GROWING TOGETHER: A NEW PARENT SUPPORT GROUP FROM THERAPYWORKS AND DISCOVERY PRESCHOOL
Parenting a preschooler is a lot. Some days it's the sweetest season of your life. Other days it's a 20-minute standoff over socks before 8 a.m.
Wherever you are on that spectrum this week, you shouldn't have to figure it out alone. That's why TherapyWorks is partnering with Discovery Preschool & Family Center in Soquel to launch Growing Together, a virtual parent support group for Discovery families. Twice a month, parents and caregivers can pick up practical tools, connect with people who get it, and have a soft place to land when the days get hard.
Why we're doing this together
TherapyWorks is a local therapy practice, not a faraway app or a call center. Our offices in Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz/Capitola sit close to the families we serve, and we care about this community well beyond our office walls.
Discovery Preschool & Family Center shares that heart. Their play-based, Reggio Emilia-inspired program in Soquel is built around bringing families and educators together to support each child's growth. Pairing a preschool families already trust with licensed mental health support just made sense.
We believe one simple thing: the best support for kids starts with support for the grown-ups who love them.
Meet your hosts
Growing Together is led by a team that brings both clinical training and hands-on classroom experience:
Anya Bates, Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at TherapyWorks, who works with children, parents, and families navigating stress, big emotions, and change.
Alice and Allison, Positive Discipline Directors at Discovery Preschool & Family Center, who help families practice discipline that is kind and firm at the same time.
Positive Discipline focuses on teaching rather than punishing. It helps kids build self-control, responsibility, and problem-solving skills while staying connected to the adults around them. Combined with Anya's therapeutic lens, each session blends what works in the classroom with what works at home.
How Growing Together works
When: 1st and 3rd Fridays, 12:00 to 12:50 p.m. Pacific
Where: Zoom, so you can join from the office, the kitchen table, or the car in the pickup line
Who: Parents and caregivers of Discovery Preschool families
Format: A new topic each month, with practical guidance from the hosts and time to share, ask questions, or simply listen
What we'll talk about
Topics rotate monthly and cover the everyday moments, the big feelings, and the grown-up side of raising little ones.
Everyday life and discipline
Parenting with Love & Limits: Set clear, age-appropriate boundaries while keeping warmth and emotional safety intact.
Moving Beyond the Daily Battles: Practical strategies for transitions, getting dressed, mealtimes, bedtime, and getting out the door.
From Conflict to Cooperation: Fewer power struggles, more listening and teamwork at home.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Reframe hard moments as chances to teach communication, flexibility, and problem-solving.
Strengthening Connection Through Play: Simple, play-based ways to deepen attachment and cooperation.
Supporting Sibling Relationships: Respond to rivalry and jealousy while building empathy between siblings.
Big feelings and growing kids
Big Feelings, Growing Brains: Understand tantrums, meltdowns, and anxiety, and help your child build self-regulation.
Raising Confident & Capable Kids: Grow resilience, independence, and healthy self-esteem.
Helping Children Navigate Change: Support kids through new routines, moves, family transitions, and loss.
Managing Separation Anxiety: Build reassuring routines that make drop-offs and time apart feel safer.
Learning to Be a Friend: Help children practice sharing, empathy, and working through friendship bumps.
Caring for the caregiver
When Parenting Feels Overwhelming: Recognize parental stress, ease the guilt, and find realistic ways to feel steadier.
Caring for Yourself While Caring for Everyone Else: Practical ways to protect your well-being amid the daily demands of family life.
Staying Calm When Your Child Is Not: Manage your own stress response so you can stay grounded in the hardest moments.
Letting Go of Perfect Parenting: Move past comparison and unrealistic expectations, and trust the parent your child actually needs.
Protecting Your Energy and Preventing Parent Burnout: Spot early signs of burnout and build small, sustainable habits that help.
Why community makes a difference
There's real relief in hearing another parent say, "Us too." Support groups give caregivers something a parenting book can't: people who are living it right alongside you. You'll leave each session with a strategy to try, and maybe a little less weight on your shoulders.
And because this group lives inside a community you already belong to, the connections can carry over to pickup, playdates, and school events.
Your local resource, beyond the group
Growing Together is one way TherapyWorks shows up for Santa Cruz County families, but it isn't the only one. Our therapists offer play-based child therapy, teen counseling, family therapy, couples counseling, and individual therapy for parents, in person at our Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz/Capitola, and Los Gatos offices and virtually.
If a session stirs up something that deserves more attention, for your child or for you, we're right here. Reaching out for support isn't a sign that something is wrong. It's a sign that you care.
Frequently asked questions
Who can join Growing Together? The group is designed for parents and caregivers of children at Discovery Preschool & Family Center, including grandparents and co-parents.
Is this group therapy? No. Growing Together is an educational support group. It offers guidance and connection, but it doesn't replace individual or family therapy. If you'd like one-on-one support, TherapyWorks can help.
Do I have to share? Not at all. You're welcome to listen, take notes, and join in whenever it feels right.
Is there a cost? No, this is a free support offering.
Join us
Discovery families: Look for the Zoom link from Discovery Preschool & Family Center. Grab your lunch, log on, and come as you are.
Not a Discovery family? You still deserve support. Contact TherapyWorks to learn about parenting support and family therapy at our Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz/Capitola, and Los Gatos offices.
Raising kids takes a village. We're proud to be part of yours.