(no title)

 I’m Sophie, and up there are the eight (yes, eight!) kids my husband and I have been blessed and privileged to be parents to. And who, you might say, are the primary inspiration behind my chosen career.

As a mother, teacher and facilitator, I have been parenting, teaching and training adults and children for the past 35 years. As my logo says, my purpose here is helping people achieve harmony and balance within their families, something I am very passionate about.

Growing up in a turbulent home with an alcoholic father, experiencing my parents’ divorce, being plucked out of the only home I’d ever known and moved to a whole new country, losing all connection with my friends and my dad’s side of the family, and then experiencing life with a stepfather was a bit of a rough start in life for me – I remember feeling such shame from being fatherless – and it resulted in a less than wholesome parenting style when it first came to raising my own children later in life.

Looking back, I can see that I’ve been searching healing and wholeness ever since my teenage years, even though I didn’t recognize it as that at the time. My mother’s extended family here in Trinidad were of strong Christian faith and through that influence I acknowledged the presence of God in my life from early on, and I grew to accept God as my unconditionally loving Heavenly Father. I can honestly say that there began my journey to wholeness.

Unfortunately though, my own childhood experience and very limited access to good parenting books and programs at the time led to my first 18 years of parenting being harsh and authoritarian. The anger from my past that was previously deeply buried now manifested in ‘Sargeant Major’ commands, shouting and spanking to establish my authority and discipline my household.

I grew to hate my voice. My husband could hardly stand it and my boys were aggressive (our first five children are boys!). By God’s grace, in answer to my desperate prayers to change my ways, I came upon a life changing parenting program called ‘Becoming a Love and Logic Parent‘.

The skills presented were easy to implement and so effective I literally rewired my brain by listening to their tapes and CDs over and over. Gradually, I began to see the changes reflected in my family life. Aggression all but disappeared, leaving unimaginable calm in its wake, sibling rivalry diminished by about 90%, and we all grew in respect for each other. And it continued, helping me navigate though many bouts of post-natal depression, heartbreaking miscarriages, more depression and peri-menopause and personal trauma.

My quest for wholeness, freedom from co-dependency, harmony and balance had borne fruit, and it had been quite a remarkable journey. My mountains, plateaus and deep valley experiences as a wife and a mother had been so fruitful in helping me see wisdom, feel joy and peace and experience amazing insights that I felt compelled to share them.

I went on to teach/facilitate the program to hundreds of parents and caregivers across the country. As a part time teacher I also saw the need for the Love and Logic approach to discipline in schools, and so went on to teach the program to teachers as well.

My passion to see people have positive healthy relationships like those I had been able to develop in my own life and home drove me to extend my training to the corporate world, so I also do this through a company called Growth Opportunities Ltd.

(Visit us here to learn more: www.growthopportunitiesltd.com)

Besides offering parenting coaching, training, and support, I also offer a neuro-leadership transformational training called New Thinking. The principles are the same as those of parenting courses, based on connection, communication, understanding one’s own and other’s behaviour,  and changing our habits of thought and speech. I am also associated with ParentingTT in Trinidad and Tobago.

My team and I are ready and waiting to help you achieve Harmony and Balance in your family too, and we are available for Skype consultations, speaking engagements, workshops, counseling, coaching and courses.

Look for us on Facebook – Sophie’s Parenting Support or email us at sophie_barcant@hotmail.com

Sincerely,

Sophie & family