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Connection – it's what matters most

Free way to improve your family’s well-being.

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You have the power to make it better.

I help parents translate their child’s behaviors, build healthy family relationships, and achieve lasting, meaningful connections. “Getting by” is no way to live, I want you to thrive.  
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Vanessa Elias featured in the Wall Street Journal, "Quit Tracking Your Kids' Phones When They Head Off to College." To read, click here.

"Suicide in Your Community – a Parent’s Guide on What To Do" by Vanessa Elias. To read, click here.

vanessa elias

CERTIFIED PARENT COACH
MENTAL HEALTH ACTIVIST–CHANGEMAKER–THOUGHT LEADER
FOUNDER, THRIVE WITH A GUIDE, LLC

In 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy issued a public health advisory calling the American people’s attention to an urgent issue – the alarming increase in the mental health challenges of today’s children, adolescents, and young adults. I feel this with every cell of my body. No family is immune. This was a crisis pre-Covid and now it is exponential. My life’s purpose is to lead a culture shift of hope, connection, and action for individuals, families, and communities around the world. Please join me.
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Moments by Andrea Photography

If you are a parent, I can help you.
 
Parents seek me out because what they’ve been trying doesn’t work and hasn’t improved life for their children, for themselves, and for their families. 
 
Simply put, It’s a problem when it’s a problem. If it interferes with everyday functioning, you don’t have to wait until it’s a crisis to act.
 
The first step is reaching out, and then I serve as your objective guide – walking on the path with you, finding a better way forward, and helping you achieve healthier family relationships and lasting, meaningful connections.
 
My name is Vanessa Elias and I am the founder of Thrive with a Guide, LLC. I am a mental health activist, certified parent coach, speaker, and writer specializing in whole-family synergy and well-being. Together we problem solve, shift your lens, and develop actionable steps to change and improve life in your home. I am also a parent support group facilitator for both the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Authentic Connections Groups (AC Groups).
 
My mental health advocacy work started in 2015. Eager to make an impact, I served as president of my town’s youth council. Since then, my message and programming has resonated deeply and garnered national attention on NPR, PBS, and in the WSJ.

To read my full bio, please click here.

To learn more about all of Vanessa's certifications and trainings, please click here.

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one-on-one coaching

contributing writer

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Vanessa partners with leading innovators to create a culture shift, deploying most effective strategies to launch well-adjusted, healthy kids.

testimonials

What parents are saying

"When our son’s therapist recommended Vanessa, I was skeptical that she would say or do anything differently than the many therapists we had already spoken to over the past 10 plus years (in addition to the wilderness and therapeutic boarding school we tried). Boy was I wrong!  I’m so incredibly grateful that I gave Vanessa a chance to help me! She has a vast knowledge about DBT, and has given me specific advice and suggestions I had not gotten anywhere else."

What Book Discussions, PTAs, and Other Groups are Saying

"We can't thank you enough for joining us tonight. The feedback has been fantastic. Parents and caregivers definitely needed permission to take care of themselves, and it was great to have clear ideas on how they can start."

 

~ Warmest regards,

Annie and Lisa, PTA Presidents, Miller-Driscoll (grades PreK-2), Wilton, CT

What mental health and other professionals are saying

"Vanessa is gifted at her capacity to engage families with her compassion, warmth, and knowledge. She is extremely qualified to educate families regarding resources within the community, as well as guide them through less traditional paths to gain adequate mental health treatment. Families are often desperate, helpless, and terrified when their child is not functioning well. Vanessa’s personal and professional experience are a unique and invaluable resource to families who are navigating these uncharted territories. She has my unqualified highest recommendation!"

 

~ Liz Courtney-Seidler, Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Cognitive & Behavioral Therapies of Ridgefield, PLLC

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