About Mary Fisk
It’s lovely to welcome you, I’m Mary. I’m a parenting coach, and neurodiversity specialist. But first and foremost, I’m a mother. And it’s my parenting journey that led to where I am today.
I thought I would naturally know how to be a great parent
I had visions of idyllic days with my children and thought I would be able to single handedly deal with any little bumps in the road. The reality was a little different. Things were hard. Really hard. In lots of ways. And knowing what to do to make it better just wasn’t coming naturally, or from reading what felt like all the parenting advice on the internet.….
Looking back, it was totally unrealistic to think it would all be plain sailing. Being a parent is one of the most important and rewarding jobs we will ever have. But it is also one of the hardest. And we don’t get any training. Which really makes no sense at all. We wouldn’t start any other job without any training and expect it to be a success!
The Turning Point
It all changed for me and my family when I started learning about child development and neurodivergence and working with a number of brilliant professionals. One of these was Elaine Halligan, the previous owner of The Parent Practice.
I had the privilege of working with Elaine over a number of years, both in 1:1 sessions and a number of The Parent Practice courses. The practical tools they provided all had such an immediate and significant positive impact - on my parenting, my children and our family life in so many ways. Family life was so much easier and so much more enjoyable!
I was incredibly grateful and knew this work could also be transformational for other families and wider society. So when the opportunity arose to train with The Parent Practice to become a parent coach myself, I jumped at the chance.
It felt like a natural progression because it built on:
All the other courses and learning I had done over the previous decade - about child development, neurodivergence and the Special Educational Needs & Disability systems to support my own two children.
My legal background, having previously been a solicitor in a large City law firm and an in-house legal team – which had proved incredibly useful when needing to use SEND law to get the right support for my children and deal with the EHCP process
My training in fitness and wellness – which allows me to provide support with parent wellbeing which I am passionate about. It is the foundation of us having the capacity to parent in the ways we want to.
From my own experiences, I know the power and magic of working with others when it comes to supporting our children and ensuring we are the parents we want to be. I also grew up witnessing the impact my Dad and Grandad had supporting families as a teacher and Educational Psychologist.
So I hope that through The Parent Practice, I can now bring a little bit of this magic to your family and parenting journey.
“ I can’t thank you enough for all your support. In hindsight, the ADHD diagnosis should have been obvious to all. Sadly, I think there are a lot of parents, like us, that just keep coping as best they can at such a high cost to their families. The Parent Practice has changed our lives though. So a big Thank you for being part of our lives.”
Work with us
Work with us
Although Elaine is now embarking on some new adventures, I am delighted that she continues to work with The Parent Practice as a Master Coach, alongside the 1:1 sessions, courses, webinars and talks that I deliver.
The fundamentals of The Parent Practice will always remain the same – to support to parents in a caring, fun and approachable way. So please do get in touch if you have any questions at all or just want to say hello – I'm always more than happy to have a chat! Or explore the services we offer to see how The Parent Practice can help your family thrive. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
CHANGING YOUR PARENTING STORY starts here.
“When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce.”
- Thich Nhat Hanh
