Mindful Parenting Brooklyn

Our Story

One summer afternoon over lunch, as Terésa and Marice talked about their experiences working with children, the idea of a child/parent resource center was born. It would be so great to have a space for seeing clients where we can use the modalities we find most effective. And what if we could help parents learn about current breakthroughs in child neurodevelopment? These were the seeds that grew into Mindful Parenting Brooklyn—a family resource that includes a private practice and parenting workshops.

The colleagues originally met in 2010 as first-year trainees in Somatic Experiencing®. They became members of a small SE peer group that met regularly to share learning, practice skills, present cases, and get supervision.

Both women were passionate about devoting their practice to children and families. After training together in Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART) and eager to work in a SMART room, they were surprised to discover that New York City lacked this cutting-edge resource. They also found that while New York City has a vibrant community of Somatic Experiencing practitioners, very few of them work with children.

Terésa and Marice decided to create their own SMART room and build a child-focused practice together. In addition to working with families and holding parenting workshops, they have begun to build a network of practitioners skilled in somatic work with children.

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Terésa Stern
LMSW, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

Terésa Stern has worked in the trauma survivors' community since 1990, serving as public speaker, outreach educator, emergency room advocate, and support group facilitator. In 2008 she founded Starfish Body&Soul, a holistic movement program for survivors of childhood abuse, and led groups at the Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program and the Joyful Heart Foundation.

Terésa worked with children, adolescents and families at Good Shepherds Services in the Bronx and at the Bellevue Hospital Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic. She completed a 3-year clinical training in Somatic Experiencing® (SE) through the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute (SETI) and now assists at trainings. She receives ongoing supervision with a senior SETI faculty member.

Terésa is trained in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), SMART (Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment), and

ARC (Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency). She is certified as a Rape Crisis Counselor and as an instructor of several therapeutic mind-body modalities including Yoga Dance, Street Yoga, and a children’s play therapy program called Life Is Good Playmakers.

She earned her MSW from the Hunter College School of Social Work, graduating with honors in a trauma-focused concentration created by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). She is writing a text about trauma's impact on child neurobiological development for students in NCTSN's professional training programs.

Terésa is the mother of two young adult daughters. A published writer, she also likes to cook, hike, bike, and dance.

To view Terésa's listing in the SE Directory, click here.

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Marice Mendoza
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner

Marice Mendoza holds a B.A. in Biology from Columbia University and has always been driven by a longstanding interest in human behavior and communication. She excelled in building valuable client relationships as a VP in a major investment bank where she worked for eight years as a senior sales trader. 

Following her desire to help people on a more personal level, Marice left finance in 2008 to earn her certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). She established a life and career coaching practice focused on helping professionals and couples challenged by difficult transitions.  After completing the 3-year clinical training in Somatic Experiencing® (SE) at the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute (SETI), she began to direct her focus to children and parents struggling with family life challenges, including

traumatic events such as divorce, loss, accidents, and attachment disruption.

Marice is also trained in Sensory Motor Arousal Integration Treatment (SMART) and has experience working with new parents, expectant parents, and children dealing with transitional and behavioral issues (such as aggression, nightmares and high stress/anxiety). She receives ongoing consultation from a senior faculty member at the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute.

Marice's personal interests include spending time with family and playing with her 6-year-old nephew, Leonardo, one of her greatest inspirations for this work.

To view Marice's listing in the SE Directory, click here.

info@mindfulparentingbrooklyn.com • 646-308-1530 • In Fort Greene/Clinton Hill at 143 Waverly Avenue (@ Myrtle Ave.), Brooklyn, NY 11205