Meet Lesli

Lesli is a certified Trauma Responsive Master Coach through Post Institute as well as a certified Jai Parent Coach through Jai Institute for Parenting. An educator by trade, Lesli has specialized in learning how to connect with children who have experienced early trauma or struggle with challenging behaviors. Lesli teaches Trauma Responsive Care (TRC) training through LEAF wraparound services and offers education and support to parents who desire a connected, relational, love-based approach to parenting.

Lesli’s greatest experience comes from the privilege of being a Mom to a large family woven together through adoption. When traditional parenting practices were failing, Lesli devoted herself to the process of connecting with the emotional needs of her children and understanding the underlying effects of stress on behavior. This experience over the years allows her to walk beside parents with empathy and grace.

Meet Titus

Titus has over twenty-five years of ministry experience in the areas of youth, family, marriage, and parenting. Titus is currently pursuing his masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy through Colorado Christian University.

Titus co-leads marriage and parenting retreats and speaks at family focus workshops throughout the year. He enjoys sharing the practical parenting insights of scientific research and sees a beautiful harmonizing of these principles with the Gospel.

Titus has learned the most by the trials of fire as a dad and is honored to be Lesli’s lifelong side-kick and partner in One Eighty Parenting. 

Our Story

Titus and I have been married 28 years. We are the parents of six children between the ages of 15 and 25 and Grammie and Poppa to two. All of our children entered our home through adoption with varying levels of early trauma and neglect.

I always wanted a large family and thrived with structure and consistency. I found joy immersing myself in the care of my children. As we began our parenting journey we naturally pursued discipline with what we knew; a consistent behavioral approach with rewards and consequences. This method brought results when our children were young but as they approached middle school we found ourselves traveling down the road of frustration, anger and fear. We knew what we were doing wasn’t working but we didn’t know any other way. Out of failure and desperation God led us one step at a time to change the direction of our parenting. Through trial and error we eventually found ourselves moving in the completely opposite direction. We stopped focusing on modifying behavior and began to focus on emotional connection and the need beneath the behavior. As we saw progress and growth in our family we dug deeper.

Through parent training workshops and literature we learned how stress and trauma effect the brain. As we incorporated this knowledge into our parenting we watched God open doors for healing. This healing stirred a passion and ignited a dream to give hope to other struggling families. Our desire is to walk beside families as they navigate difficult behaviors and the ins and outs of everyday life through support, education, rest and therapeutic care. As Titus and I continue to increase our knowledge through additional training and education, walk beside our teen and young adult children and encourage and support families we see our dream become a reality. One Eighty Parenting: Hope for every family.