Joanne Light

My name is Joanne H Light. I grew up in New Jersey and attended Wells College and The George Washington University. After obtaining my BA I earned a MA in Classics. This led to a teaching career at both private and public schools. After a time and one child I returned to school and received a doctorate in Counseling and Education. My dissertation covered women’s choices in creating careers and raising children. That was in 1982, and I believe it is a very relevant topic today as we observe parents dealing with an incredible number of challenges and choices as a result of the pandemic.
I have been married for 50 years, and we have lived and raised our family in Massachusetts, just north of Boston. After teaching, I spent my career at a Community College where I counseled and advised students and within a couple of years, became Vice President of Student affairs overseeing student life, career services, financial aid, and enrollment. As an administrator, I led a team of 80 diverse individuals. Upon retirement I found a passion in coaching and am a Certified Life Coach.
As a Parent Empowerment Coach I work with parents whose kids are struggling with any number of challenges. I help parents develop the power to create healthy relationships with their children by addressing conflict, making intentional connections and building resilience by understanding the skills of emotional intelligence. I try to provide clients with a conscious, connected and confident experience – a transformative change for families.

I understand parents’ feelings of burned out, helplessness and stress. My older daughter struggled and until we found the right sources of help, her anxiety and mood disorder created pain for the entire family. Once I found support for myself, I realized in parenting you are not alone. As a result we had more peace and compassion. Life experience as a parent has truly led me to my passion of working with families. There are so many issues, especially now: managing stress, understanding emotions, dealing with conflict, setting boundaries, reconnecting with your kids, safety and school, etc. It is truly endless. We all love our children and want the “best” for them but need to accept and nourish them for who they are and accept our own limits. There is no perfect parent.
Parenting is an inside out process – reach in and then reach out.