Barbara Western

Barbara and Alan are parents to Milo, 15, and Evvy, 13. They have been an unschooling family for the last 13+ years, starting out in Dublin, Ireland and now continuing on this path in Oakland, California. Barbara is originally from Vancouver, BC. Barbara trained as a yoga practitioner in Ireland from 2001-2005 and has found that the principles and philosophies involved in yogic and Zen practices have blended seamlessly with her and Alan’s unschooling journey. In addition to yoga, Barbara has an MSc in Applied Psychology from Trinity College Dublin and has spent several years as an Executive Committee member of the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Perinatal and Infant Mental Health group, specifically researching and advocating for supporting the mental health of children and their caregivers across the lifespan. Most importantly, Barbara, Alan, Milo and Evvy have travelled, learned and played together for many years and they have embraced and lived an unschooling life all along the way.