Dr. Karen Lissette Molano, Psy.D

11/17/2025

Feeling pressure to raise a “little genius”? Let’s soften that together.

The truth is… the best preparation for school — and for life — doesn’t start with flashcards or early academics. It starts with you.

✨ That peek-a-boo game?
You’re strengthening their memory and building the foundation for problem-solving.

✨ Responding to their babbles?
You’re wiring their brain for language and for connection.

✨ That warm hug?
You’re teaching their nervous system it’s safe to learn, explore, and take in the world.

And here’s what most parents never hear:

Children learn best in the context of relationships.
Your presence shapes their brain, their emotional world, their sense of safety, and even how their body learns to handle stress.

What appear to be “ordinary” moments…the giggles, the cuddles, the playful back-and-forth, and even getting through difficult times together…are doing more than building cognitive skills.

They’re supporting their overall well-being: their confidence, curiosity, resilience, and the way their body, heart and brain work together.

When you play, you’re creating the environment where real learning happens — naturally, joyfully, and in alignment with how children are designed to grow.

Learning doesn’t start with ABCs.

And school readiness? It starts in the womb!

What was one “ordinary” moment this week that turned out to be extraordinary learning? Share in the comments! ✨

11/17/2025

Have you ever noticed how much smoother life feels...at work or at home...when people simply say yes to you?

Now think about this: How much easier would parenting be if your kids were more likely to say yes, too?

That’s exactly the kind of question I’ll be exploring on my social media live with Brian Ahearn, a globally recognized expert on the science of ethical influence.

Brian helps individuals and organizations learn how to apply research-backed strategies to increase the chances that others will say yes, willingly and happily. It’s all in the communication!

So, what does that have to do with raising children?

In a word: everything.

You see, Brian explains that the same influence principles he teaches to business professionals have also guided him in parenting. He and his wife used these ideas while raising their daughter Abigail, and now, as a new mom herself, Abigail is passing those same lessons on to her son, Emmett.

One of the principles we’ll talk about on the show is called consistency. It’s the idea that people, kids included, feel both internal and external pressure to act in ways that match what they’ve said or done in the past.

Most of us parents are used to giving directions:

“Put your toys away.”
“Say thank you.”
“Eat your veggies.”

But as Brian explains, simply telling kids what to do doesn’t engage this principle. Instead, when you turn those statements into questions—like “Will you remember to say thank you?,”
you invite your child to commit. And once they’ve said yes? They’re much more likely to follow through.

Even young children feel a sense of pride when they live up to their promises. And when we reinforce that early and often, we make it easier for them to choose the behaviors we want to see, without the power struggles we all dread.

Join Brian and I on social media live to learn more!

What is one thing you wish your kiddos said yes to? Drop in the comments!

11/15/2025

Really enjoyed being invited back to speak at UCI, my Alma mater! This time, to a group of aspiring healthcare professionals! Anything we can do to shape the world for our littles and all the families out there!

11/06/2025

11/04/2025

I had such a powerful conversation with Sholeh Shahinfar, MA, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist, parent coach, and founder of Valued Voices and founder of Valued Voices.

She explained how tiny changes in the way we communicate can build emotional safety, connection, and confidence for our children.
And honestly, what she revealed about what’s actually true might surprise you.

💡 Stay tuned for the reveal in our upcoming social media live conversation.



Meanwhile, what is your guess? Comment below!

11/04/2025

I had such a powerful conversation with Sholeh Shahinfar, MA, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathologist, parent coach, and founder of 
Valued Voices and founder of Valued Voices.

She explained how tiny changes in the way we communicate can build emotional safety, connection, and confidence for our children.
And honestly, what she revealed about what’s actually true might surprise you.

💡 Stay tuned for the reveal in our upcoming social media live conversation.



Meanwhile, what is your guess? Comment below!

10/31/2025

Celebrating Halloween with and . What an amazing crew!!

10/30/2025

QUESTION FOR YOU...

Your child is having a complete meltdown in the middle of Target. Your heart is racing. Everyone is staring. And you can feel yourself about to lose it too.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you: in that moment, your body is having its own meltdown before you even realize it. And that changes everything about what happens next.

This brings up a question I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since my conversation with Olivia Bergeron! There’s no right answer, but your choice might reveal something important about how you’re wired as a parent.

Would you rather:
A) Be the parent who can stay physically calm during your child’s tantrum but secretly feels like you’re about to explode inside?
OR
B) Be the parent whose body reacts intensely to your child’s big emotions but you know exactly how to bring yourself back to calm?

Here’s why this matters: one of these parents can actually help their child through the meltdown.

This insight came from Olivia Bergeron, LCSW, PMH-C, a psychotherapist and parent coach who founded Mommy Groove Therapy. As a mom of twins and a singleton herself raising kids in New York City, Olivia gets it. She specializes in helping parents move from reactivity to connection, and was handpicked for coaching training by Dr. Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids.

Thank you Olivia for the amazing work you are doing!

We’re going live to reveal why one of these actually makes meltdowns worse and what to do instead.

Drop A or B below! Then join us for the live where we’re diving into how to manage YOUR nervous system so you can actually co-regulate instead of co-escalate.

10/21/2025

Have you ever caught yourself reacting to your child in a way that feels… familiar — but not necessarily you?

That moment when you pause and think, “Wait, this isn’t just about my child. This is about me.”

That exact line came up in a beautiful conversation I recently had with Alli Bankston , LMHC, PMH-C, Founding Clinician at Navara Health.

We were talking about how our own childhood experiences quietly resurface in parenting. And they are not here to punish us, rather to invite us into healing.

Alli said something that really stuck with me: Parenting has a way of bringing up everything you thought you’d already worked through.

And thank goodness for Ali, because she helps moms explore the emotional layers of motherhood, reconnect with themselves, and build stronger relationships with their children through understanding rather than perfection.

And she’s right. These moments aren’t signs of failure! They’re opportunities to understand ourselves more deeply so we can parent from a place of awareness instead of reaction.

So here’s a little reflection we both loved and would love to hear YOUR THOUGHTS!

Complete this sentence with the first thing that comes to mind... no overthinking, just that quick thought that comes up for you...

💬 The moment I realized my own childhood patterns were showing up in my parenting was when ________.

Drop your answer in the comments below. You might be surprised how many parents can relate. And I will start with my own realization!

We will be talking more about this topic on our upcoming live together!

10/18/2025

10/16/2025

I’m so excited to be invited back to NBC News Studio 17 tomorrow (Friday)! 💛

This time, we’re diving into one of my favorite topics — how deeply a parent’s nervous system is connected to their child’s.
From birth, a child’s sense of safety and regulation is shaped by our state — not just our words or actions, but our energy, tone, and presence. When we learn to calm our own nervous system, our children’s brains begin to wire for calm, connection, and confidence too.

It’s such an honor to keep bringing these conversations to a wider audience and helping families understand that healing ourselves truly helps our children thrive.

Can’t wait to share more from the segment! Stay tuned!

09/19/2025

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