Lorenzo Azzi, Ph.D.
Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health
Research has found that 90% of the human brain is formed by age 3; 95% by age 4. Think about that for a minute. Everything that you have learned throughout your entire educational career, all of the classes that you sat through, all of the trainings that you’ve attended, all of the books that you’ve read, TV shows that you’ve watched, podcasts to which you have listened, songs that you’ve memorized, experiences that you’ve had, and skills that you have developed since age 4, only comprises roughly 5% of your brain!!! Fascinating, isn’t it?!
The first few years of life are unparalleled when it comes to brain development, and the experiences that infants/toddlers have create the foundation from which the rest of their lives are built. Many companies exploit this fact by convincing well-intentioned parents to spend tons of money on the best, most educational toys, books, and gadgets that money can buy. While it is true that play is tremendously important in early childhood development, it pales in comparison to the importance of the primary caregiving relationships through which babies and toddlers learn about themselves, their self-worth, their charm, their value, what they can expect from important relationships throughout their lives, the impact that they can have on others, the impact that they can have on the world around them and what they can expect from others and the world in return.
Geez, that’s a lot of pressure on parents, isn’t it? Have no fear. There is no such thing as “perfect parenting,” and even if it did exist, it would be far from perfect because children would never develop any resilience. We all struggle. We were all parented by imperfect parents, and we were all impacted by this to various extents. We have all had many experiences that impact how we experience relationships, and we all have life happening that gets in the way. So, what can we as parents do?
If you are here and reading this, you are already off to a GREAT start. It means that your baby occupies significant mental/psychological space in your mind and you are motivated to better understand what you can do to lay the best possible foundation for your baby. That alone indicates that your baby is very fortunate.
Services for Parents
We Got This: Parenting Series for the Perinatal Period, Infancy, and Early Childhood
-$425.00/6 50-minute classes
This Parenting Series consists of 6 50-minute classes in a group format with other parents and/or expecting parents. Attendance to all 6 classes is encouraged but not required.
Topics covered include (but are not limited to): attachment and bonding, social/emotional development, reading baby’s cues, dispelling parenting myths, healthy parenting practices, the feeding relationship, sleep support, our parenting influences (history of being parented, social media, friends/family), early childhood trauma, and more.
It's More Than Just Play: Play Group
-$65 for single sessions
discounted monthly packages and longer-term packages available
Parents who have completed Dr. Azzi’s Parenting Series are invited to join a Play Group where new parents can support each other in their parenting, infants/toddlers can socialize with other infants/toddlers, and parents can receive additional support from Dr. Azzi in gaining confidence, reading their baby's various cues during play and learning additional developmentally sound ways of responding to those cues/needs.
Parent Support Group
-$50 for single sessions
discounted monthly packages and longer-term packages available
Parents who have completed Dr. Azzi’s Parenting Series and who enjoy the positive support they received from their peers are invited to participate in ongoing parent support groups facilitated by Dr. Azzi at a reduced cost. Sessions will be scheduled when a minimum of 6 individuals have signed up.
Child-Parent Therapy
-$300.00/50-minute session
Parents/caregivers who have concerns about their child’s social/emotional/psychological development as a result of a multitude of potential issues that might be experienced (e.g., trauma, chronic stress, divorce, domestic violence, parental trauma history, parental stress, intergenerational issues, etc.) can SIGNIFICANTLY benefit from child-parent therapy. Dr. Azzi utilizes a combination of modalities that are regarded as the most effective modalities by some of the top Infant/Early Childhood experts in the world. Dr. Azzi does not utilize some of the more popular or niche modalities that are not considered as highly effective by top experts.