Certified Coaches

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.

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My goal is to support parents and kids in order to build healthier families and more fully reflect the heart of Jesus and the family of God. Kenji and his wife Amy are missionaries with Cadence International. They spent 8 years living overseas in Japan and have firsthand experience with raising third-culture kids. They currently serve at Cadence’s HQ as caregivers for the kids of Cadence missionaries and provide support and pastoral care for families around the world. Connected Families has been an invaluable tool for their family as they raise their three young kids. Read more…

Uwera Astrida is a parenting coach based in Rwanda. She helps parents build peaceful, connected homes using practical, grace-based tools inspired by the Connected Families framework. With experience mentoring children of different ages and backgrounds, she brings deep empathy and an understanding of African cultural realities. Astrida equips parents to communicate with confidence, manage conflict, understand behavior, and raise children who feel safe, loved, and capable. 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…

I am a wife, a mom of two strong-willed and doubly gifted teenage girls, and have worked in Kids Ministry for over 15 years. I know that kids are a gift from God. I also know that their behaviors can be challenging and can lead to parent reactions that we don’t intend. I have been there! When I was introduced to Connected Families, I felt like I finally had language, tools, and hope to help me parent well and lead ministry well. One of my greatest joys is connecting with and supporting parents and ministry leaders. We all want to see our kids know Jesus deeply and follow Him with all their hearts. I believe that Connected Families gives us the resources we need to partner with God as He reaches the next generation. Read more…

Every moment holds an opportunity to lean into God’s grace. When we offer our challenges as a canvas for His strength, we discover that with God, all things are truly possible. With 17 years as a special education teacher and now a mother of four, I’ve learned that the most vital work is connection. Teaching and parenting aren’t about “fixing,” but about igniting the gifts already there by fixing our eyes on God. After praying for the right language to help my family and others build safe spaces of truth in love, Connected Families became my answered prayer. This framework helped to unite my husband and me in our parenting, moving our home from managing “messes” to living on mission. Using these faith-based tools, families are equipped to build connected homes rooted in truth and love. It is never too late or too early because you and your child are God’s masterpieces, brought together for such a time as this. We can discover and ignite the gifts and purposes within the home, building lasting legacies for generations to come. It would be my honor to come alongside you in intentional parenting and to activate creative solutions. If you are looking for coaching or a workshop, please reach out at [email protected]. Be blessed. Read more…

I found Connected Families at a time of desperation with my children, and I received the tools, instruction, and hope to forge a new path with them. After taking the DTC online course and receiving one-on-one coaching, there was an amazing trajectory shift in our family. I am a wife and mother of three young adults, each of which is so different than the next! It is my desire to come alongside families that are looking for a better way to parent and help them make lasting changes. I want to extend the same hope that I received to those who are just starting the parenting journey as well as to those who, like me, found themselves in a broken place. I have experience working with ASD, ADHD, sensory processing, and strong-willed kiddos. Read more…

We help parents have peace and a plan for living the intentional life they deeply desire with their kids. We knew we wanted to disciple our kids to know and love Jesus, but the daily chaos of homeschooling four kids and running a business, along with sensitive and intense temperaments among us all, left us feeling reactive, angry, controlling, and disconnected from our kids. Connected Families parent coaching brought the peace and plan we needed to be the kind of parents we wanted to be – ones who do not find our identity in perfect parenting but who receive God’s grace and truth for ourselves and then pass that on to our children. As Connected Families certified coaches since 2021, we help parents become more confident in who they are in Christ, and from this foundation, begin to enjoy close, connected relationships while discipling their children to grow in wisdom. We are the hosts of the Building Wise Families Podcast, and our heart for parents as they disciple their kids comes from Proverbs 24:3-4: “By wisdom, a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.” It would be an honor to walk alongside you in parent coaching as you grow in knowing you are treasured by God and equipped to build your family with wisdom. Corrie is a homeschool mom of 4 with a Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. Alan works from home and started his own architecture firm in 2015 after coming back to the States from overseas. We also have the privilege of training new Connected Families Certified Parent Coaches and seeing discipleship happen all over the world. To reach us, please email. It would be a joy to connect! Read more…

Hi, I’m Jenna, a certified parent coach and mom to three uniquely designed kids. My parenting journey, including autism, emotional and behavioral challenges, IEPs, foster care, and adoption, has shaped my heart for supporting families, especially those with neurodivergent children. Rooted in faith, grace, and the Connected Families framework, I provide practical tools and encouragement to help parents restore calm, connection, and confidence in their homes, guiding families toward greater joy, peace, and purpose. Read more…

I have personal and professional experience with adoption and love working with families who have experienced adoption and/or trauma. It would be a joy to walk alongside you in your parenting journey, whether you are facing behavioral challenges or just want to connect deeper with your child. I am a Licensed Master Social Worker and Certified Parent Coach. When I was in high school, my sister and sister-in-law were both adopted internationally, providing me with a unique opportunity to see and experience firsthand the impacts of trauma on the direct family unit. I saw the need for people to walk alongside parents who need encouragement, support, and practical tools for parenting their children with purpose. To meet this need, I became a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. I provide insight and strategies backed by neuroscience, child development research, and the Connected Families framework to help you feel more equipped to parent with confidence. I meet with parents of children who have come into their lives biologically, through adoption, or through foster care. Additionally, I also meet with clients of all ages for therapeutic counseling with LifeWorks Counseling Group in Columbus, Georgia. I have worked with families parenting children who have ADHD, sensory needs, developmental delays, anxiety, Down syndrome, autism, trauma, and more. I also work with families who just want to understand their children a little more, strengthen trust, and don’t want to miss the opportunities to equip, teach, and connect with their children on a daily basis. I meet with families via Zoom, and I can also meet in person in Columbus, Georgia. To get started, please email me at [email protected]. Read more…

Many parents feel overwhelmed and stuck in patterns that just aren’t working. As a parenting coach, I help them confidently implement a grace-filled parenting strategy so they can relax, enjoy their families, and find new hope. My greatest joy is watching parents who have struggled in their relationship with their kids experience transformation through new skills, perspectives, and mindsets- whether in one-on-one sessions, small groups, or workshops. I’m a mom of two young adult children and “like a mom” to two other young adults who have experienced significant developmental trauma. Parenting has been full of ups and downs for me, and I often wish I had known the Connected Families framework when my kids were little- it would have made things so much easier and deepened our connection earlier. Even so, I’m grateful that today I enjoy connected, though not perfect, relationships with my kids. Along with my personal parenting journey, I am a licensed Family and Early Childhood Educator with more than 25 years of experience working with young children and their parents. I’ve also had the privilege of supporting and training teachers in the U.S., Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, including teaching the Connected Families framework at conferences and in schools. Because of my background and experiences, I especially love encouraging and equipping parents of young children, parents of young adults, parents of kids from hard places, and teachers. It’s an honor to walk alongside families as they discover God’s grace and truth in their parenting. Read more…

Mara is a Licensed Clinical Social Work Associate with experience in play therapy and family therapy in addition to parent coaching. She enjoys walking with parents through the struggles and joys of raising children, especially children who have unique challenges or experiences. Mara has found help and hope in the Lord through the Connected Families teaching and she loves to offer the same help and hope to other parents. Mara lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and two children. She enjoys knitting, listening to audiobooks, and hiking with her family. Read more…