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Meet Deborah MacNamara, PhD
Developmentalist. Counsellor. Educator. Storyteller. Guide. Mother
Developmental science and clinical wisdom, grounded in real life. For parents, educators, and professionals who want to understand kids, not just manage them.
In a world full of parenting advice, what’s missing is a coherent lens.
Most approaches focus on managing behavior, calming symptoms, or coaching kids through emotions. A developmentalist looks deeper:
What’s beneath the behavior - and how do we create the conditions for growth?
I offer insight - rooted in developmental science, emotional theory, and more than 25 years of clinical and educational experience. My work helps adults see what kids can’t yet say: their needs, their alarm, their frustration, and their stuckness.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about making sense of kids (and ourselves), so we can be the answer they need—relationally, emotionally, developmentally, at home, in school, and in life.
I don’t offer curated scripts or surface strategies.
Why do I do this work? Because every child deserves someone who makes sense of them.
I have always been a developmentalist, long before I even had a word for it. It started with a fascination with bean seeds sprouting in mason jars lined with damp paper towels. Over time, that curiosity deepened and turned towards human beings.
Welcome. I'm Deborah.
After 25 years of supporting families and professionals in creating the conditions for kids to grow well, human development still captivates me and makes sense. My purpose remains clear: to bridge the worlds of research and real life, from theory and practice—so the people raising kids have a guide to help them.
It has been my great pleasure and honour to serve as a Faculty member at the Neufeld Institute alongside Dr. Gordon Neufeld whose groundbreaking developmental and relational approach has shaped my practice and mothering. From teaching to writing, including three books which have been translated into 17 languages, I continue to delight in making sense of kids to families across the globe.
I have had the pleasure of travelling to international stages from Australia to Romania, from keynote presentations at the United Nations to the Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education to conferences around the world. My passion as a translator of developmental science is to make it accessible and meaningful for parents, educators, and helping professionals who are responsible for raising kids in a good way.
My approach doesn’t live in silos. It’s an integrated framework that draws from emotional development, attachment theory, neuroscience, and relational insight - held together by a deep respect for what it means to be human.
I have witnessed first-hand how understanding what kids truly need from us can transform relationships and heal what is hurt in order to make headway. When theory, research, and practice come together, a developmental road map forms which becomes our best bet for finding a way through what is hard – to what is most needed.
After more than two decades of experience in mental health and educational settings, the things that are most important to humans have resonated clearly – we want to matter and to belong to someone and somewhere.
The role that changed me the most as a developmentalist is being at mother to my two children. It transformed what I knew intellectually and challenged me to live it out loud daily.
What I know is that when we’re equipped with insight, rooted in relationship, and grounded in what matters most - we stop second-guessing ourselves and start growing into the caretakers our kids need most.
Insight-driven education for parents and professionals
Explore topics in emotional development, parenting, and education through live or self-paced courses—offered online or in-person. Rooted in developmental science, each course helps make sense of behavior, emotion, and growth—so adults can lead with confidence and connection.
Compassionate guidance for families and teens
One-on-one counselling is available to support parents and adolescents navigating emotional challenges, developmental stuckness, and the everyday complexity of growing up.
Whether you're facing anxiety, resistance, or relational concerns, this work offers clarity - not just coping.
Translating developmental science into everyday practice
Deborah delivers keynotes, workshops, and professional development grounded in relational and developmental science. Whether in homes, schools, clinics, or community spaces - she helps adults reframe behavior, restore confidence, and reconnect with their role as the answer.
Practical insight you can return to - again and again
From books and articles to infographics and newsletters, Deborah’s resources translate complex science into everyday understanding. Grounded in experience, these tools help adults better understand the children and teens in their care.
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Helping You Make Sense of Kids
Insight and support for parents, educators, and professionals - through courses, counselling, speaking, and books.
Courses
Counselling
Speaking
Books
As a mother and a helping professional, I turned to developmental science - not for a credential, but for clarity. What I found changed everything.
Today, our kids are more alarmed, anxious, and emotionally defended than ever before.
We don’t need more strategies. We need a way to understand what’s underneath.
Learn why a developmental approach matters now - and what we can do together.
Why we Need A Developmental Shift
The Four Pillars Of My Work
Human Development
Development isn’t something to manage - it’s something to protect and invite. I help adults make sense of the emotional, relational, and maturational processes that shape behavior from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood.
Topics: attachment, play, frustration, resistance, discipline, self-esteem, emotional development, school readiness, parenthood
Emotional Health and Well-Being
Behind today’s most common challenges - anxiety, ADHD diagnoses, aggression - are emotional systems under strain. I help adults understand the roots of these struggles, including alarm, emotional defenses, and stuck development.
Topics: anxiety, attention, separation, emotional maturity, peer dynamics, bullying, opposition, defiance, resilience
Gather to Eat: Feeding, Culture & Connection
Feeding is about more than just food. Through Nourished and related offerings, I explore how food is tied to attachment, rituals, and emotional life. I help families and professionals restore relationship to the table - and resolve eating issues from the inside out.
Topics: picky eating, mealtime resistance, emotional eating, nourishment, food culture
Education: Relational Teaching & School Support
I help schools move beyond behaviorist models toward a developmental and relational approach to learning and well-being. This work supports educators in creating emotionally safe, relationally rich school cultures where kids - and teachers - can thrive.
Topics: school resistance, relational classrooms, student-teacher attachment, play-based learning, feeding in schools, social development
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Wherever you are - exhausted parent, curious educator, wise grandparent - there’s a way forward through insight.
