Welcome To Empowered Parents


Empowered Parents (formally Feeding Futures) is the brainchild of Holistic Nutritionist & Social Worker Laurie Pinhorn and Holistic Family Interventionist Lisa Pinhorn.

A few years ago, we completely redesigned all of our support/intervention programs to include parental self-care elements, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy,  Polyvagal approaches, therapeutic yoga, and more neuroscience.  We jumped on planes to meet with world leaders like Kristen Neff of The Centre For Self-Compassion, we learned all we could from people like Russ Harris of The Happiness Trap. For the past few years, Lisa has been supporting learners from all over the world to learn about Self-Regulation through her work at The MEHRIT Centre. We have had the opportunity to learn directly from the best in the world!

Each day we support and teach families how holistic health impacts childhood anxiety, autism, ADHD, OCD and trauma treatments in our children. Through years of research and practice, Lisa and Laurie have created a hands-on, family-focused, child-directed, and highly motivational approach to therapies.

We know this to be true, families and children are busy and stressed. Emotional regulation skills can be vital to the physical and emotional health of all families. Challenges at school and home can ease when we practice body-focused emotional regulation.

In our practice, we provide families with practical tools focused on holistic anxiety management. We help families understand no matter the age, children communicate with us through their behaviours.  When parents learn to see challenging behaviours with empathy and soft eyes  – things change.  We help families learn about childhood anxiety and how it can impact sleep, eating, digestion, school, thinking, emotional regulation, social relationships, and overall long-term health.

Our services are based on the work of:

  • Mukunda Stiles – The Author Structural Yoga Therapy
  • Dr. Arielle Schwartz – Author of The Complex PTSD Workbook, EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology, The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook, and The Practical Guide to Complex PTSD.
  • Dr. Russ Harris – The Author of the Happiness Trap
  • Dr. Kristin Neff  – Renowned Self-Compassion Researcher
  • Dr. Stephen Porges – Pioneer of the Polyvagal Theory
  • Dr. Bessel Van Derkolk  – Trauma & PTSD Expert
  • Dr. Gaber Mate – Additions and Developmental Trauma Expert
  • Jon Kabat -Zin Ph.D – Author and the developer of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University  Medical Center
  • Ann Swanson – Author and Yoga Therapist
  • Dr. Dan Siegel – Researcher, Author and Director of the Mindsight Institute
  • Dr. Stuart Shanker – Researcher, Author and Director of the MEHRIT Centre

Our programs are designed to help families connect with each other and use empathy to build a healthy, family-based approach to anxiety, autism, ADHD, OCD and Trauma management. Our programs will change the life of your child and family. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, send us your questions and come along for the ride! This is a game-changer!

Lisa & Laurie