“Jillian is truly magic. You feel immediately safe and cared for in her space.”

Brooke, client, parent, and professional doula

Meet the (growing) Team

  • Jillian Van Ness (she/her)

    FOUNDER, INSTRUCTOR

    jillian@growresilientfamilies.com

  • Hannah Jane Kile (she/her)

    MUSIC INSTRUCTOR:

    Hannah grew up in the foothills of Auburn, CA singing, playing the guitar, banjo, and ukulele. Now an award-winning singer/songwriter, Hannah is currently 1/3rd of the band Dear Darling, having shared the stage with acts such as Emmylou Harris, Chris Thile, and embarked on a 7-week National tour in the summer of 2023. www.hannahjanekile.com

  • Olivia Yasmin

    MUSIC/DRUMMING INSTRUCTOR:

    Fenix Drum and Dance was founded in 2004 by the mother- daughter team of Angela J. James and Olivia Yasmin to give families the opportunity to participate creatively in music and dance of Africa and the Diaspora.

  • Jared Johnson

    MUSIC INSTRUCTOR 🪗

  • Arielle Deem

    MUSIC INSTRUCTOR

    Arielle is multifaceted musician, educator, and artist who is deeply committed to the power of song as a means to bring communities together. She offers private lessons, conducts workshops and leads the self-produced and curated Bring Change Festival and Benefit Concert Series, embodying the belief that music can be a catalyst for positive change and community cohesion. www.arielledeem.com

  • Neil Nayyar

    GUEST MUSICIAN 🌏

    At 18-years-old, Neil holds not only one but two world records for the most instruments played. (Currently around 130) Neil joins us each month with a rare collection of instruments from around the world. https://neilnayyar.com/

  • Andre Fylling

    GUEST MUSICIAN 🥁

    Father of three and musician extraordinaire, Andre sprinkles magic over every class and recording/track he plays on: from drum kit to clarinet, melodica to train whistles, kids love to DANCE and try our mini-drum set when Andre comes to play.

  • Brittany Thorne

    GUEST MUSICIAN 🎻

  • Joel Ginsberg

    GUEST MUSICIAN 🎷

  • Adam Krüsi-Thom (he/him)

    FACILITATOR OF CONNECTING DADS

    Father of two. Raised in New Hampshire. Professional Educator and Regional Director at EL Education. Runner. Rock Climber. Coffee Drinker. Poet.

  • Amanda Dewey (she/her)

    FACILITATOR OF RAINBOW LGBTQIA2S+ FAMILIES, WORKING MOMS, & PARENTS IN HEALTHCARE

  • Valerie Leddy (she/her)

    PHOTOGRAPHER

    www.randomvignettes.com

Jillian Van Ness: founder & lead instructor

She/Her/Hers

Hi! I’m Jillian, your parenting Fairy Godmother.

With years of professional experience as a pediatric massage therapist, student music therapist, and babywearing dance instructor, I’m here to help you, your child, and your family thrive through the exploration of touch, sound, and movement. As a parent of two young children, I often find myself experiencing waves of stress and overwhelm on the daily. Parenting little ones is hard and I’m on a mission to ensure that we don’t do it alone. 

The empowering gift that the pandemic offered me is the realization that I’m 100% committed to developing and nurturing resilience in myself and my children. I am equally committed to walking alongside you in your journey.

My successes working with hundreds of families tell me that, even though the world looks very different than we expected, we have all the tools we need to help ourselves and our children thrive and live the lives we have always dreamed of. 

Social, environmental, and racial justice are very important to me as are upholding these values in the spaces I support, occupy, and create. Read more about my commitment to justice.

Certifications and Background

  • Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) in Interdisciplinary Arts & Letters and Human Development/Psychology

  • Studied Music Therapy at Berklee College of Music in Boston (2004-2006)

  • Internationally Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist (CPMT) and Certified Infant Massage Teacher (CIMT) through the Liddle Kidz™ Foundation

  • GroovaRoo™ Prenatal & Babywearing Dance Instructor since 2016

  • Certified Massage Therapist (CMT #62868) holding the highest accreditation offered by the California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC)

  • Watsu® Aquatic Massage Practitioner and Teaching Assistant through the Worldwide Aquatic Bodywork Association (WABA)

  • Volunteer with the Bay Area’s Special Needs Aquatics Program (SNAP Kids) and Pediatric Palliative Aquatics Program at George Mark House in San Leandro

  • Red Cross Certified CPR and First Aid Healthcare Provider, with 550+ hours of training in bodywork, anatomy, and adaptive aquatics.

BIG NEWS

In Spring 2023, Jillian was one of 20 “Phase 1” artists commissioned by the City of Sacramento to make original art about the Del Rio Trail. The Del Rio Trail is in the City of Sacramento along a five‐mile abandoned railway corridor to the west of Freeport Boulevard from approximately Sutterville Road to the north and Pocket Road to the south. To address equity for all residents of Sacramento and to support public space conditions where everyone can be healthy, the Del Rio Trail combines the creation of a trail‐park infrastructure with community engaged public art along this vital pedestrian corridor. Learn more at https://www.delriotrailart.org/

My role as an artist is essential! Jillian was proud to be a part of the @CalArtsCouncil’s historic return to direct support for individual artists as a 2021 Individual Artist Fellow. Learn more about the program here: http://tiny.cc/CACArtistFellows2021

#ArtsCA

Winner of the 2021 “Small Business Community Impact” Award"