The Heart Behind Rook & Fern Co.
It all began quietly - with one simple hope: to create a space where growth doesn’t have to rush.
Rook & Fern Co. was born from the belief that families, educators, and children deserve support that feels both grounded and genuine - a place where connection comes from correction, and where curiosity is the starting point for change.
Meet Kierston
I’m Kierston Hernandez, a developmental psychology consultant, educator, and stroryteller who believes growth happens best when it’s slow, curious, and kind. My work is grounded in both research and real-world experience, shaped by years spent beside children, families, and educators learning how connection changes everything.
I created The Rook & Fern Co. to be a calm, trustworthy space for people who crave something gentler than the rush. Here, care feels human again, rooted in science, softened by empathy, and guided by story.
My background in child and adolescent developmental psychology, combined with play therapy training and lived experience with neurodivergence, helps me bridge the gap between theory and everyday life. I don’t believe in quick fixes, I believe in small, steady shifts that bring people back to themselves.
"Growth doesn’t rush - it roots.”
The
Philosophy
My work is grounded in developmental psychology and the belief that play isn’t just for children; it’s how humans learn, connect, and heal. Every strategy I use stems from the idea that growth happens through relationship, not reaction. Whether I’m consulting with a center, guiding a parent, or supporting a child, I lead with curiosity before correction and connection before compliance.
Through my play therapy training, I’ve learned that play is a child’s first language, and our role as adults is to listen. In practice, that means creating environments where expression, sensory awareness, and emotional safety come first. I draw from child-centered play therapy techniques, using attunement, reflection, and regulation to help children feel seen, while teaching caregivers and educators how to co-regulate alongside them.
My approach blends the science of developmental psychology with the artistry of presence. It’s both evidence-based and heart-led — informed by research on attachment, neurodivergence, and the nervous system, yet guided by intuition, empathy, and rhythm. I believe healing and learning happen in the same soil; the place where story, safety, and self-awareness take root.
Rooted in story. Rooted in you.
The name Rook & Fern came to life during a season of slowing down — a time when I was learning what it meant to rebuild from the inside out. I kept returning to the two symbols that felt like us: the rook and the fern.
The rook — clever, steady, and fiercely protective — reminds me of my husband, Richard, and of the grounded kind of strength that doesn’t shout to be known. The fern — soft, ancient, and quietly resilient — reminds me of myself, and of the way growth happens in the dark, long before we see it.
Together, they became more than a name. They became a promise: that strength and softness can exist side by side. That love can be both anchor and adventure. That what’s rooted in truth will always find a way to grow back toward the light.
Rook & Fern Co. carries that meaning in everything we create — a reminder that care doesn’t have to be complicated to be powerful, and that every story, no matter how tangled or tender, deserves a place to belong.
Beyond the Work
When I’m not writing, consulting, or creating for Rook & Fern Co., you’ll find me near the ocean — camera in hand, salt air in my lungs, and light dancing across the water. I’ve always been drawn to small, ordinary moments: the sound of waves over coffee, the stories tucked inside thrift shop shelves, the way a photograph can hold silence and memory all at once.
I love the hum of small towns, the comfort of well-worn places, and the art of slowing down. When life moves too fast, I find myself reaching for texture — sand, linen, film grain — things that remind me what’s real. These quiet rituals shape how I work, how I love, and how I listen.
My days are guided by rhythm and intention — not perfection. I believe in slow mornings, soft music, belly laughs, and honest conversation. I believe that the best kind of healing often begins in ordinary moments: at the kitchen table, in the car on the way home, and even in the pause before we answer a child’s question.
I live for the in-between spaces — the calm after a storm, the laughter after long silence, the warmth of coming home. Those are the moments that remind me why I do this work: because real life doesn’t happen in perfect plans or polished words. It happens here — in the mess, the beauty, and the belonging.
I’m a collector of old things, slow days, and second chances. A believer in softness, even when the world feels sharp. And no matter where I end up, I hope my life — and my work — always carry that same kind of tenderness.
Let’s work together.
Every good partnership starts with conversation.
If you’re a parent, educator, or collaborator looking for practical, developmentally grounded support — or simply curious about how Rook & Fern Co. can fit into your work — I’d love to connect.
Use the form below to share a little about what you’re envisioning, and I’ll follow up soon. Together, we can find what makes sense for your goals, your people, and your pace.