Blog Contributors

EP Staff

Elisabeth Wilkins, EP Editor

Elisabeth Wilkins is the editor of Empowering Parents and the mother of an 8-year-old son. Her work has appeared in national and international publications, including Mothering, Motherhood, Hausfrau, The Bad Mother Chronicles, and The Japan Times. Elisabeth holds a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine.

James Lehman, MSW

James Lehman was a behavioral therapist and the creator of The Total Transformation Program for parents. He worked with troubled children and teens for three decades. James held a Masters Degree in Social Work from Boston University.

Dr. Robert Myers

Dr. Robert Myers is a clinical psychologist with 25 years of experience working with children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and learning disabilities, and is the creator of The Total Focus Program. “Dr. Bob” has provided practical information for parents as a radio talk show host, a regular columnist for Parents and Kids Magazine, and as editor of Child Development Institute's website, 4parenting.com which reaches 3 million parents each year. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at UC Irvine School of Medicine. Dr. Myers earned his PhD from the University of Southern California.

Parent Bloggers

Amanda Lane

Parent Blogger Amanda Lane is the mother of a 10 year old son and 12 year old daughter. Amanda has been married for 15 years and works as a Clinical Systems Analyst the hospital in her rural community. She hopes to give hope and confidence to others as she writes about her journey through parenthood.

Ann Gatty

Ann Gatty, Ph.D. is a life coach inforpreneur, author and organizational strategist. She has taught in classrooms and organizational training sessions and now works as a life coach for professional and personal development. Dr. Gatty has developed curriculum for college courses, organizational training and personal development. From her work and personal experiences, she finds a continuous need among women, of all walks of life, to find a life balance between professional goals and personal responsibilities. Ann Gatty hosts a website, www.stress-management-4-women.com, which offers stress management strategies, life skill development, and a means of finding your true passion in life. She has also authored Discovering God’s Recipe for a Healthy Body, Heart and Soul. Ann Gatty earned a Ph.D. in Instruction and Learning from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Education. She is married, the mother of two young adult boys, and shares her home with her husband, two Great Danes and a Bassett Hound.

Barbara Greenberg

Barbara is a PhD clinical psychologist who specializes in the treatment of adolescents and their well-intentioned but exhausted parents. She is the co-author of Teenage as a Second Language-A Parents Guide to Becoming Bilingual with Jennifer Powell-Lunder PsyD and the co-creator of the website http://www.talkingteenage.com.

Dale Sadler

Dale Sadler is the father of two and a counselor, speaker, minister, artist, writer, and avid hiker. Dale works full time as a school counselor but at his private family counseling practice he specializes in marriage, parenting, and men's issues. Dale’s passion for the family compels him to aid them in their journeys towards peace and empowerment. Dale is also the author of How to Argue with Your Teen and Win, available on the Kindle. Find out more at www.dalesadler.net, www.insearchformore.com, or follow him on Twitter @DaleSadlerLPC.

Dr. James Sutton (aka Dr. Jim)

As a child and adolescent psychologist and former Special Education teacher, Dr. James Sutton has great compassion for young people, especially those who struggle. He is in demand for his expertise on emotionally and behaviorally troubled youngsters and his skill for speaking, writing and training on this subject. He is the author of The Changing Behavior Book: A Fresh Approach to the Difficult Child. His monthly publication, the ODD Management Digest, is available at no cost through his website, www.DocSpeak.com.

Emmie

I am a mom of two boys, ages 15 and 21, both with ADHD, bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression. I have remarried and my husband has 2 boys, ages 12 and 14. The 12 year old lives with us, and has some behavioral problems and attachment issues. There is always something happening at our house!

Gina Norma

Gina Norma has kept a journal since the fourth grade and says she is "a writer at heart." Gina hopes to reach more people through the EP blog and encourage other parents' journeys along the way. "To me, parenting is all about building relationships with our kids and walking along side them -- not trying to control them or use shame," she says. Gina grew up in St.Paul MN, and enjoys art, reading, traveling, thrift shopping, her poodle, picnics, volunteering and spending time with her 15-year-old. One day she hopes to go to Italy, attend college, and solve world hunger.

John D. McPherson Jr.

John McPherson is a leadership and management consultant in Salinas, CA. John and his wife Christina have two children, Fiona and Carson. Both John and Christina's parents had a great influence in their upbringing, which helped them define how they would parent their children. Over the past ten years, John observed how many parenting practices have strayed from the principles he and Christina have found to be successful, and this led him to write a book on parenting, entitled "Ten Simple Rules for Being a Parent in a World Turned Upside Down".

Kim Stricker

Kim Stricker is a mom to two boys, an elementary teacher, and freelance writer. She also writes a blog about the daily experiences of raising a child with Asperger's and ADHD.

Melissa A

Melissa A. and her husband have 2 young sons, E and M, and a new baby daughter. Melissa's son E has hearing loss and wears a cochlear implant. Melissa works as an administrative assistant for a non-profit and also runs a bullying prevention group and a book-related fan group, in addition to blogging for Empowering Parents. You can check out Melissa’s personal blog here.

The Warrior Mom

Darah Zeledon aka The Warrior Mom is a wife, mom of 5, writer, fitness buff and thinker. Her unique voice reveals an experiential and academic knowledge of the social sciences-- particularly psychology and sociology. Her empowering messages are born from an appreciation and passion for life and a nonstop quest for truth, reflecting a wisdom and resiliency earned by an array of challenging life experiences. Despite it all, Darah’s personal favorites are the quirky anecdotes exposing the chaotic tug-of-war between motherhood and personal passions. She’s currently working on her memoir---a tragic, yet inspiring story of the last five years of her life entitled: A Lucky Girl. You can read more of her musings at: http://www.warriormom.net

Guest Bloggers

Angie Schexnaider

Angie Schexnaider is married with one 15 year old son, Tyler, who has ADHD and a minor Cognitive Disorder. Angie lives in Louisiana with her family. She is also a licensed insurance agent working in an independent insurance agency.

Anita Johnston

I am a married with three children. We live on Prince Edward Island, where I grow and sell vegetables. I have recently returned to school for my GED. Our family has 2 rabbits, 1 cat, and 1 dog. I like reading, oil and water painting, photography and writing about anything interesting. I have worked in my husband's business for 16 years doing much of the bookkeeping, office management, etc. We hope to expand into managing a greenhouse and selling many types of vegetables and nursery plants.

Annita Woz

Annita Woz grew up in a large, imperfect family in the Midwest. "As adults we have the power to build children up or tear them down," she says about the challenges of being a responsible parent, "and we never know when what we say is going to be a defining moment in a child's life." Woz is a writer and child-grower living in the Midwest with her husband and their three inspirational children. She is always learning. You can visit her website at annitawoz.wordpress.com

Carol Brooks Ball

Carole Banks

Carole Banks, MSW holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of New England. As a parental support line advisor, she worked for Legacy Publishing Company for four years. Carole has worked as a family and individual therapist for over 10 years, and is the mother of 3 grown children and the grandmother of six.

Carri and Gordon Taylor

Carri and Gordon Taylor are nationally-recognized experts on blending families successfully. They began their stepfamily journey in 1986, when Gordon brought three sons to the marriage and Carri brought two daughters. Gordon is a practicing licensed marriage and family therapist, and Carri is a certified communications skills trainer and personal coach. They have 10 grandchildren and live in Edmond, Oklahoma, where they speak for church groups, businesses, and conferences.

Cheryl Kepner

Cheryl Kepner is Vice-President of Creative at Legacy Publishing Company and the producer of The Total Transformation Program. She has four stepdaughters and three grandchildren.

Dr. Joan

Dr. Joan Simeo Munson earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver. She has worked with incarcerated individuals, families, adolescents, and college students in a variety of settings, including county and city jails, community mental health centers, university counseling centers, and hospitals. She also has a background in individual, group, and couples counseling. Dr. Munson lives in the Boulder area with her husband and three energetic children, ages 14, 11, and 9.

Frank Brogni

Frank is a veteran of the US Army and graduate of the University of Wisconsin. Frank has been a self-employed entrepreneur his entire adult life. During his encore years, Frank is a Certified Performance Coach specializing in Family Relations and a credentialed member of the International Coach Federation. Frank is also the proud “Dad” to five children and “Grandpa” to four grandchildren. Currently, Frank is living with his wife Sheri in Phoenix, Arizona.

Gigi

I grew up an only child and, heavily influenced by a book and movie  Cheaper by the Dozen, I wanted a large family. I got four children... spaced over three generations. I have a PhD in physiology and taught entering nursing students for many years. I am still having trouble dealing with the term "elderly" when it is applied to me.

Greengirl11

I am a 42 years old and have been blessed with a great husband and three wonderful kids: my daughter is 19 and in her second year of college, my older son is 14 and a freshman in high school, and my youngest is 11 and in 6th grade. I graduated college at age 34 in 2001 and have worked in administrative and management positions until this past summer. We have a very small farm operation and raise our own chickens (for eggs) and have raised a couple of pigs and have a small herd of beef cattle. We live in a small community that we love and with good schools that care a lot about their students.

Heather E. Sedlock

Heather is a mom of two special needs kids and has spent over a decade working with them and other children who present challenging behaviors. She has been writing for over 20 years on numerous topics. She currently resides in a small town in Oklahoma.

Heather W. Soderquist

Heather Soderquist is a mother of two children and a business coach for nonprofit corporations. She is a student pilot and writes children’s books, poetry and creative non-fiction.

JerriAnnReason

Jessica Scott

Jessica Scott is an active duty army officer, one half of a dual military couple and full time mom. She squeezes out time to write late at night or on her lunch breaks, such as they are. She blogged her way through Iraq in 2009 and you can read about her journey athttp://www.jessicascott.net. She is the mother of Mia (3) and Victoria (5) and is blessed to have good kids who've struggled through a rough time as military kids.

Jodi Richardson

Before having children of her own Jodi held many jobs that involved kids. This included teaching "at risk" junior high students in an alternative schools classroom. She finds being the mother of two children equally as challenging.

Julia Clark

Julia is the single mother of an 8-year-old girl. She is presently also caring for her gently aging father. Julia has two older step children, a boy and a girl in their twenties from her first marriage. She is also five years into her second blended family with her fiancé and his three children, a 12-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy. “With three generations at home, it's always busy,” says Julia. Julia has her CBA from the National Association of Credit Managers.

Kathy Pride

Kathy has four children, aged 9, 12, 24 and 26. Her second son was seduced by marijuana when he was 16. Kathy is now a published author of "Winning the Drug War at Home". She is also a childbirth educator and is writing a pregnancy and childbirth book. Her web site is www.kathypride.com where she blogs several times a week. Kathy graduated from Brown University with a degree in Health and Society, and also has a BSN in Nursing.

Katie LeClerc Greer

Kemuel Ronis

Kemuel Ronis has over 25 years of teaching experience in a variety of settings. He worked in public education from grades 5-12, has owned and operated a martial arts school for 15 years, worked in behavioral education in a hospital environment, and supervised and trained adults in behavioral techniques. Kemuel has three grown children ages 23-26, all living independent lives with successful careers that they chose themselves. Kemuel is not only proud of each of their accomplishments, but also that he and his wife Linda have successfully made the transition from raising them to being mentors and adult friends with them.

LeeAnn McLeod

LeeAnn is the 38-year-old mother of three girls and one boy, ages 16, 14, 12 and 6. Each of the children except the youngest has issues, including ADHD,ODD, poor impulse control, major anger and depression. Because of these issues, there are constant doctor and counseling appointments. LeeAnn has been married for 16 years.

Leslie Cedeno

Leslie was born and raised in New York City. She moved to Florida with her two children 11 years ago when her sons were ages 3 and 18 months. She earned a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Marketing and spent eight years working in the nonprofit and for-profit side of affordable housing. For the last three years, she’s been employed as a staff grant writer for a nonprofit agency providing emergency shelter and services to homeless men, women and children. Leslie’s sons are now 14 and 12 (almost 13) and they enjoy sports: basketball and baseball and have been involved in scouts for seven years as well. Leslie’s older son was recently diagnosed with ADHD-combined type as well as low processing speed and some executive dysfunction.

Linda Falcao

Linda Falcão is a mother, attorney, and teen educator, founder of the youth volunteer organization AMERICA SERVES, www.americaserves.net. The AMERICA SERVES Student Journal was honored by the US Department of Education in 2008 as a guide to teen service learning. She has degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in English and from the Wharton School in Economics, and attended Harvard Law School. She currently practices law and mediates in the field of employment disputes, and is an appointee to Pennsylvania’s Advisory Committee to the Commission on Alternative Dispute Resolution. Of everything in her life, she is most proud of her marriage and her children.

Lola Howle

Lola Howle is a journalist and technical writer located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A single mom, she currently shares a home with her patient 80-something mother and stubborn, attention-deficit 13-year-old son.

Marc J. Ladin

Marc is a retired elementary school principal with over 30 years experience in urban and suburban schools in RI and CT. He has presented numerous workshops for children that stress the importance of speaking up and taking responsibility for getting help as the victim of bullying and as the bystander. Marc lives in West Kingston, Rhode Island with his wife and two cats. He is the father of five grown children and he is an avid sailor, potter, gardener, guitar player, and photographer. He has recently published a children's book on bullying entitled The Playground Bully Blues. You can see his site at http://www.playgroundbullyblues.com.

Matt and Julie Hellstrom

Matt and Julie Hellstrom are parents of 5 beautiful, unique adopted children. Read about their challenges and successes as parents in their parenting journey blog at Tips for parenting or Positive parenting skills.

Megan Devine

Megan Devine was a Parental Support Line Specialist and she is also a writer. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Goddard College. Megan has a children’s career book in pre-publication, and has several other books in the works.

Melody

Melody is a wife and mother of three beautiful children ages 9, 8, and 3 years, each with their own challenges. A certified teacher, now a stay-at-home mom and family daycare provider, her days are filled with activity that engage a tremendous measure of energy, stamina, and courage! Melody blogs at My Twisted Stitches and is also a parent blogger for Empowering Parents.

Mercy Castro

I'm a 40 year old widow, with three kids - Nathaniel is 11, Ethan Daniel is 8, and Lei Anne is 5. I'm from Las Pinas City, Philippines. I've been writing since I was 18. I started writing about parenting and child behavior after my first child was born.

Nicole Roswell

Nicole Roswell is married with four grown children. She and her husband are now raising their twelve-year-old granddaughter who has ADHD. They have two dogs and two cats, and a mole who lives in the front yard "whose lifelong goal is to destroy every blade of grass that we own."

Scott Wardell

Scott Wardell is the creator and author of Scottcounseling.com. ScottCounseling offers free parenting articles, parenting eBooks and online counseling services.

Single Dad

RJ Jaramillo is a single father of three and the founder of www.singledad.com. While facing the daily challenges of raising three children on his own after his divorce, RJ realized how few resources were available to help him during this journey. He started SingleDad.com in 2007.

Susan Engel

Susan Engel is a retired Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and single mother of two sons, aged 6 and 9 (the eldest was conceived via IVF after infertility and pregnancy loss). She grew up in several suburbs of Los Angeles, CA, and graduated in 1994 from Cal State University, Long Beach, with a MSN, and has practiced various forms of nursing over a 20-year career. She currently resides in San Diego, CA, spending her days trying to keep her sanity while co-parenting her children, writing meager fiction, creating an online business with her fiancé, and going gray.

Suzz Malone

Tina Wakefield

As a Parental Support Line Advisor, Tina Wakefield coached parents on Total Transformation techniques for nearly four years. Tina is also the mother of a toddler and stepmother of a pre-teen.

Toni Vitanza

Toni Vitanza, 47, is the mother of a son, 15. She is a Texan who now lives in Clemson, S.C. After a career as a newspaper journalist and time as a stay-at-home mom, she became a flight attendant and has flown for 11 years. In addition to flying, she has been a substitute teacher for 23 years. She has completed two four-year degrees and done graduate work in the liberal arts, studied in Scotland, trained teachers in Poland and traveled extensively. Her husband is a college professor.

William DeFoore, Ph.D.

William G. (Bill) DeFoore, Ph.D. is an author, counselor, speaker, and owner of http://www.AngerManagementResource.com. He has been on the faculty of the Wellness Program at Cooper Aerobics Center for over twenty years. He speaks and conducts workshops internationally on anger management, emotional intelligence and emotional wellness in personal and business relationships.