Living in the Messy Middle: Meet Michelle

Monday at 9:30 a.m. is one of my favorite times of the week.

The house is finally quiet — the kind of quiet that only comes after the familiar morning chaos of getting everyone out the door.

Some mornings feel slow and simple, while others feel like I’ve lived 345 lives before the workday even begins. Two boys, ages four and eight, need to get dressed, fed, and convinced that yes, we really do have to brush our teeth every single day.

My husband Victor, who runs a home improvement contracting business, is usually juggling texts from clients assuring them the wallpaper looks amazing while also wrangling our four-year-old, who tries to veto every pair of pants.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to pack lunches, locate missing water bottles, and coordinate pickup plans.

Eventually, our older son heads to the bus stop, and we rock-paper-scissors over who will drop off our four-year-old at preschool. Just kidding. We usually split it up — I handle the beginning of the week, and my husband takes the end, when our workloads tend to shift.

My husband is known for becoming so involved in his clients’ projects that he briefly becomes part of their family, so we usually check in about when he’ll likely be home since it can vary.

By around 9:30 a.m., I sit down at my computer and shift into my other role: psychologist, business owner, and ADHD advocate.

Most of my days are spent working with moms. I do individual therapy and run therapy groups for moms raising kids with ADHD — something that has become a really meaningful part of my work. Because the truth is, parenting a child with ADHD can feel very different than what many parents expect. There are the big emotions, the school struggles, the constant problem-solving, and the quiet worry many moms carry about protecting their child’s confidence while trying to keep the household functioning.

I know that experience both professionally and personally. One of my sons has ADHD, and when he was first diagnosed, I was surprised by how few resources were offered to parents beyond medication. There was very little guidance about the day-to-day parenting challenges that happen at home — the emotional regulation, the conflict, the constant feeling that you’re trying to figure things out as you go.

That experience was a big part of what led me to create therapy groups specifically for moms raising ADHD kids. The groups are a place where moms can talk openly about the messy realities of parenting, learn practical strategies that actually work at home, and realize they’re not the only ones navigating this complicated, beautiful, exhausting parenting journey.

Somewhere between sessions, emails, marketing, and business development, I try to squeeze in strength training — because lifting heavy things surprisingly makes me a way better mom.

What I love most about my work is how closely it connects two parts of my life that often feel inseparable: being a psychologist and being a mom.

The women I work with are navigating the same reality many of us are — raising kids while trying to hold on to our identities, careers, marriages, friendships, and sanity. I absolutely love my work as a psychologist. As cliché as it might sound, it really does feel like my calling. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Most days, I feel like I have it together as a psychologist. As a mom… there are days when I feel like I have it together, too.

Those are the days when I’m spending time with my kids in their respective love languages, making a healthy dupe treat (chickpea brownies are my signature thing!), and slowing down enough to enjoy the moment.

And then there are the other days — when I feel impatient, behind on everything, or like I haven’t gotten nearly enough done.

Most days fall somewhere in the messy middle. Some days, I show up as the mom I want to be—some days I don’t. But like most moms in this community, I still show up.

Because as moms, we love our kids fiercely. We are doing our best to show up for them while juggling all. the. things.

I’m so happy to be part of this community of local moms who understand that behind every organized backpack and school drop-off is a woman doing her very best. Over the years, one thing has become very clear to me: moms are carrying A LOT. Moms raising ADHD kids are carrying a different kind of A LOT.

The constant decision-making, their big emotions, the worry about school and friendships, and the desire to protect your child’s confidence while keeping your home running. I hope to be a resource for all moms for all moms in this community–especially those ADHD kids.