About Brigitte Shipman | Autism Mom Coach

I’m a mom, teacher, writer, coach. I love my new found adventure of life coaching. I completed intensive coach training and was certified by Harvard Ph.D., Martha Beck (aka Oprah’s life coach). I help moms with children on the autism spectrum to navigate through the challenges of raising an autistic child so that they feel supported and equipped to be a rock solid advocate and guide to their child.

I also offer health and wellness retreats with my business partner Kim McDonald (The Perpetual Dream Team) to women who want to find their way back to living a healthier lifestyle. Our retreats build tool boxes to get their groove back.

I have lived a life that made me think that I had it all. Maybe I did. Then my life tsunamis hit me pretty hard. I went from living a life that felt pretty good to living a life trying to catch my breath from one tsunami hit to the next. My journey as a mother has been faced with challenges of raising my sons through autism, type I diabetes, losing their father, and drug addiction.

I learned quickly how to live in survival mode every day. Each morning I would truly dread getting out of bed to face the day full of challenges. It began to feel like an outer body experience and it was all about surviving. But I was a mother warrior. I kept fighting for my children. And I kept praying each day to help me find the way. I eventually found a way but not in the way that I imagined.

One day, I literally woke up and decided to follow my heart, just as I had preached to my former students. This was while I was in the middle of one of my biggest tsunamis. It was a moment where my life in each area just blew up—my career, my family, and my finances. Despite all of that, I decided to choose me and follow my heart because I knew that was the key to living a life I craved for a long time.

I resigned from my educational career of 20 years and started my own life coaching business. I had a brief moment when I questioned my own sanity! I had bills coming in, spent most of my savings, and both of my sons were still dependent on me. But I knew I had to be true to myself. Oddly, I remember this being one of the happiest moments of my life. I felt like I could just run and skip like a little girl. It was scary at times but it was the right decision for me. As a result of following my heart, I got my family back on track and a new career that I love.

I now live a life of gratitude being a mother of two grown sons, single, and loving my life. I love spending time with my family, fitness, reading, long deep conversations, dancing anywhere, long baths, traveling, attending concerts, laughing a lot, spending time with my girl tribe, visiting around my kitchen table, listening to my sons talk about anything. I also love making real connections along this ride called life.

Currently, both of my sons are thriving in their lives. Being their mother has been the highest honor in my life. They both have been my greatest teachers. They continue to show me opportunities for personal growth. They each own half of my whole heart.

I’m mom, teacher, writer, coach. I love my new found adventure of life coaching. I completed intensive coach training and was certified by Harvard Ph.D., Martha Beck (aka Oprah’s life coach). I help moms with children on the autism spectrum to navigate through the challenges of raising an autistic child so that they feel supported and equipped to be a rock solid advocate and guide to their child.

About Mother's Guide Through Autism

My coaching program (as well as the podcast) and the name have been inspired by my son Joseph. He is an adult living with autism. They once told me that he might not be able to ever live on his own, attend school in a traditional learning environment, or If he did attend public school, he would be in a self contained classroom away from his peers. He would be confined to an environment that would limit his education, personal growth, and opportunities to function in society.

This was when inclusion was just being introduced in education. It was also recommended that we drug him so that he could pay better attention if he were to attend school.

Joseph proved them wrong and now is 29 living independently.

A few days ago, I asked Joseph if he could help me with a name for this program. His first response was “Well, I am blank.” I know by now not to take it personally because he speaks the truth.

About 10 seconds of silence passed and then he said, “Well, I see a wise old man sitting on a mountain with a long gray beard.” He motioned his hands as if he were stroking the long grey beard. Oh, I said, “That's pretty cool.”

He then came back with his final reply and said, “Really it's more like you are my tour guide.” You mean in your life? I asked. He said, “Yes, you have shown me how.”

A tour guide of life. Wow, I thought to myself that’s powerful and a great metaphor. In fact, I have been his tour guide when I needed to redirect him with love, patience, and communication.

That is how Mother’s Guide came to be. I would also like to add, it has been in the works for the past 29 years of being Joseph’s tour guide.

ABOUT ME

ABOUT ME