Dr. Erica Buchholz, PhD

Developmental psychologist.

Speaker.

The person parents call when the pediatrician says everything is fine and it still does not feel fine.

Dr. Erica holds a PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology and has spent 15 years working with families across a wide range of situations, from everyday parenting challenges to complex diagnoses, school transitions, family restructuring, and professional burnout.

She has been featured on 40+ podcasts and summits and brings the same research-backed, plain-language approach to every audience.

•  PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology

•  Certified coach, mindset and sustainable change

•  LEGO Serious Play Facilitator

•  Certified Laughter Yoga Leader

•  Speaker, writer, and media guest across parenting, education, and workplace topics

Becoming Playful is a research library for parents and professionals who want trustworthy, age-specific child development information without the noise. Every resource here is grounded in peer-reviewed research and written for real life in 2027, not the idealized version.

The goal is simple: that parents leave here feeling more capable, not more overwhelmed. That they find the answer they were looking for, or know exactly what question to ask next.

A woman smiling and looking at a child wearing a patterned winter hat, both standing on a wooden bridge over a rushing stream in a forested area.
A smiling woman with short dark hair, wearing a patterned blue sleeveless top, holding a black dog with tan markings, wearing a harness with a logo.
Group of children standing on stage with arms raised, celebrating or performing.
A woman standing in front of a blue banner with the text "Zero to Three Learn Conference." She is smiling, wearing a white cardigan over a floral dress, and has a name tag hanging around her neck.
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THE FORMAL STUFF, BECAUSE IT MATTERS TOO

The training behind the work.

Everything at Becoming Playful is science-backed. Here is what that means in practice.

PhD · Applied Developmental Psychology

Most parenting advice comes from people who mean well. Mine comes from fifteen years of rigorous academic research into how children actually develop, cognitively, emotionally, and neurologically.

When I tell you something works, I can show you exactly why, down to what is happening in your child's brain in that moment.

That is not common. And it matters.

Certified Coach

Coach certification taught what my PhD didn't: that information alone never changes behavior. You can know exactly what you should do and still not do it, because the barrier is the thoughts, patterns, and beliefs running underneath.

My coaching training is deep into mindset and sustainable change. I help you understand why you keep doing what you've always done, and how to rewire it.

LEGO Serious Play Facilitator

LEGO Serious Play is a research-backed methodology adopted by organizations like NASA and Google. It uses structured, hands-on building to unlock ideas that never surface in a traditional meeting or conversation.

The reason it works is simple: when your hands are busy, your defenses come down and your creativity comes up. I use it with teams who are stuck, leaders who need new thinking, and groups who have forgotten what it feels like to solve a problem together.

Certified Laughter Yoga Leader

Laughter yoga sounds like the punchline to a joke. I thought so too, until I walked into a session burned out and walked out feeling like myself for the first time in years.

The science is real: laughter triggers the same neurological response whether it starts genuinely or not. Your nervous system cannot tell the difference. Which means we can use it intentionally, in a coaching session, in a team meeting, or on a Tuesday morning when everything feels heavy. I am certified to lead this work with individuals, families, and corporate teams.

Applied Development · Neuroscience · Positive Psychology

These fields rarely talk to each other. I lead the intersection because I know the answers live here.

The nervous system science explains child behavior. The developmental research explains what they need from you. Positive psychology explores building sustainability (instead of survivability). Together, they form a picture of your family that most approaches never get to.

Speaker · Writer · Expert Guest

Presenting at international conferences, contributing chapters to books, and finishing my own, this work has always lived where research meets real life. As an expert guest on podcasts, television, and radio shows, I translate science into something you can use before the conversation ends.

I run workshops for families because the most important place for this research to land is your living room, on a Wednesday, when it feels like too much. Everything comes back to one question: does this actually help today? If not, it doesn't make the cut.

A FEW THINGS YOU SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW ABOUT ME

The stuff that doesn’t fit in a bio

#1. I send silly jokes during hard weeks. This is not unprofessional. This is the work.

#2. I spent years believing that creativity was a distraction and that serious professionals don't play. I was exhausted, stuck, and wrong. I will not let you make the same mistake.

#3. I have never once met a parent who didn't care enough. Not once. In fifteen years. If you are reading this page, you care enough.

#4. I think the word "just" is one of the most dangerous words in parenting. As in "just ignore it," "just be consistent," "just set a boundary." Nothing about this is just anything.

#5. I know that playfulness is a skill. A practice. A choice. And it is available to you right now, exactly as you are. It doesn’t mean frivolous. You never have to wear a silly hat, unless you like that kind of thing!

#6. I will never let you stay small. I will also never make you feel bad for where you are. Both of those things are true at the same time.

Bonus: I love baby animals. Yes, all of them. Otters in particular. If you saw an adorable animal video, please send it to me. I promise I will love it and it will fill up my heart with extreme joy! Thank you in advance.

A woman with gray hair tied back is smiling and appears excited, standing in front of a countertop with a waffle iron that has a red warning sign and a digital timer that reads 105. There are white subway tiles on the wall behind her and a cardboard box on the countertop.

If something on this page felt like it was written for you, it probably was.

The parents and professionals who find their way to Becoming Playful are not people who have given up. They are people who refuse to. They are curious, growth-minded, and willing to try something that actually works, even if that something involves a dad joke and a rubber duck.

Questions, topic requests, or speaking inquiries: info@becomingplayful.com

Every family is different. You deserve a path that actually fits your real life. Choose the door that feels most like yours.