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MY STORY

Anyone who is a parent knows that it truly is the hardest job out there. If your child struggles in school, academically or socially, it makes the job even more challenging.

I spent years in financial services, from Wall Street investment banking firms to Chicago hedge funds, but nothing compares to the highs and lows of being a mom. And as a mother, I’ve been through it all: advocating for my children as we dealt with diagnoses from ADHD to ODD, school behavior issues, appointments with pediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, the confusing IEP process, PHPs, IOPs, wilderness therapy, and therapeutic boarding schools. 

Along the way, I met people who were unbelievably helpful in educating and guiding me, offering empathy, hope, and comfort. Most importantly, I could speak openly and honestly with them in a completely judgment-free environment. These people made a difference in my journey, and I realized a larger community of support for parents struggling with these same issues could be transforming. 

Not just transforming. Empowering.

  

Empowering Parents was born out of my own experiences, and it is my hope that its community will enable others to best help their children, and themselves.

-Julie

Julie Ethell and family in front of city buildings

“If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” 
- Ignacio Estrada

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