About Empowering Parents
Empowering Parents has been giving readers “straight talk and real results” for more than a decade. We are committed to providing parents and caregivers with sound advice using the same Cognitive Behavioral Therapy principles that The Total Transformation and our online parent coaching are based upon.
You won’t find generic advice about parenting. You won’t see tons of ads for kids’ clothing and toys. And we don’t have pictures of celebrity moms going grocery shopping. But what we do have is priceless: parenting content you can use to help turn around your child’s behavior, right away.
Keep reading to learn more about the Empowering Parents team. And if you have any questions please feel free to contact us, we’re always happy to help.
Panel of Experts
Our experts have contributed numerous articles to Empowering Parents and developed the programs that you’ll find on our shop page.
James Lehman, who dedicated his life to behaviorally troubled youth, created The Total Transformation®, The Complete Guide to Consequences™, Getting Through To Your Child™, and Two Parents One Plan™, from a place of professional and personal experience. Having had severe behavioral problems himself as a child, he was inspired to focus on behavioral management professionally. Together with his wife, Janet Lehman, he developed an approach to managing children and teens that challenges them to solve their own problems without hiding behind disrespectful, obnoxious or abusive behavior. Empowering Parents now brings this insightful and impactful program directly to homes around the globe.
Janet Lehman, MSW, has worked with troubled children and teens for over 30 years. A veteran social worker, she specializes in child behavior issues — ranging from anger management and oppositional defiance to more serious criminal behavior in teens. She is co-creator of The Total Transformation® Program, The Complete Guide To Consequences™, Getting Through To Your Child™, and Two Parents One Plan™.
For more than 25 years, Debbie has offered compassionate and effective therapy and coaching, helping individuals, couples and parents to heal themselves and their relationships. Debbie is the creator of the Calm Parent AM & PM™ program and is also the author of numerous books for young people on interpersonal relations.
Kimberly Abraham, LMSW, has worked with children and families for more than 25 years. She specializes in working with teens with behavioral disorders, and has also raised a child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Kim and Marney Studaker-Cordner, LMSW, are the co-creators of The ODD Lifeline® for parents of Oppositional, Defiant kids, and Life Over the Influence™, a program that helps families struggling with substance abuse issues (both programs are included in The Total Transformation® Online Package). Kim and Marney are also the co-creators of their first children's book, Daisy: The True Story of an Amazing 3-Legged Chinchilla, which teaches the value of embracing differences and was the winner of the 2014 National Indie Excellence Children's Storybook Cover Design Award.
Marney Studaker-Cordner, LMSW, is a mother of four and has been a therapist for 15 years. She works with children and families and has in-depth training in the area of substance abuse. Marney and Kimberly Abraham, LMSW, are the co-creators of The ODD Lifeline® for parents of Oppositional, Defiant kids, and Life Over the Influence™, a program that helps families struggling with substance abuse issues (both programs are included in The Total Transformation® Online Package). Kim and Marney are also the co-creators of their first children's book, Daisy: The True Story of an Amazing 3-Legged Chinchilla, which teaches the value of embracing differences and was the winner of the 2014 National Indie Excellence Children's Storybook Cover Design Award.
Dr. Joseph Melnick has worked as a couples and family therapist for over 25 years. He’s taught worldwide and is co-editor of Gestalt Review, published by the Gestalt International Study Center. Joe is author of numerous articles and books on intimacy, ethics, and organizational development and is the creator of The Us Factor®.
Denise Rowden is a parent of two adult children and has been a parenting coach since 2010. She has worked in Special Education, Alternative Education and adolescent group homes. She has a BS in Psychology from the University of Southern Maine and is currently working on her Life Coach certification from the International Coach Federation.
Our Leadership
Kimball Lewis is an executive who has spent his career using research and technology to improve the lives of individuals and businesses. He began his career as a health, welfare, and child policy researcher for a leading public policy think-tank in Washington, DC. He then served as a technologist and executive in a series of successful healthcare start-up businesses. Mr. Lewis joined EmpoweringParents.com as CEO in 2017. At EmoweringParents.com, Mr. Lewis is committed to ensuring that the timeless and practical parenting advice of James Lehman and The Total Transformation® endures for future generations of parents struggling to manage the most challenging child behavior problems. Mr. Lewis resides in Florida, USA, with his wife and two teenage sons. LinkedIn
As principal engineer, Steve Gross ensures that the practical advice from Empowering Parents is seamlessly delivered to the computers, phones, and tablets of hundreds of thousands of parents worldwide. Mr. Gross brings to Empowering Parents over 30 years of software and technology engineering experience. He has worked with several early-stage healthcare startups as well as Fortune 500 software development companies. In addition, Mr. Gross has a background in film production and manages the multi-media at Empowering Parents. Mr. Gross resides in Maine, USA. He and his wife have three grown children and four grandchildren. LinkedIn