Meet Melissa Schwartz: Coach for Parents of Highly Sensitive Children, Author & Public Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Schwartz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, how does your business help the community or the world?
As a parent coach and advocate for highly sensitive people I bring awareness to the neutral, inherent trait of Sensory Processing Sensitivity that is found in 15-20% of the world’s population. I love helping people come to understand what makes them unique and appreciate their finely tuned nervous systems. My specialty is helping parents of highly sensitive children understand what drives behavior so that both parents and children can navigate life with more ease, more love, more connection and less stress! Living in the time of COVID has elevated the challenges of being a sensitive adult and being a sensitive child. My virtual workshops, coaching groups and private sessions support the highly sensitive community as we all navigate the overwhelming feelings that show up on a daily basis.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I came to be a coach for parents of highly sensitive children because I was a highly sensitive child! When my mom retired from her 40+ year career as an educator and child development specialist in New York, she and my dad retired to Southern California to be closer to me and my brother. My mom continued to teach workshops for parents and as I went and sat in the back of the room and listened to her describe the experience of raising two very different children (my brother, a Harvard trained lawyer and me, at the time a professional photographer) I knew I had a voice to share. Parents began coming up to me at the end of the workshops and said their children sounded just like me. They asked me to share my story. As I learned more about the trait of high sensitivity I realized I found my niche and purpose in life— to teach from my experience and help families with children that were just like me. In the last decade I’ve created an international coaching practice, speak at conferences around the country about the topic of high sensitivity (and sensory processing disorder) and am finishing a book on the same topic.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m so grateful that I’ve lived in Mission Beach, a strip of land sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and Mission Bay, for the last 6 years. This vibrant little community is full of restaurants, shops and endless scenic viewpoints. One of my favorite things about living here is going for an early morning walk or bike ride. Even though the summers tend to be busy as tourists flock for vacation, the mornings are quiet and serene all year long. It never stops being awe inspiring to see dolphins frolic in the water! Earlier this year I got to see the bioluminescence and watched the ocean glow neon blue at night. It’s always a treat to see Slomo (a local celeb) skating down the boardwalk and I love the fresh, organic, locally sourced treats at Juice Wave. Despite 2020 being a year where most people had to stay in their homes, I’ve appreciated Mission Beach being my ‘backyard’ where I can socially distance with my toes in the sand and my face in the sun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to recognize my mom, Sandi Schwartz, who is also my business partner. I co-authored “Authentic Parenting Power” with her and believe that it’s one of the most important books ever written for parents. Parents are less powerful than they want to be and more powerful than they realize. We explain how each human being is born with an innate hardwiring (the unchanging lens through which we experience life) and give new understanding to the natural challenges that come with ages and stages of child development. Once parents understand where they do and do not have control many power struggles melt away.

Website: www.leadingedgeparenting.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/melissaschwartz
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/meschwa/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/melissaschwartz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/melissaschwartz
Youtube: www.youtube.com/leadingedgeparenting
Other: www.facebook.com/leadingedgeparenting www.facebook.com/highlysensitivechildren www.facebook.com/groups/highlysensitivechildren www.facebook.com/omghsp www.facebook.com/groups/omghsp