Audio course
Cool, Calm & Connected Children™
Nervous system parenting for foster and adoptive families. Simple tools to calm meltdowns and stay regulated yourself.
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Therapy, Adoption Counseling & Parent Coaching in Brandon, FL
Parenting Begins with a Cool Head, Calm Body, & Connected Brain
“Train. Transform. Thrive.”
Get the Free 5-Step Reset Guide
From the Founder
“The most powerful tool you bring to parenting isn't a reward chart or a behavioral tactic, it’s your own regulated nervous system. When you cultivate calm, you become their anchor. Real transformation happens from the inside out.”
“Systemic transformation begins with caregiver regulation. We equip parents first, alongside state agencies, foster networks, and adoption organizations, with brain-based, trauma-informed training that reduces placement disruptions and builds lasting family stability.”
About MaxineTHERAPY AND COACHING IN BRANDON, FL
Therapy and Coaching for Children, Parents and Families
Gentle, trauma-informed therapy and parent coaching that work with the body as well as the mind. Every family is welcome, including foster, adoptive and kinship families.
Brainspotting
A focused, body-based therapy that helps the brain process stress and painful experiences.
Family Therapy
Calmer days and stronger connection, with parents and children working together.
Adoption Counseling
Support for adopted children and their families at every stage of the adoption journey, before and after placement.
Parent Coaching
Practical, nervous system tools to help you stay calm, connect and respond with confidence.
Paying for sessions
I do not take insurance, but there are other ways to cover your sessions.
- Step Up For Students scholarships are accepted.
- A superbill is available on request, so you can ask your insurer about out-of-network reimbursement.
- Adoptive families may be able to apply for funding through the Sylvia Thomas Center or Camelot Community Care.
Therapy is provided by Maxine Golden, Registered Marriage and Family Therapist Intern (RMFTI #4447), under clinical supervision.
FREE GUIDE
The 5-Step Reset
Five trauma-informed steps to calm your child's nervous system, for foster, adoptive and neurodivergent-parenting families.
Get the Free GuideCOURSES, AUDIO & BOOKS
Start Your Journey
Audio course
Adoption-Competent Parenting
Understand how early loss shapes attachment, and build trust with a child who expects to be let down.
Learn MoreAudiobook · Narrated by Maxine
The Adoption Parenting Playbook (Audio)
A nervous system guide to calming meltdowns and building connection. Listen in the car, on a walk or after bedtime.
Learn MorePrint Book · Paperback & Kindle
The Adoption Parenting Playbook
The full 21-chapter guide in print. Keep it by your bed, mark it up and come back to it whenever you need it.
Learn MoreAudio · Guided Scripture meditations
Psalms for Calm
Seven Psalms read slowly by Maxine, with gentle breathing and soft music. A few quiet minutes of peace for tired parents.
Learn MoreChildren's book
It's Not Your Fault
A gentle picture book that helps children know it is not their fault when adults leave. One to read together, a little at a time.
Available on Amazon
Learn MoreAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.What parents are saying
"I took Cool, Calm & Connected and I am almost shocked that it worked. I never knew the techniques she gave me could make such a huge difference. Listening to her voice also helped me absorb the information better. Her British accent is so soothing."
Angel, Cool, Calm & Connected
See the course"This book is transformative. I have never known a book to have it all in one place. It's like an A to Z for the pre- and post-adoption journey. When I started this journey, I had no clue what to do or how much was involved. It continues to help me, and I even got the audiobook so I could listen while I'm out and about. Thank you, Maxine Golden!"
Richard, The Adoption Parenting Playbook
See the Playbook"I bought It's Not Your Fault for my children, and I realized it didn't just help them. It actually helped me too. I was also amazed that there is a practical activity workbook to use afterwards, which my children loved doing. By the end of using the book and the activity book, I saw a sense of peace over them."
Adoptive mother of two, It's Not Your Fault
See the bookTransform Your Parenting
“Every child who comes home through foster care or adoption carries a story their body remembers long before their mind can tell it, a nervous system quietly shaped by everything that happened before this house became home. The Adoption Parenting Playbook is a practical, trauma-informed guide for the parents learning to listen to that story, and to answer it with safety.”
Excerpt from “The Adoption Parenting Playbook”Learn MoreAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Adoption Is a Lifelong Journey