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Every person deserves growth, success, and fulfillment.

MY APPROACH

The question that drives my work is:

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"What makes this person amazing, and how can we create the space and teach them the skills to best embody it?"

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My goal is for every client I work with to succeed far beyond the initial challenge that brings them to work with me. I believe that we're defined by out strengths, not our challenges, and that the key to learning the skills to overcome the challenges is accessed through the strengths that are already there. I always keep the whole person in mind, and believe in the power of relationship. As part of the initial phase of our work, I help clients gain clarity around their values, strengths, skills, and longer-term goals so they see the connection and benefit of the skills they're working on and are driven by internal motivation.

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I teach however my clients learn best, individually tailored to their unique needs and processing style. I take a dynamic, intuitive approach during sessions to help my clients connect to their existing knowledge, then apply it to whatever new problem or situation they're trying to figure out.

MY SERVICES

Specialized math tutoring and educational therapy for middle school and high school clients (through Algebra 2). I use a variety of multi-sensory, direct instructional methods, including Making Math Real* to help students develop deep and flexible understanding of the concepts. I guide students in the development of their own metacognitive talk to ensure that they really get it.

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Executive function (EF) educational therapy and coaching for high school, college, and adult clients. I look at executive function not only as a set of developmental skills, but as an essential component of empowering us to live successful and fulfilled lives. Building executive function gives us autonomy, clarity, and control over our time so we can live with purpose, presence, confidence, and joy.

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Health and well-being coaching. I help people tend to all of the areas that influence well-being, such as family, relationships, nutrition, sleep, activity, mindfulness, purpose, and their physical environment. Coaching is client-driven, respecting you as the expert of your life experience. My role is to act as a guide, fresh set of eyes, and accountability partner. The work focuses on developing clarity on what your ideal life is, and creating the habits and taking the actions to get you there.

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While the scope of our work may focus on one area in isolation, what I have found through the years is that all of these areas have overlap, and my work with each client may address all three areas depending on where they are in their life and which challenges are the most urgent.

WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL THERAPY?

The focus of educational therapy (ET) is the whole client. This may include things like:

  • Teaching a client HOW to learn

  • Helping my clients understand their learning differences,

  • Addressing social, emotional, and cognitive factors involved in learning

  • Teaching skills related to learning, such as executive function and self-advocacy

  • More intensive academic remediation rather than focusing on a grade-level class

 

The focus of tutoring is more on the subject, though may include re-teaching class material in a different way or helping my client with their homework and test preparation.

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If I'm helping a client maintain an A in their honors class, this is going to be more tutoring-focused. If I'm helping a client rebuilt their self-esteem, willingness to engage with school, and remediating years of missed instruction, this is going to be ET-focused.

 

Really though, it's really all about the individual and what they need to be successful.

For more information on ET vs tutoring, check out these resources from Understood and AET.

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WHO I WORK BEST WITH

I'm open to working with clients of all backgrounds and processing styles as long as they want to be there, and are willing to put in the work and try their best.

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For math services, I prefer clients with solid number sense foundations, but who are struggling with the increasing demands, more advanced concepts, planning and organizing, and integration of concepts that comes with middle school and high school. I love working with bright, neurodiverse teens, leveraging my special education knowledge to find inventive ways for the concepts to finally click.

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For executive function (EF), I prefer clients who have solid academic skills so the primary focus of our work can be devoted to EF. Most clients experience that developing their EF skills leads to growth in many other areas of their lives.

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For health and well-being coaching I prefer to work with adults. I am especially drawn to helping service-oriented people treat themselves with the same level of care they give to others.

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I work exclusively virtually, Monday through Friday (Pacific time). Afternoons and evenings are reserved for math support. I have availability during the day for math, EF, or Well-being coaching. If you are a school interested in contracting multiple hours per week, I may be able to do in-person if you are located near Redwood City, CA.

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If I don't feel like we're a good fit upon meeting or within the first month, I'll do my best to refer to a colleague who I think would be a better fit.

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We may NOT be a good fit if:

- You're looking for shortcuts and quick fixes

- You cannot commit to consistently showing up

- You're not willing to take action and get your hands dirty

- You want to get everything right the first time.

    This work is messy, non-linear, and requires reflection and iteration

- Working online is difficult

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICTIONS

I have extensive professional development in specialized math instruction and the science of learning. I have over a decade of experience teaching and case-managing students with a diverse range of  learning profiles, including ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, anxiety, autism, PTSD, executive function challenges, twice exceptional, multiple learning differences, and complex mental health profiles, as well as neurotypical students. I am trained and certified in health and wellness practices such as motivational interviewing, positive psychology, and the science of behavior change.

 

CA Credentialed Special Education Teacher (Mild/Moderate, Added Autism Certification)

Professional Level Educational Therapist

Certified Health and Well-Being Coach through Duke Health.

10 years of teaching experience in school and private settings

Ongoing study groups and self-study to learn and maintain best practices

BrainFrames visual tools that organize language

Over 500 hours of Making Math Real* course work:

  • Overview

  • The 9 Lines (twice)

  • Games

  • The 4 Operations and 400 Math Facts

  • Fractions, Decimals, Advanced Place Value

  • Pre-Algebra

  • Algebra 1

  • Geometry (through high school)

  • Algebra 2

 

* Stefan Oste, in utilizing Making Math Real® (MMR®) methods, is in no way affiliated with, a member of, or employed by the Making Math Real Institute (MMRI), and does not represent or reflect MMR® or David Berg in any way whatsoever. Neither the MMRI nor David Berg has trained, certified, licensed, monitored, endorsed, recommended, or sponsored Stefan. MMR® is a clinical methodology, not a program or a curriculum, and neither the MMRI nor David Berg monitors, endorses, or accounts for the quality of services provided by Stefan

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