Redefining Parenting with the Power of Coaching
In 2007, after establishing the first coach-training school in the Middle East just two years prior, Gönan Premfors had a profound realization: she was spending too much time working with broken adults—people still haunted by unresolved wounds from their childhoods. It became painfully clear to her that if we don't radically change how we parent, we risk breaking our children the same way. "Why spend a lifetime untangling the past," she thought, "when we can raise children who won’t need fixing in the first place?"
With this bold insight, Gönan set out to develop Parentology, a revolutionary parenting philosophy designed to stop the cycle of emotional damage before it starts. She knew that coaching alone wasn’t enough—something deeper was needed, a new way to raise empowered, resilient children.
Teaming up with Henry Kimsey-House, the co-founder of the Co-Active Training Institute—one of the most influential coaching organizations in the world—Gönan officially launched Parentology in 2009. Since then, the program has reached 32 countries, equipping parents with tools to nurture emotionally healthy children and reshape family dynamics from the ground up.
But Parentology isn’t just another parenting program. Gönan believes that quick-fix solutions only mask deeper issues. Real transformation, she insists, must come from within—and that’s exactly where Parentology begins. within—and that’s exactly where Parentology begins.
Every family has its unique culture which needs to be recognized. Illustrations by Mark Woodward
A Non-Solution-Oriented Approach
Parentology flips the script on traditional parenting programs by steering away from prepackaged solutions. Instead, it encourages parents to develop their own insights, helping them tailor strategies that resonate with their family’s unique dynamics.
What’s one thing your child has recently taught you about yourself?
The program treats parenting as a collaborative journey, where parents learn to unlock their inner wisdom and build stronger connections with their children. “Empower the parent, and you empower the child,” says Gönan, underscoring her belief that confident parents create confident kids.