Two psychologists. Two parents. One program built from both.
The Screen Balance Program was built by two clinical psychologists who treat childhood anxiety for a living, and who navigate screens with their own kids at home.
Dr. Danny O'Rourke
Dr. Danny O'Rourke is a clinical psychologist, board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology (ABPP) and chartered with the British Psychological Society (CPsychol), and a father specializing in the evidence-based treatment of anxiety and related problems in children and adolescents. He completed his PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Washington, his pre-doctoral internship at Seattle Children's Hospital, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Evidence-Based Treatment Centers of Seattle (EBTCS).
I built this program for personal reasons. Nearly every parent I know worries about screens at home, or about what comes next. I am concerned for my own kids too. I looked for a program to guide families and found plenty that named the worry but none that offered a real solution. So I did what any scientist does: I went deep on the research, became an expert on the topic, and built the solution myself. The Screen Balance Program is the result, a rigorous and compassionate framework for families who know something needs to change.
Dr. Jennifer Tininenko
Dr. Jennifer Tininenko is a clinical psychologist and Director of the Child Anxiety Center at EBTCS, specializing in evidence-based treatments for anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD, and sleep problems in children through young adults. She completed her PhD at the University of Oregon, her pre-doctoral internship in pediatric psychology at Seattle Children's Hospital, and her postdoctoral fellowship at EBTCS. She is a licensed psychologist in Washington and a PSYPACT member.
I built this program because I see concerns about screens everywhere. My own kids are navigating this, and it felt like following a map without knowing where it leads or what the right move is. So I dove into the research too, and over two years we built the solution. I wanted something that could help thousands of families and make a truly meaningful difference.
How we think about screens
Six things we believe about screens and children, and why the program is built the way it is.
Balance, not a number
We are not anti-screen, and we do not think screen time is a number to be minimized. Screens run through school, friendships, hobbies and family life, and a childhood without them is not the realistic comparison. The useful questions are what those hours are doing, what they are replacing, and whether the pattern suits this particular child.
Your child first, then the plan
Nothing we teach starts with a limit. It starts with looking clearly at your own house. Two families can have identical screen totals and be in completely different positions, and the advice that fits one will be wrong for the other. That is why the program works out which of four screen balance profiles fits your child before it recommends anything at all.
Structure beats willpower
Most screen problems are not solved by trying harder in the moment. They are solved by changing what happens by default: what is on the device, where it lives, when it is available, and what the household has already agreed to. Get the structure right and far fewer decisions have to be made under pressure.
One or two changes, in the right order
Families rarely come unstuck because they picked the wrong rule. They come unstuck because they changed six things at once in week one. We help you narrow the whole picture down to the one or two changes worth making first, then add the rest at a pace your household can actually carry.
Pushback is part of the process
When a screen change lands, things usually get louder before they get easier. That is a well-documented pattern rather than a sign the plan is wrong. We tell you in advance what it tends to look like, roughly how long it runs for, and what to say while it passes, so it does not read as failure when it arrives.
A method, not another warning
There is no shortage of material telling parents that screens are a problem. There is very little that tells you what to do on a Tuesday evening, in your house, with your child, given everything else going on. The gap is not awareness. The gap is method, and the method here is the same sequence we use with families in clinic.
What this is, and what it is not
This is parent education built on evidence-based clinical practice. It is not therapy, it is not a diagnosis, and it is not a substitute for care from your own clinician. If your child is struggling in a way that worries you, please speak to a professional who can see them properly. The program will tell you plainly when something belongs in that category rather than this one.
You make the calls
This is not a set of rules to obey. You know your child, your values and your circumstances better than any program can. Our job is to give you the research, the clinical reasoning and the tools, so that the decisions you make are informed ones you can defend to yourself at eleven at night.
The same framework we use in the clinic. Built for your kitchen table.
Start with the assessment and see your child's screen life clearly, maybe for the first time.
Learn More Curious what is inside? See the full program