So you’ve chosen to ‘unschool’ your kids!
Unschooling is a valid educational choice families in many countries are free to make. In Australia, unschooling is legally permitted, provided you meet the state’s requirements for registration, which is certainly doable. That being said, the number of people choosing to unschool their children is still small compared to the majority, so it can feel quite isolating. It takes a certain amount of courage to step outside the system and follow your own path, listen to your own instinct, and prioritise the passions and uniqueness of your children. Welcome to the ‘road less travelled’!
Aiming for Attunement
One of the key tenets of unschooling that really helps families thrive is attunement: tuning in to each other, being on the same wavelength, really connecting and ‘being with’ each other. If you’ve come from a more traditional, authoritarian, controlling background, this can be a scary thought, and the process of moving from one style to another can be a little unsettling for everyone. But it is definitely doable! I’ve done it myself! It can feel unattainable at times, and we can mistakenly think it’s about being ‘perfect parents,’ but it’s more about developing an underlying philosophy and principles to guide us through this wondeful life.
When things aren’t going well…
As an unschooling parent, you may find it difficult to get help and support when things aren’t going well. You may be worried that the naysayers will say “I told you so”, or that others will simply say “Put them back in school and everything will be better!” You may feel increasingly isolated, struggline with shame, confusion and uncertainty, wondering how to turn your ideals into your reality. You want more connection and peace in your home “like everyone else must have”, but you’re not sure where to turn to for non-judgmental empathy and support. You want someone who gets it, someone who will help you live you want.
Hi, I’m Karen
One of the greatest joys of my life is my role as ‘mum’ to my four grown-up children, and an extra one who was earth-side for only 9 short hours. Parenting has been my passion since before I became one, so homeschooling was the perfect way for me to live that out! My oldest two children went to a small country school for 3 and 5 years when we were living in a community in the outback (I’ve had an interesting life!) before we finally began homeschooling in 2005. Homeschooling felt, quite literally, like coming home.
I naturally gravitated to an ‘unschooling’/natural-learning approach, focusing on providing a supportive, rich learning environment in which my children could flourish as individuals, pursuing their passions, passionately!
As my nest began emptying, and my marriage sadly ended, I finally began my decades-long dream to study counselling and am now working as a counsellor in private practice. As a long-term unschooling parent, I have a particular understanding of some of the challenges homeschooling families can face, including at times the difficulty of finding a therapist who ‘gets it’ and supports and understands your choices, particularly those relating to unschooling. My lived experience, passion for parenting, and counselling skills help me provide an unschool-friendly therapy space for you.
I am passionate about helping parents increase attunement with their children through secure attachment, connection, and tuning in to their own and each other’s needs.
I see clients online, and also face-to-face in Melbourne. I will support your individual approach to home education and parenting, and work collaboratively with you to meet your goals. My goal is to provide a supportive, empathic, understanding environment for you as a homeschooling or unschooling parent.
Let's Connect
I’d love to find out what I can help you with. You can contact me using the link below to arrange a complimentary, obligation-free, 20-minute consultation. This is a chance to get to know me a bit and see if I’m the right therapist for you.