Understand before reacting.
Behavior makes more sense when you look beneath it. We start by asking what your child may be communicating, not how to make the behavior disappear.
Meet Alex Anderson-Kahl
Supporting parents is one of the strongest ways to support children.
I’m a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, parent coach, and the founder of Raise Strong.
I entered this work because I wanted to help children feel safer, more understood, and more capable. After more than a decade in schools, mental health settings, residential care, and disability advocacy, one lesson kept rising above the rest: children do better when the adults around them feel supported too.
That is why I created Raise Strong. My work translates child psychology into calm, practical guidance you can use in the moments that actually test you, from a morning power struggle to a full-blown meltdown.
Nationally Certified School Psychologist10+ Years Helping FamiliesFounder of Raise Strong
Why I Created Raise Strong
Why Raise Strong exists
Parents do not need more pressure. You need support that makes the next moment easier.
Most parents I meet are not short on effort. You have read the books, saved the posts, tried the scripts, and promised yourself that next time you will stay calm. Then real life happens. Someone is late, your child is overwhelmed, and all that advice becomes hard to reach.
Across schools, treatment settings, and conversations with families, I kept seeing the same pattern. When adults were given a clearer way to understand behavior, they stopped seeing a child who was simply being difficult. They started seeing stress, lagging skills, unmet needs, and a child asking for help in the only way they could manage.
Raise Strong grew from that realization. It is a place where you can understand what is happening beneath the behavior, find language that lowers the temperature, and build a plan that works for your actual family. No shame. No perfect-parent performance. Just thoughtful, psychology-informed support for what comes next.
All behavior is communication. When you understand what your child is trying to tell you, the hard moment becomes a place to begin.
THE RAISE STRONG APPROACH
What guides the work
Calm and connection are not personality traits. They are skills you can build.
You do not need to get every moment right. You need a way to understand the hard moments, respond with intention, and come back together when things go sideways.
Regulate before you reason.
A child in survival mode cannot learn from a lecture. Safety, connection, and your steady presence create the conditions for problem-solving.
Choose practical over perfect.
A useful strategy has to survive rushed mornings, sibling fights, and low-energy evenings. The goal is not flawless parenting. It is a repeatable next step.
Support the parent too.
Your regulation matters, but that does not mean you should carry everything alone. Supported parents have more room to respond with clarity and confidence.
The work behind the guidance
A wider view of what helps children thrive.
My perspective has been shaped by children, families, educators, mental health professionals, and disability advocates. Each setting taught me something different about what behavior means and what real support requires.
I bring those lessons together so you can spend less time sorting through conflicting advice and more time building the relationship you want with your child.
Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Supporting children, families, and school teams through assessment, behavior planning, mental health needs, and complex learning concerns.
Residential and community experience
Working with children and adults whose needs required patience, careful listening, and a deeper understanding of what was happening beneath the surface.
Disability rights leadership
Serving on the executive board of Disability Rights South Dakota and a governor-appointed advisory panel for children with disabilities.
Tools for everyday family life
Creating the Raise Strong podcast, practical resources, courses, and parent coaching that turn evidence-based ideas into usable support.
What you can expect from me
You know your child. I help you see the pattern.
I will never pretend to know your child better than you do. You bring the lived experience of your family. I bring a trained outside perspective, practical tools, and the space to think clearly about what has been keeping you stuck.
Whether you listen to the podcast, use a free guide, open the app in a hard moment, or work with me one-on-one, the goal is the same: help you feel less lost and more prepared for what your child needs next.
- Clear explanations without clinical jargon
- Strategies grounded in psychology and built for real life
- Honest support without blame, shame, or impossible standards
- Respect for your values, your family, and your child’s individuality