In our Parent Support Discussions, Play 2 Progress hosts experts in their fields to answer parents' questions live.  This is a recording of Dr. Allie Ticktin's discussion with Clinical Psychologist Dr. Wendy Denham.

About Dr. Wendy Denham: Dr. Wendy Denham, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher, and coach who works with parents, children, adults, early childhood specialists and organizations to develop the reflective capacities that support lifelong mental health and healthy, connected relationships. She works with patients in-person and through technology to help achieve goals of many kinds.

Dr. Denham has coded hundreds of interviews with patients to assess reflective capacity and has witnessed firsthand its protective power, both in her private clinical practice and as a Senior Trainer for two evidence-based parenting interventions at the Center for Reflective Communities.

In addition to therapy, Dr. Denham uses her research-based reflective approach to coach people who want to make a different kind of impact in their personal or professional lives, including business leaders who want to become exponentially more effective in their relationships. Apart from her work with individuals, Dr. Denham consults with organizations seeking to develop more reflective cultures, with resulting improvement in morale and performance.

Dr. Denham has also been a supervisor and trainer for fifteen years, training therapists nationally and internationally in the assessment and application of a reflective approach. She has worked with community partners within Los Angeles and beyond through her work with Center for Reflective Communities, including Ben Gurion University in Israel and the University of California Los Angeles. She has published and spoken about the benefits of parental reflective capacity in many settings, including Zero to Three’s National Conference and in the co-authored chapter “Reflective and Mindful Parenting: An application of parental mentalization theory toward a new relational model of assessment, prevention, and early intervention.” The full chapter can be found here. Dr. Denham was formerly the Coordinator of the Infant Mental Health Program at The Maple Counseling Center where she trained and supervised therapists to work with families of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-aged children. She has collaborated with Twigtale.com to write two books for young children and their parents related to family themes. She also brings her training in the United Kingdom as a Drama Therapist to her work with families. Dr. Denham is married with two children and considers Los Angeles and Australia her home.

Dr. Denham works with a dedicated team of therapists to provide high quality care to all patients.