Claire Lerner, LICSW is a licensed clinical social worker, child development specialist, and the Founder of Lerner Child Development, where she has spent decades helping families understand and navigate parenting challenges. She is excited to embark on a new role as an Advisor to Little Otter Health, a pioneering start-up providing personalized, state-of-the-art online mental health care for children ages 0-12. Founded by Dr. Helen Egger, a leading expert in child psychiatry formerly at NYU Langone and Duke University, Little Otter Health brings together top specialists to improve mental health care accessibility for young children and their families. In her advisory role, Claire lends her deep expertise in child development to support the company’s mission.
Previously, Claire spent over 18 years as the Director of Parenting Resources at ZERO TO THREE, where she led the development of research-based parenting resources, educational materials, and training programs for families and professionals. Her insights have been widely featured in national media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Parenting Magazine.
As a clinician, consultant, and author, Claire works directly with parents to decode children’s behavior and provide practical, research-based strategies for fostering emotional well-being and resilience. She is the author of Why Is My Child in Charge?, a guide to setting healthy boundaries and nurturing positive parent-child relationships.
She lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and two dogs and is the proud mother of two adult children.
