CF-Certified Parent Coaches

Dr. Douglas Kowieski is a compassionate parent coach, counselor, and educator dedicated to helping families build strong, faith-centered relationships rooted in grace, wisdom, and connection. With a background in pastoral counseling, trauma-informed care, and family systems development, Dr. Kowieski brings over two decades of experience walking alongside parents as they navigate the joys and challenges of raising children in today’s complex world.

As the founder of Hope for the Family, Dr. Kowieski’s mission is to equip parents with the tools and insight to foster emotional resilience, spiritual growth, and Christ-centered communication within their families. His coaching philosophy emphasizes the value of using the Connected Families Framework to disciple children and teens, while helping parents move from reactive patterns to intentional, heart-centered guidance that reflects God’s love and truth.

Dr. Kowieski has served as a ministry leader, counselor, and educator, developing programs for churches, schools, and community organizations. His experience with adoptive and foster families, first responders, and those in ministry uniquely positions him to understand the intersection of stress, calling, and family dynamics. He is also a frequent speaker and writer on topics such as faith-based parenting, boundaries, and emotional health in Christian homes.

When he’s not teaching or coaching, Dr. Kowieski enjoys spending time with his family, mentoring leaders, and developing resources that empower others to live out their faith authentically within the home.

Areas of Focus:

Faith-based parent coaching
Emotional and spiritual development in families
Foster and adoptive parenting support
Biblical boundaries and communication
Marriage and family enrichment
Pastoral and ministry-family dynamics

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I am a mom to three energetic kiddos (ages 3, 6, and 9). If you’ve ever felt exhausted and overwhelmed as a parent, I can relate! Early on in my parenting journey, I struggled with my strong-willed daughter. All the parenting strategies I used led to power struggles, big tantrums, yelling, anger, and ultimately disconnection with my child. When I discovered Connected Families back in 2019, I finally had the tools to forge new pathways of connection and peace in my family. I am passionate about generational healing. I would love to help you experience true transformation as you navigate parenting the family God has designed for you! Read more…

Hello, I am Ms. Jen and I believe we are all different by design. I love to partner with families, like yours, to help parents of children who may be struggling with issues commonly associated with ADHD, Autism, Sensory Processing Differences, PANS/PANDAS, mood disorders, and trauma. As a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach, I help parents grow wisdom in their sensitive and intense kiddos using the Connected Families Framework. I am a parent of three sensitive and intense daughters, who are grown now and have children of their own, who are also sensitive and intense. I wish I had Connected Families parent coaching while raising my girls! I have found it helpful with my grandkids and in my pediatric mental health practice, where I work with neurodivergent kiddos and their families. I am excited to partner with you to go from chaos to connection while learning through God’s abundant grace. Read more…

Whether you’re a parent grappling with discipline dilemmas or a grandparent taking on a pivotal caregiving role, I’m here to share a little hope and help. My journey as a mother of eight and grandma has equipped me with a deep understanding of the unique struggles faced by parents and grandparents alike. For the past 35 years, I’ve mentored families as a teacher, homeschool consultant, speech coach, and now as a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach. My business – Room4Hope Coaching – was born out of my prayer for God to “make room for hope” in my own family. I combine my professional training and personal experience to help families communicate and connect. It is my great joy to be a trusted mentor to my own children, grandchildren, and to YOU.

For more information, visit www.Room4HopeCoaching.com or email [email protected]

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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…

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…

Marlee Thomsen, LCSWA, has been working with children and parents as a mental health therapist since 2019 at Cornerstone Counseling and Wellness. Marlee is passionate about supporting parents and children as they connect through play, the events of ordinary days, and discipline scenarios that arise. In 2021, Marlee became a Connected Families Certified Parent Coach which has helped her both personally and professionally in approaching children as God approaches us with unconditional love, safety, empathy, and loving discipline. Marlee lives in Durham, NC with her husband and two precious sons, who continue to provide opportunities for her to grow as a parent and follower of Jesus. Outside of the office, you might find Marlee wearing beloved athleisure clothing while exploring a park with her family, drinking coffee, and/or reading on her Kindle Read more…

Family is God’s design, and we are made to thrive! I am deeply passionate about parenting, and pursuing a healthy, thriving family. We have 3 very different children, and have learned (and grown) the most in parenting our oldest son, who is very sensitive and intense. It’s an honor and privilege to support parents in their parenting journey, as they aspire to learn and grow to become the best parents, and living examples, for their children. I’ve accumulated mass amounts of content and knowledge from countless parenting resources. Connected Families, and their parenting framework I teach, is by far the best I’ve ever come across for building trust and relationships with our children, while raising them up to be who God has made them to be. Read more…

After saying “Yes” to Jesus to move to Belize as a missionary from 2008-2018, our family was never the same. Since we became parents, we have grown in having biological, foster, and adopted children and experience with traumas, abuse, ADHD, fetal alcohol syndrome, self-harm, and sensory and intense behaviors. Because I have learned and read so much over the years, the Lord has taught me how to be a better parent and how to walk as a child of God as well. I want to serve other families with compassion, biblical truth, practical suggestions, equipping, and a listening ear in crisis. Connected Families gave us space to heal, grow, and truly live in grace and truth- how Christ has called us. Parent Coaching was a lifeline in a time of need, and in turn, I want to provide hope for others. I am currently accepting new families. Email me at [email protected] to schedule a free 30-minute phone call to discover how I can best serve you. Read more…

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…

When I first got to know about Connected Families, I was working with young adult orphans and at-risk children in Latvia. The Framework transformed my thinking and really helped me serve these children better. During my parent coaching studies, the Lord brought my husband to my life. I moved back to Finland, we got married, and I became a stepmom to two teenagers. Having worked with orphans, I have adoptive and foster parents on my heart and would like to support them through the Connected Families Framework. I have also led a center for victims of human trafficking and their children in Cyprus. Serving in this ministry gave me insight into parenting challenges that these precious women faced. Kun ensi kertaa tutustuin Connected Families -materiaaleihin työskentelin nuorten aikuisten orpojen ja riskiasemassa olevien lasten kanssa Latviassa. Lähdin hakemaan apua työhöni ja sitä todella myös sain. Opintoihin kuuluva valmennussetti mullisti ajattelu- ja toimintatapani. Opiskelujen aikana Jumala toi mieheni elämääni. Muutin takaisin Suomeen, menimme naimisiin ja samalla sain perheeseeni myös mieheni teini-ikäiset lapset. Kannan sydämelläni erityisesti sijais- ja adoptiovanhempia. Erilaiset vanhemmuuden haasteet tulivat tutuiksi myös johtaessani päiväkeskusta ihmiskaupan uhreille ja heidän lapsilleen Kyproksella. Read more…

I’m a mom of three daughters – two young adults, and one school-ager. I know firsthand the challenges that can come with parenting, including sensory issues, ADD, anxiety, and neurodiversity, to name a few. I started my professional journey in music therapy, where I worked with children with a wide variety of special needs. More recently, I spent nearly a decade in children and family ministry where I was able to create and build a special needs ministry to provide support to children and their parents. Not long after we had our third child, we learned about Connected Families and its many resources. This grace-filled framework to parenting has totally changed our family dynamics after years of trying a wide variety of approaches. I have a passion for facilitating personal growth and development in children and guiding their parents in that process. It is a joy and honor to see the transformation of grace and healing for families through parent coaching sessions! I would love to support you in your parenting adventure, using these tried-and-true biblical approaches backed by brain science. Whether you are looking to understand and connect with your children more, or navigate a challenging situation that has come up, I’m here to support you in person or online. You are not alone! Read more…