About Mary Ann C. Palmer
My son’s journey is the reason I became a parent coach. During the hardest years, I often felt alone—unsure of what to say, what to do, or how to hold on to hope. I wished there had been someone to walk beside me, someone who could say, “I’ve been there. You’re not alone.” That longing is what led me to this work. I wanted to become the person I had so desperately needed.
Today, I support parents asking the same urgent question I once asked: How do I help my child?
You cannot control what your child does next—but you are not powerless. I can help you understand what truly supports change, respond more effectively, and use your influence while preserving connection. And I can walk beside you through the uncertainty, so you do not have to figure it out alone.
How I Help Parents Support Change
I coach the parent—not the young adult. Parents can begin changing the family dynamic even when their child is not ready to change.
Using CRAFT, the Invitation to Change Approach, and professional coaching tools from iPEC, I help parents communicate more effectively, reinforce positive change, set thoughtful boundaries, and remain connected without rescuing or taking over.
Parent coaching is not therapy or treatment, but it can complement clinical care by helping parents apply new skills and respond more effectively at home.
Professional Background
• Certified Parent Coach
• Certified CRAFT Peer Coach, trained by the Partnership to End Addiction
• Certified Trainer in the Invitation to Change Approach, CMC: Foundation for Change
• Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner
• Member of the International Coaching Federation
• Online Support Group facilitator volunteer with the Partnership to End Addiction
Speaking and Writing
I speak about family recovery, communication, boundaries, and supporting change. My son and I have also shared our family’s story at a Hazelden Betty Ford community event to offer hope and reduce stigma.
I hold a BA in English Literature from SUNY Binghamton and am working on Near Miss, a memoir about moving through adversity with hope, faith, and humor intact. My essays have appeared in Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers, Mamalode, and The Good Men Project.
Mary Ann's knowledge, coaching methods and personal experience
gave me hope again.
– Marcelle