About

Our Story

Beautyful Hero

EMPOWER PARENTS TO EMBRACE THEIR LITTLE HEROES

Behind the Name

Beautyful Hero carries a special message:

BEAUTYFUL is spelled differently from how it is supposed to be spelled.  Rather than dwelling on why it is misspelled and fixing it so that it follows the normal standard let’s allow it to be transformed to a unique character.

It is the same for children with Autism and with diagnoses.  Each child has his individual differences.  When we keep focusing on how to make them become normal,  we forget that their unique capabilities can be transformed to something exceptional.

 

A HERO is normally thought of as someone with power.  Young children believe that their parents are always right, know everything, and can do anything they wish.  Parents might think that they are not good enough  to become heroes, but in their children’s minds, they really are.

If we notice, we will see that all superheroes have vulnerabilities. Therefore, parents do not have to be perfect to be heroes to their children. What matter most is parents try as best they can to meet their children’s needs. Children need nothing more than that!

Interesting Facts

Studies have found that assuming a superhero stance (the physical pose in which legs spread apart, arms on hips, chest pushed out and chin up) for two minutes can help people feel more powerful and persevere in challenging situations. This is because the stance stimulates the testosterone level, the hormone associated with power increase, and the cortisol level, the hormone associated with stress decrease.

For young children, pretending to be a superhero helps them feel more confident in social interactions and improve their abilities to manage their emotions.

 

Mission

Beautyful Hero’s mission is to support parents, pediatric professionals to have a comprehensive look at early childhood mental health. Using a developmental-relational approach will help us obtain the most proper and effective assessment and treatment plan for young children’s emotional intelligence and growth.

Let’s do it together!

"Each child needs a person in his life that empowers him to transform into the hero he is always meant to be."
Dr. Mimi Thuong
LPCC, LMFT, IFECMHS

Education and Employment

Dr. Thuong completed her Doctoral Degree in Infant Early Childhood Mental Health at Fielding Graduate University (APA accredited). It is presently the only doctoral program in the world that offers a degree in Early Childhood Development with an emphasis on mental health and developmental disabilities.  Her dissertation is  “Parental Ethnotheories of Young Children’s Play to Developmental Milestones and Parent-Child Relationship using DIR model.”

Dr. Thuong completed all her Doctoral courses with a 4.06 GPA. Dr. Thuong holds another Masters of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University with a 3.94 GPA. She also graduated Cum Laude earning a Bachelor Degree in Business Management at this Jesuit university.

As a clinical program manager, Dr. Thuong provided clinical supervision to a multidisciplinary team including social workers, mental health therapists, developmental specialists, case managers and home visitors. She managed Behavioral Health contracts of one million dollars annually.

As an early childhood mental health consultant, Dr. Thuong provided consultation to teachers and directors at Head Start programs to support children and families with behavioral and developmental differences.

As a psychotherapist, Dr. Thuong provides comprehensive assessments and treatments for young children with emotional, developmental and behavioral challenges. She provides one on one guidance tailored to each child’s strengths and needs and always considers what the child and families have been through.

Professional Training

Dr. Thuong received extensive training in Early Childhood Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities that specializes for the 0-6 population

Child-Parent Psychotherapy was developed by Alicia F. Lieberman, Ph.D and Patricia Van Horn, J.D, Ph.D. It is the evidence-based treatment for children under 6 years old who have been through scary or painful events, such as loss of a loved one, separation, serious medical procedures, abuse or violence at home or in the community.

View Certificate

DIR- Floortime was developed by Stanley Greenspan, M.D., and Serena Weider. PhD. Floortime focuses on 6 key Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities (FEDC) to maximize communication, interaction and relationship abilities with Autism.

View Certificate

Brazelton Touchpoints was founded by Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and his colleagues at Children’s Hospital in Boston. This theory is based on more than 60 years of research and an evidence-based theory of child development. It helps parents and caregivers understand a child’s behaviors, strengths, and growing capacities.

View Certificate

Triple P was developed by Matthew Sanders, PhD., University of Queensland, Australia. Triple P is ranked by the United Nations as one of the four most effective evidenced-base parenting programs for children with ADHD and behavior issues.

View Certificate