BRING BALANCE COACHING
with Gretchen Goddard
Parent Coaching
Health & Wellness
**Due to COVID-19, all group classes have been cancelled until further notice. Please contact me to discuss private and virtual class options**
Picture by Melanie Alice Photography
Bio
Gretchen Goddard, CIMI, CCBE, AHPE is a Parent Coach, Health Educator, Infant Massage Instructor, Childbirth Educator, Co-founder of The Sanctuary New Family Foundation and most importantly, the mother of three. She is certified to teach Attachment Parenting through Attachment Parenting International and to teach Infant Massage through The Loving Touch Foundation. She is certified to educate individuals and families about overall health & nutrition through Dave Sandoval's Learning Academy. Formerly, the Director of The Sanctuary Birth & Family Wellness Center, Gretchen has been educating families for the past 10 + years. All of her work with families is an extension of her passion and motivation to make a difference in the realm of infant care, the parent-child relationship, and the health and well-being of all beings on this planet.
What I Do
Simply put, as a parent educator I help parents get out of the power struggles and back into connection with their kids.
I also coach parents who have neglected their own health because they have gotten lost in supporting their families.
My mission is to help you to live a healthier, more balanced life.
We are the models for our children.
Let us all Bring Balance!
SERVICES
Join Us
Upcoming Events
Respectful Parenting Group
Tuesdays 9:30-11am
Mama + Me Again Support Group
Mondays 9:30-11am
Working Moms Support Group
Mondays 5:30-7pm
Infant Massage Class
Saturday, March 7th 9:30-11:30am
Saturday, April 4th 9:30-11:30am
Guest Speaker @ 1st Thursdays
Organically At Your Best
6:30-8:30pm
Guest Speaker @ ZMS Academy
Nutrition's role for Aestheticians
Wednesday, February 19th 10am-12pm
Wednesday, May 20th 10am-12pm
Wednesday, August 19th 10am-12pm
Wednesday, Nov 18th 10am-12pm
Childbirth Education
Saturday, March 14th 9-12pm
Saturday, April 18th 9-12pm
Expanding Families Workshop
Saturday, March 14th 1-4pm
Saturday, April 18th 1-4pm
Empowered Entrepreneurial Circle
Tuesdays 6:30-8pm
Healthy Happy Hours
2nd & 4th Thursdays 6:30-8pm
Positive Discipline Series
Wednesdays 9:30-11am
Parenting More Than One Workshop
Saturday, March 21st 2:30-5:30
Saturday, April 35th 2:30-5:30
Picture by Melanie Alice Photography
Picture by Love Bucket Photo
TESTIMONIALS
The discipline in my house growing up ranged from passive aggressive (eye rolls and exasperated sighs at any mistake) to all out aggressive (screaming and spankings with a belt or a paddle or an angry hand.) While I cannot remember any of the lessons I was supposed to learn from these punishments, I certainly remember the punishments themselves. And they still stir up feelings of fear and resentment and betrayal.
The one lesson I did learn from the discipline in my home was that I wanted to be a different kind of parent. But where to begin? I didn't have a model or what positive and gentle discipline looked like and, while I had gorged myself on parenting books, it was difficult for me to put into practice their teachings.
Enter Gretchen. I found myself in one of her mommy support groups and saw, in action, a different way to parent. She taught us how to hold limits with our boundary pushing toddlers without getting angry or even passing judgement. She showed us how to come to a child at their level and meet their needs without sacrificing our own. It was not the child that needed changing. It was our approach to the child.
Gretchen is incredibly knowledgeable about children, their development, and resources for parents. Every question (be it about sleep or breast feeding or sibling rivalry or conflict resolution,) was met with clear and practicable advice reinforced with books and articles and anecdotal evidence from her own experience as a mother. My time with her helped shape me as a parent and made me a better mom. And while I falter everyday, I also have great successes and often look with pride on how I handle a conflict with my girls. And I have Gretchen to thank for those times. My children and I are forever grateful for the lessons she taught me.
Parenting is so hard and Gretchen helps teach us how not only to be gentle with our kids, but gentle with ourselves. I can't recommend her highly enough. Taking her classes was an investment into building a peaceful and loving home so that, hopefully, when my kids look back on their childhood, they don't remember the discipline but rather the lessons taught by patient and loving parents.
~Johanna Richie
I've had the wonderful experience of knowing Gretchen since I first became a mom in 2013. She hosted a mommy group and infant massage class that I attended. When I became pregnant with my second baby, my husband and I attended both her Childbirth Refresher and Expanding Families courses. As an aspiring VBAC mama at the time with a rambunctious toddler, there was a lot going on physically and emotionally. Gretchen addressed all of my concerns and questions regarding my birth. She also gave us so many wonderful tips on prepping for our new baby, while including how to mindfully prepare and support our toddler.
After the birth of my second daughter, I took Gretchen's 'Mama & Me Again' support group series and I'm so thankful I did. Even though it was a group setting, Gretchen was attentive to all the new (again) moms and always showed her support in a non-judgmental way. She is a true blessing and has a wealth of knowledge in all things mommy and all things woman. Anyone looking for an empowering birth experience and insightful postpartum support, Gretchen will definitely be your resource.
~Linda Zapel
I came to Gretchen’s class having been to other “mommy and me” support groups with my first that had focused more on the social element of having a little one. This time, with my second, I was looking for something more targeted to second time moms. This group truly filled my cup. The group was intimate and Gretchen led with a calm, clear, safe, and open style. She has the best energy to bring to a group like this, where each mom was able to share their own story with no judgement, just support. Gretchen gave great advice from a place of balance, experience and education. I would highly recommend taking one of Gretchen’s classes or workshops as your whole family will benefit!
~ Tara Mittal
I was introduced to Gretchen over 4 years ago at The Sanctuary. To myself and my new mama friends, she was and still is the voice of Attachment Parenting. Gretchen is a mother herself, and serves as a role model to us moms. I have taken almost all of the classes she has taught from Infant Massage and Attachment Parenting to her current Second Time Mom Support Group and more... AND, I repeated many of them!
Gretchen is so clearly committed to her mission to educate parents, and she does so with grace. She is thoughtful with her approach and always non judgmental. She makes you feel welcome, encourages questions, and follows up with relevant articles to support her advice. Gretchen is a gift to moms, ever encouraging and supportive, so we can learn how best to nurture our little ones with love and kindness.
~ Gretchen Fowler
Picture by Melanie Alice Photography
Picture by Melanie Alice Photography