How do I stop my child's emotional outbursts without yelling?

Working differently, not harder, is often what helps break the cycle. When a child has frequent emotional outbursts, the behavior is only part of the picture. Anxiety, ADHD, emotional regulation difficulties, developmental factors, family stress, and other behavioral health concerns can all contribute to what parents see at home.

A clinical assessment can help identify factors contributing to the behavior and determine whether an underlying behavioral health concern may need treatment.

Kelly Williams, LCSW, and Teresa VanPelt, LMHC, bring more than 50 years of combined clinical experience to their work with children, adolescents, and families. Together, they have supported more than 1,230 families. Both are licensed Florida mental health professionals who provide behavioral health assessment, diagnosis, and therapy.

Rather than focusing only on stopping the behavior, therapy can help children and parents understand the factors contributing to emotional outbursts and develop practical skills for regulation, communication, coping, and connection.

 

We’ve been there, and we know the way out.

We’re Kelly and Teresa, and we’re here to help.

Kelly Williams, lcsw

Kelly Williams, lcsw

Kelly Williams, LCSW, Florida License #SW6659, is a family therapist and parenting coach and the founder of the Read. Regulate. Rebuild. Method™. She brings more than 28 years of clinical experience, including work in community mental health and family therapy. Kelly is also a parent of two children with ADHD and an adult who was diagnosed with ADHD later in life. Her professional and personal experience led her to develop a practical, brain-based approach that helps parents understand what is happening beneath challenging behavior and respond more effectively when emotions run high.

teresa vanpelt, lmhc

teresa vanpelt, lmhc

Teresa VanPelt, LMHC, Florida License #MH8195, is a child therapist specializing in anxiety disorders and a clinically trained Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT, practitioner. Teresa brings more than 25 years of clinical experience, including work in community mental health and family therapy. She is also a parent of a child with anxiety and ADHD and an adult who was diagnosed with ADHD later in life.

Teresa's clinical training in EFT, also known as tapping therapy, gives her another tool for helping clients work with psychological stress and anxiety. Clinical EFT combines cognitive and exposure-based techniques with stimulation of acupressure points. Research has found promising results for reducing anxiety and psychological stress, although additional high-quality research is needed, particularly in children and adolescents.

Who are Kelly and Teresa, and why should I trust their parenting advice?

Kelly Williams, LCSW, and Teresa VanPelt, LMHC, are licensed mental health professionals with more than 25 years of clinical experience each. Together, they have collectively supported more than 1,230 families through challenges involving ADHD, anxiety, emotional regulation, and family stress.

What makes Kelly and Teresa's approach different is the combination of clinical expertise and lived experience. They understand the difference between knowing what a parent or child is supposed to do and actually being able to do it when everyone is overwhelmed.

Their work is grounded in evidence-informed clinical practice, practical family strategies, and a deep understanding of what happens inside families when anxiety, ADHD, emotional dysregulation, and stress collide.

Together, Kelly and Teresa help parents make sense of what is happening beneath the behavior, respond without shame, build emotional regulation skills, and create more safety and connection at home.

Learn more about why Kelly is passionate about supporting families impacted by adhd
Learn more about why Teresa is passionate about supporting families impacted by anxiety

What has your clinical and parenting experience with anxiety and ADHD taught you?

Over the years, Kelly and Teresa have developed a practical, repeatable approach for helping families reduce stress, better understand emotional regulation, and respond differently when anxiety, ADHD, and big emotions take over.

That approach grew from both their clinical experience and their own experiences parenting children with ADHD and anxiety. Together, they have more than 50 years of combined clinical experience and have collectively supported more than 1,230 families.

Their experience has shown them that families often need more than information. They need practical strategies that make sense of what is happening in the child's brain and body, along with strategies parents can actually use when emotions are running high.

How can I reduce emotional stress for my sensitive or easily overwhelmed child?

Children who are highly sensitive, anxious, or easily overwhelmed may need support that takes their emotional regulation and underlying behavioral health needs into account.

The goal is not simply to stop the visible behavior, but to understand what may be contributing to the child's distress and help the child and family develop practical skills for coping, communication, and regulation.

Mind Balance Healing also offers free educational resources for families, including an ADHD parenting guide, guided anxiety meditations, and curated book recommendations for parents and children.

Are you just therapists, or do you actually understand what I'm going through as a parent?

Both.

Kelly Williams, LCSW, and Teresa VanPelt, LMHC, are licensed mental health professionals with more than 50 years of combined clinical experience. They provide behavioral health assessment, diagnosis, and therapy for children, adolescents, and families.

They are also parents who have personally navigated many of the same challenges their clients experience. Kelly is a parent of two children with ADHD, and Teresa is a parent of a child with anxiety and ADHD. Both were diagnosed with ADHD as adults.

That combination of clinical expertise and lived parenting experience informs how they work with families. They understand that parents need more than an explanation of what is happening. They need practical help understanding their child's behavior, knowing what to do during difficult moments, and determining when a child may need additional clinical support.

  • Mind Balance Healing provides outpatient behavioral health services for children, adolescents, and families experiencing ADHD, anxiety, emotional regulation difficulties, academic stress, and other behavioral health concerns. Kelly Williams, LCSW, and Teresa VanPelt, LMHC, provide behavioral health assessment, diagnosis, and therapy. Treatment may incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused strategies, emotional regulation skills, and family-focused interventions based on each client's individual needs.

  • Yes. Kelly Williams is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Florida, license #SW6659, with more than 28 years of clinical experience. Teresa VanPelt is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida, license #MH8195, with more than 25 years of clinical experience. Both provide behavioral health assessment, diagnosis, and therapy through Mind Balance Healing.

  • Yes. Both Kelly and Teresa bring lived parenting experience to their clinical work. Kelly is a parent of two children with ADHD, and Teresa is a parent of a child with anxiety and ADHD. Both also have personal experience with ADHD as adults.

  • Mind Balance Healing is located at 124 W Lutz Lake Fern Rd, Lutz, FL 33548. Sessions are offered both in person and virtually.

  • Yes. Mind Balance Healing offers free educational resources, including an ADHD parenting guide, guided meditations for anxiety, and curated coping-book recommendations for parents and children.

  • Families can schedule a free 15-minute consultation through the Make An Appointment page. Office hours and fees for service are also provided on that page.