My family — the reason this exists.
Hi, I'm Tara
Five kids taught me what no parenting book could.
I'm Tara — mom of five, creator of Birch & Light. I make stories, songs, and simple tools for the complicated, emotional, hard-to-explain parts of parenting.
Built inside the actual mess of raising real kids — not from a quiet office somewhere.
A bit more about me
I'm Tara Alison (Tara Alison Oporto), a mom of five and the inventor of LightMap and the Birch & Light Method. Within Birch & Light, I serve as the author, songwriter, art director, and producer.
Raising five very different kids — some with sensitive nervous systems and big feelings — shaped this work in the most practical way possible. Birch & Light wasn't something I set out to create. It grew out of everyday motherhood. For years, I made up calming bedtime stories and simple songs for my daughter Faith, using straightforward storytelling and gentle melodies to help her feel safe, understood, and connected at the end of the day. The kids asked for stories, mostly Faith, and I made them up as I went. Sometimes I just started singing. Over time, those moments added up, and Birch & Light began to take shape.
"Those nightly moments became the heart of Birch & Light."
The playful songs came from everyday family life too — singing about s'mores in our home music room, turning "No Running in Socks" into a fun safety song, and finding humor and steadiness in busy, overstimulating moments. Over time, the books and music grew together as different ways to help children understand what's going on inside them.
The Birch & Light Method and LightMap grew out of the same need: helping parents see the patterns underneath a child's behavior, so what they do next comes from understanding rather than guesswork.
Outside of home, I've served my community through public education and access to learning, including a three-year term on my local Board of Education and service on my local Library Board. My work focused on curriculum and instructional programs, and I served as a liaison with parents, early childhood education, and special education supports — to help families feel heard and children feel better supported.
I create stories and songs to help children feel safe, seen, and connected, and to give parents simple ways to reconnect in the moments that feel the most intense, busy, or confusing.
I'm Tara Alison (Tara Alison Oporto), a mom of five and the inventor of LightMap and the Birch & Light Method. Within Birch & Light, I serve as the author, songwriter, art director, and producer.
Raising five very different kids — some with sensitive nervous systems and big feelings — shaped this work in the most practical way possible. Birch & Light wasn't something I set out to create. It grew out of everyday motherhood. For years, I made up calming bedtime stories and simple songs for my daughter Faith, using straightforward storytelling and gentle melodies to help her feel safe, understood, and connected at the end of the day. The kids asked for stories, mostly Faith, and I made them up as I went. Sometimes I just started singing. Over time, those moments added up, and Birch & Light began to take shape.
"Those nightly moments became the heart of Birch & Light."
The playful songs came from everyday family life too — singing about s'mores in our home music room, turning "No Running in Socks" into a fun safety song, and finding humor and steadiness in busy, overstimulating moments. Over time, the books and music grew together as different ways to help children understand what's going on inside them.
The Birch & Light Method and LightMap grew out of the same need: helping parents see the patterns underneath a child's behavior, so what they do next comes from understanding rather than guesswork.
Outside of home, I've served my community through public education and access to learning, including a three-year term on my local Board of Education and service on my local Library Board. My work focused on curriculum and instructional programs, and I served as a liaison with parents, early childhood education, and special education supports — to help families feel heard and children feel better supported.
I create stories and songs to help children feel safe, seen, and connected, and to give parents simple ways to reconnect in the moments that feel the most intense, busy, or confusing.
In 2026, the Birch & Light Method was named a Mom's Choice Awards® Gold Recipient, honoring the best in family-friendly media, products and services.
What the Name Means
Birch & Light symbolizes renewal and clarity. Birch trees are known as the first to grow back after a storm, and light helps guide all of us back to center. This name reflects the purpose of these books — to help children make sense of big emotions and help families create moments of connection, calm, and confidence.
The Feelings
Every Birch & Light moment begins with emotion. Kids feel deeply, even when they don't have the words yet.
The Stories
Narratives that turn tough moments into safe, relatable adventures that help kids feel seen.
The Music
Songs that meet kids where they are. A little silly. A little steady. A lot supportive.
Some songs are for kids. Some are for the adults figuring it out.
The Art
Watercolor illustrations and grounded characters that help kids settle in and stay with the story.
The Mission
To help families reset and reconnect by transforming emotional overwhelm into understanding, healing, and closeness.
Who Birch & Light Is For
Families
Parents seeking honest, useful books that name what their children are actually experiencing
Educators
Teachers and school counselors building emotionally safe classroom communities
Therapists
Mental health professionals supporting children through therapeutic storytelling
In a world that often tells children to "calm down" or "get over it," Birch & Light creates space for all feelings to be welcome, understood, and held with compassion.
Lived experience. Not theory.
Birch & Light was built inside complexity, not outside of it.
Years of navigating behavioral, emotional, and medical challenges shaped a grounded, practical approach to helping families reset and reconnect.
Behavior · Emotion · Biology
Real-World Clinical Experience
This work is grounded in firsthand experience across multiple levels of care within a family.
- Medically complex conditions within a family, including type 1 diabetes, and their impact on behavior and emotional regulation
- Five-year PANS/PANDAS treatment journey, under the care of Denis Bouboulis, a board-certified allergist and immunologist specializing in immune-mediated neuropsychiatric conditions
- Psychological evaluation and family systems work, including comprehensive clinical assessment
- Neuropsychological testing, providing insight into cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning
- Behavioral therapy (BCBA), focused on skill-building and behavior regulation
- Psychological and psychiatric care, supporting emotional regulation and complex behavioral needs
- Outpatient (including IOP and PHP), wilderness, and residential treatment, including Stepping Forward Counseling Center, Blue Ridge Therapeutic Wilderness, and Catalyst Residential Treatment
This experience provides a practical understanding of how children struggle, regulate, and grow across different environments.
How This Work Is Shaped
Birch & Light draws from child-centered approaches that view behavioral challenges not simply as defiance, but as a reflection of lagging skills, overwhelm, intensity, or unmet needs.
- Ross Greene, including concepts from The Explosive Child, focused on identifying lagging skills and solving problems collaboratively rather than through punishment or control
- Howard Glasser, creator of the Nurtured Heart Approach, helping children build self-regulation by shifting attention toward positive behaviors
- Krissy Pozatek, author of The Parallel Process, emphasizing how a child's emotional growth is closely connected to the growth and self-awareness of the parent
- Steven Phillips and Dana Parish, authors of Chronic, highlighting the impact of chronic, often overlooked medical conditions on behavior, emotional regulation, and daily functioning
- and other relevant approaches
Together, these perspectives reinforce a shift from control to connection and from surface behavior to deeper understanding.
Personal Development & Perspective
The founder's perspective is also shaped by extensive personal development and emotional growth work.
- Landmark Worldwide, including the Forum, Advanced Course, and Self-Expression and Leadership Program (SELP)
- Tony Robbins (UPW), an intensive experience focused on mindset, fear, and behavioral change
- Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), exploring the relationship between language, thought patterns, and behavior
- Caron Treatment Centers, recovery and family work
- Susan Anderson, emotional healing and attachment work
Founder Background
- Certified Coaches Federation (CCF) Certified Coach, with training in general coaching principles and communication
- Former Board of Education member, with experience in school systems, student needs, and educational environments
- Former Library Board member, supporting community engagement and access to learning resources
- Volunteer experience with New York Cares, reading with children in foster care and supporting early literacy
- Mother of five, with firsthand experience navigating developmental differences, behavioral challenges, and complex family dynamics
The clinicians, programs, and organizations referenced above were part of the founder's personal and family experience. They are mentioned for context only and do not imply affiliation, endorsement, or partnership with Birch & Light.
Birch & Light is not a medical or clinical treatment provider. Content is informed by lived experience and should not replace professional medical or psychological care.
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