CF-Certified Parent Coaches

As a former child therapist and a current stay-at-home mom to a five-year-old and two-year-old twins, I have the unique ability to see the world from the eyes of a child while also understanding the complexities and difficulties of being a parent. I would love to help guide you through the uncomfortable and sometimes painful—yet fundamental—detective work that will help us identify the existing wounds that may be lending a hand to the difficulties you are currently experiencing with your child(ren). During our coaching sessions, we will work to identify these existing wounds, give them over to God, and create a parenting plan that both mirrors the heart of Jesus and is supported by neuroscience.

While working as a child therapist, I focused largely on play therapy while equipping parents with tools and skills backed by neuroscience, slowly realizing that the scientific research I was sharing with other parents perfectly aligns with the word of God. While I wholeheartedly believe that play therapy can be extremely beneficial for many kiddos, I witnessed the greatest changes in the kiddos whose parents were able to take the scientific research and tools I was providing them with and apply them consistently at home. For many years I have studied and worked largely from an attachment lens in which I instinctively incorporate into my coaching sessions. My prayer is that you will gain the ability to cultivate meaningful relationship(s) with the child(ren) God has entrusted you with and begin to enjoy the sweet years you have with them—even in the midst of the chaos. I would be truly honored to support you in whatever season you may find yourself in and join you as you continue along your parenting journey—one of the greatest journeys of sanctification.

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As an adoptive mama of sensitive and intense kiddos, I found Connected Families while searching for resources to help my family thrive. The Connected families framework is practical without being prescriptive. I love how it takes God’s Word and our relationship with Him and integrates the latest brain science to guide our relationships. When I feel stuck in a situation, I can use the framework to process the next steps. Since becoming a parent, I have learned how uniquely and wonderfully each child is made. What “works” on one child doesn’t necessarily “work” on the next. This framework takes the “what” and makes it personal for each kid. I have 3 very different children and find that my interaction with each one is unique, yet the principles behind them remain the same. I can help you apply the framework for your family. I understand the family dynamics of children with mental health issues, ADHD, and intense feelings/behaviors. And, after the loss of my husband to cancer, I know what it is like to be a solo parent. God’s grace is enough. He says that He has given us everything we need for life and Godliness. I believe the framework is one of those gifts. I am excited to help you unpack it! Read more…

For many years, we pursued help for our sensitive and intense child without success. By the teen years, our family was spiraling out of control. We sent our child to a therapeutic boarding school, but it didn’t produce the promised change in our family. It wasn’t until we found Connected Families and began to change the way we were parenting that we experienced a significant breakthrough. Partnering with a Connected Families coach and learning to utilize the parenting framework brought hope and changed the trajectory of our family. I have a passion for working with parents of young children so that they might avoid the pitfalls we made in our parenting journey. I also have a heart for working with parents of pre-teens and teens so that they know there is always hope for a restored relationship and an opportunity to change the future. The simple and effective teaching of Connected Families helps me recognize what’s really going on in me that drives my reactions to my children, helps me have compassion for what is going on in my children, and provides practical tools to guide them with love and connection that builds wisdom and responsibility. Before Connected Families, I was reading so much about the latest brain research and didn’t really have the skills to apply it to my Christian parenting. When I learned how Connected Families incorporates the latest brain science, therapeutic research, and Biblical truth into a beautiful, grace-filled plan, I knew we were onto something amazing. Learning to parent through the framework has been a journey of spiritual formation for me. I have learned to see how God parents me with patience, kindness, and long-suffering and always for my good. I am convinced that the hard work of applying the Connected Families framework is a journey that draws me closer to Jesus and is forming me into His image. Read more…

Courtney, a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, combines her knowledge of strengths based leadership with the CF Framework to help parents recognize the gifts of God in themselves and their children. She helps foster compassionate, connected relationships between struggling parents and children. Joe, a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. His experience in Mechanical Engineering and almost two decades in full time ministry have molded him to lead with solutions. Whether it comes to ministry or parenting, he finds clarity in the midst of complexity that provides win-win solutions for both parents and children. You can contact them coaching at [email protected] Read more…

As a mom to 4 kiddos, I have loved using the CF framework to learn a way of parenting that is new to me. I found Connected Families as I was struggling with a lot of intensity coming from my oldest child, who was 3 at the time. Parenting through this framework has been both a way of living out my Gospel beliefs and sharing the Gospel with my children in the context of everyday life. I am passionate about sharing this framework with other parents so that they may be as richly blessed as I have been. Read more…

Welcome to the Connected Families community. We belong together. Please relax and make yourself at home! “Hybrid Educator” describes my journey through Christian education, home education, and public education. My seven children are my favorite teachers! Our current educational landscape includes a university graduate, home school graduate, home school senior, and four public school students (in kindergarten, grade 2, grade 4, and grade 7.) Attending a tiny Christian college in Texas prepared me to teach at Christian schools in the United States and Africa before home-schooling my own children in New Brunswick, Canada. My husband, Michael, and I promoted curriculum at Home School Conventions across the country. Visions of family learning kept me dancing among blissfully harmonious expectations. Reality brought dissonance, overwhelm, and collapse. What was going on in me? What was going on in my children? My husband? Not the slightest clue! Just increasing pressure that I had to keep everyone happy, along with heaps of shame for failing so short of that goal. Without a wisp of awareness. A different question taunted, “What’s wrong with me?” My first encounter with Connected Families was hearing a radio interview that echoed the longing of my heart for true peace in my family. Healing and wholeness are possible! Relief flooded me, and hope carried me forward. Through grace-filled truth in courses, kindness, coaching, prayer, humor, and community, I continue to try again. Connected Families family members help me focus more on Jesus and His wonderful grace every day. How thankful I am for appreciative inquirers! Childlike wonder and curiosity are returning to my heart and home. Connected Families Parent Coaching is a transformational way to share the love I receive. Where are you in your parenting journey? Coaching empowers every parent to discover a unique next step for their divinely and intricately designed family. Let’s learn and grow together! Many of my “dance steps” remain awkward (and embarrassing for my children). Practicing to the music of God’s mercy is a delight. Connected Family resources are a gift from heaven. You don’t have to take my word for it! Where do you want to start? Linger on the Connected Families website discovering beautiful eternal harmonies. You might even find yourself dancing. “Lord, You are my true strength and my glory song, my champion, my Saviour! Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!” Psalm 118:14-15 Read more…

Mary Trego with Moving Forward Parent Coaching As an experienced coach, mom, and yaya, I would love to join you in your parenting journey, to encourage and help you move forward. You will learn ways to connect with and guide your child, as well as give yourself grace. This will result in more joy and satisfaction in your parenting. About my coaching: I have been a parent coach for about 10 years since completing a year-long course with the Parent Coaching Institute. I choose to continue my training with Connected Families, feeling that there were gaps in my ability to really help parents. I was attracted to CF by the Biblically grounded and research-informed teaching. Connected Families is rich with the knowledge, tools, and encouragement that parents need. While we all know that parenting can be fun and rewarding, it doesn’t take long to realize that raising a little human can also be challenging and exhausting. Sometimes we get stuck, trying the same techniques and getting the same frustrating results. Parent coaching is a way to get out of that rut. I chose a business name of “Moving Forward Parent Coaching” to help parents know that there is a way forward and with God’s help, find more joy and peace for yourself and your family. I love to encourage parents through their everyday challenges, especially those with children ages 2 to 10. I am also passionate about supporting single parents with the extra responsibilities they carry. As a coach, I am by your side to help you become more competent, confident, calm, and Christ-like. I look forward to encouraging you on your hope-filled journey. About me: My husband, Jason, and I both grew up in Kansas and lived there until 2000 when his job change moved our family to Athens, Greece. In all, we lived in 5 locations in Europe, Africa and Latin America. I understand the challenges of living and raising children overseas, and I love to encourage these parents who are far from their home country and family. We now live in NW Montana and also spend several months each year close to family in Denver. In addition to encouraging parents, I enjoy gardening and traveling with Jason, the love of my life for over 45 years. And of course, I cherish spending quality time and making memories with our 5 children and their families, including the 5 cute and smart grands! To find out more about parent coaching, contact me at: [email protected]. Briefly tell me about your family and your top parenting challenges. The next step will be a complimentary 15-minute phone conversation to see if coaching together is a good fit for both of us. An email will follow to explain the coaching process. Read more…

We had reached a crisis point with one of our boys when we reached out for coaching from Connected Families. Their gospel-infused framework, with very practical tools, has been transformative in so many ways. We wish we had known of Connected Families years ago! Rob is a Physician Assistant and Esther is a nurse and lactation counselor. We currently serve as missionaries in Guatemala. If you are Spanish-speaking, have kids with medical/special needs, or have sensitive or intense children, we would be glad to connect! Cuando llegamos a un punto de crisis con uno de nuestros hijos, empezamos un proceso de coaching con Connected Families. El enfoque céntrico del evangelio y las herramientas prácticas han sido transformadoras en múltiples maneras. ¡Sentimos que hubiera sido bueno conocer de Connected Families hace muchos años! Robert es asociado médico y Esther es una enfermera con especialidad en lactancia materna. Actualmente servimos como misioneros en Guatemala. Si prefieren comunicarse en español, tienen hijos con necesidades especiales o hijos intensivos/sensitivos, sería un gusto platicar. Read more…

We are passionate about introducing parents who are tired of trying harder to a way of trying differently through the Connected Families Framework. Grounded in the Gospel and up to date with research in neuroscience, Connected Families teaches how to connect with your children with both messages of grace and accountability. We desire to walk with families as they cast a vision for building wisdom in their children over time. Tara is a middle school teacher turned stay-at-home mom and home educator to our 5 kids ages 0-11. In addition to being a busy dad and husband, David is an actuary and a lay pastor. He is available to coach with Tara upon request. His passion includes walking with other dads in their parenting journey. We are so grateful for Connected Families’ impact on our own family as it has strengthened our relationship with God, each other, and our children. Read more…

Serving alongside my husband in Pastoral ministry for over 25 years, I have had the privilege of facilitating numerous parenting classes for the families in our church and have also encouraged and equipped moms in the challenges of motherhood through our MOPS/MomCo and Mom2Mom groups. Throughout the journey of raising our 3 biological children, I’ve grown through reading books for personal growth as well as parenting, especially in the area of overcoming anger. In 2019, we embarked on the journey of foster care and adoption and quickly realized that we needed a new set of parenting tools to address the unique challenges that come when a child has experienced trauma. Connected Families was the answer to our prayers! I’ve been encouraged and filled with hope as I’ve seen the framework help us provide a safe environment for all of our children to flourish and grow in relationship with us and with each other. Read more…

I have a master’s degree in early childhood special education and over 11 years of experience as an educator in special education, preschool, and early elementary. I spent several years as a stay-at-home mom when my children were young and currently teach kindergarten at a Christian school. I have special interests in both children’s and parents’ mental health and working with parents of children with disabilities, neurodivergence, and giftedness. I was honored to help adapt the CF Discipline that Connects course to a professional development workshop for educators and to pilot this program with over 30 kindergarten-8th grade teachers at my current school. I was also a guest on the CF podcast episode 202, “Practical Classroom Management Strategies that Work”. My mission as a Connected Families parent coach is to empower parents and educators with the tools, strategies, and mindset needed to navigate the challenges of raising and educating children in today’s world. My husband and I came to Connected Families as clients in 2019 looking for a better way to parent our two sensitive and intense neurodivergent children. I was immediately impressed by how seamlessly the Connected Families Framework marries current brain research with Biblical truth. Connected Families has transformed not only how I parent but my professional work as an educator and teacher trainer, as well as my personal faith in Jesus. It would be my joy to partner with you as a parenting coach for your family or as a speaker and trainer for your church or school. I am available to coach clients in person in the Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota and worldwide via Zoom. I am available as a workshop speaker for churches and schools in the upper midwest. My prayer for all of my clients is that they will feel equipped to meet the children in their care with true unconditional love while also developing capability, wisdom, and responsibility. Read more…