediately released tension. I felt as if she "got" our parenting style and was attuned to our specific needs and goals. Rachel walked us through gentle, bite-size steps, adjusting the plan as necessary, and offering extra support and advice as needed. She provided encouragement and clear, compassionate guidance that helped us tremendously to create new patterns which resulted not only in more sleep, but in a more comfortable, enjoyable bedtime routine. Rachael, Berkeley, CA

We were at the end of our rope when it came to our son's sleep issues. We were exhausted and confused and felt like we had tried everything-- except the "cry it out" method, which we were not willing to do. We needed a solution that was tailored to our needs and priorities. And that is precisely what Rachel offered us. She listened carefully and offered specific solutions, which actually worked! She was patient, kind, and very much available for follow up over the course of many months. We owe so much to her and can't recommend her highly enough! Jeffrey & Amanda, Brooklyn, NY

I am grateful for Rachel Biale's knowledge, expertise, and wisdom as a parenting counselor. She helped me and my co-parents (a gay couple) adopt better sleep habits for our daughter when we encountered difficulties, and to this day, we still practice what she preached: boundaries, structure, routines, and clarity! That early intervention profoundly changed our family's parenting strategies for the better. Rachel is compassionate, skillful, and a great listener. Thank you, Rachel! Caryn, Denver, CO

We have used Rachel Biale as a resource over the past 6 years at critical milestones in our son's development. She has always provided practical advice that has assisted in helping us and our child. Her advice, based on years of experience, was always on target, and led to prompt resolution of the issues at hand. Issues addressed included: sleep, toilet training, letting go of the bottle and dealing with frustration. Parents of an 8 year-old boy, Berkeley, CA

After 2 years of struggling at bedtime, getting up during the night and not getting enough sleep, we were lucky enough to be referred to Rachel Biale. She brought sanity back into our lives. We had tried many approaches without any I am a parent of a 6 year old boy and have consulted with Rachel on various issues since my son was a few months old. My son was very colicky, which made for a very stressful first year of his life. When I first called Rachel, my son was having very severe sleeping problems, my marriage was under tremendous strain and I was feeling very helpless and desperate. With her practical, confident and compassionate approach, she was able to defuse a very stressful situation and put us on a path that worked within a week. Since that time, I have consulted with Rachel on a number of problems and find that there is no end to her inventiveness in dealing with a variety of parenting issues. She has never disappointed me and never failed to provide us with solutions that work. N.E

Rachel Biale really knows her stuff. I was ambivalent about "sleep training" but I was also exhausted from getting up four times a night. The method she suggested for helping my child get back to sleep on her own seemed gentler than other methods I had heard about. Rachel prepared me to cope with my child's initial anger at the change of routine. Within four nights, my baby peacefully laid down to sleep in her crib. - Lauri

Rachel's straight forward approach is amazingly practical and helpful, but, more importantly, it is uniquely compassionate towards both parent and child. We know. We called Rachel out of total desperation. Our "sleep through the night baby" had begun to wake up every one to two hours. After four months of sleepless nights, we were beyond fatigue. Rachel patiently and gently guided us and our son back to balance and sanity. From sleep difficulties to potty training, Rachel guidance and support has been an invaluable resource of support for us and for many parents, including many friends of ours. Miriam, 40-year-old mother of a 3-year old and another on the way

I loved that Rachel really listened to us and didn't have a one plan fits all approach. She came up with a bedtime ritual and night time approach that felt very right to us and it worked! She was very available to talk to us whenever we needed coaching and she was very compassionate, understanding and wise. Needless to say, as soon as our second child was born, we called Rachel again to get off on the right start. We highly recommend Rachel! Amy, Oakland, CA

What Professionals Say

I have been very familiar with Rachel Biale's highly effective work with children and families for many years. She is warm, engaging, and has a depth of experience, wisdom and common sense. Rachel has a way of listening closely, integrating details, and then providing thoughtful solutions that can be reasonably implemented into practice with beneficial outcomes. Dr. Alan Shonkoff, Associate Clinical Professor, Psychology Dept., UC Berkeley; Board Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology, American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology

I learned a lot about working with parents from seeing Rachel Biale at work!  She offers wisdom, clarity and practical suggestions. Jill Shugart, MFT, Past Director of Beth El Nursery School, Berkeley

Over the years I have referred parents to Rachel Biale with very positive responses. She has been particularly helpful to new parents who are trying to get their young children to sleep through the night. She is thoughtful, practical and caring. Dr. Bruce Linton, Psychologist, Founder of "Fathers' Forum," author of “Fatherhood: The Journey from Man to Dad.”