Rooted Support for Real Families
About Amanda Handleson, Licensed Educational Psychologist in Santa Barbara
THE STORY BEHIND R ooted within
Hi, I’m Amanda Handleson.
I’m Amanda Handleson, a Licensed Educational Psychologist offering educational evaluations and parent guidance for families in Santa Barbara. I am a mother of three and the founder of the Rooted Within practice, where I offer whole-child evaluations and parent guidance sessions.
In my early work, I followed the traditional path: evaluating cognitive and processing skills, viewing behavior through a structured lens, and offering school-based interventions. While factors like emotional regulation, social dynamics, and home environment were acknowledged, they were rarely integrated into the support we provided.
Over time, I began to feel that something was missing, and the whole-child process became the perspective I knew was needed.
As I grew in my work and became a parent myself, I started asking different questions.
What supports this child’s regulation? What shapes their emotional world? How do their relationships, environment, and temperament interact with learning?
Rooted Within grew from those questions and from the belief that support should begin with connection and a whole-child approach. Through educational evaluations and parent guidance, the Rooted Within framework helps families build ownership, validation, and confidence by grounding recommendations in a whole-child understanding.
When we place development in context and reflect that insight back to families with clarity and care, we create space within ourselves for integration and lasting support.
connected
resourced
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Connection is the starting point. We begin by understanding your child in the full context of their world, including relationships, routines, developmental stage, and environment. Guided by the Rooted Within framework, this whole-child perspective helps us see the story behind behavior and understand more clearly what a child may be asking for.
the foundations of rooted within
connected
the foundations of rooted within
When support grows from a foundation of whole-child understanding, it becomes more meaningful. The Rooted Within framework offers clarity and guidance that reflect how a child moves through the world, honoring both their internal landscape and external environment. From this grounded place, families can move forward with greater insight, confidence, and ease.
rooted
The foundations of Rooted within
When parents feel supported, they can show up with more presence and intention. Through the Rooted Within framework, families receive tools, reflection, and ongoing guidance that ground support in a whole-child understanding. It is not about having all the answers, but about knowing how to pause, reconnect, and take the next step with confidence.
resourced
a note from Amanda
My Rooted Within framework begins with understanding your child, your family, and the dynamics that shape your daily life. Whether through whole-child evaluations or parent guidance sessions, I center connection, curiosity, and developmental understanding. This work is not about quick fixes or rigid plans. It is about weaving insight with relationship, integrating practical tools, and honoring who your child is within the full context of your family.
I hope you leave here feeling more resourced, more grounded, and more confident in the steps ahead. Rooted Within offers educational evaluations and parent guidance designed to support that journey, and if that is what you are looking for, I would be honored to walk alongside you.
Amanda
PHOTOS BY ELISENDA FARISON