The Stepmom Summit
Three Days To A Stepmom Life You Love
CAMERON is Co-CEO of Stepfamily Magazine, a Certified Stepparent Coach, host of The Stepmom Diaries podcast, and CEO of This Custom Life, where she helps stepmoms build their best blended family lives.
Cameron is married to a veteran and is a stepmom of four, including one with special needs. She has worked in politics for over twenty years and is a Washington Business Journal "Women Who Mean Business" award recipient.
Her work has been featured in Business Insider, UpJourney, StepMom Magazine, Stepparent Magazine, Stepmomming, the Today Parenting Team, and she is a coach and contributing writer for the Stepmomz App.
BETH is Co-CEO of Stepfamily Magazine, a Certified Stepparent Coach and owner of The Inclusive Stepmom, where she takes stepmoms from hopeless to happy.
Beth specializes in LGBTQ+ issues, being a childless stepmom, infertility, dealing with the ex in a small town, and strengthening stepfamilies through focusing on your relationship with your partner.
Her work has been featured in StepMom Magazine, Stepparent Magazine, SheKnows Parenting, Bustle, Romper, TravelZoo, BabyCenter, Stepmomming, Stepmomz, and ParentMap.
Michelle Dempsey Certified Divorce and Co-Parenting Specialist
Michelle Dempsey-Multack, MS, CDS, MOMCC, is a bestselling author, podcast host, and Certified Divorce and Co-Parenting Specialist whose main mission in life is to help clients ensure their children have co-parenting experience they won't need to recover from.
Jamie Scrimgeour
Host, The Kick-Ass Stepmom Podcast
Jamie Scrimgeour is a Life Coach with a Specialization in Stepfamily Dynamics, the host of the top charting podcast, The KICK-ASS Stepmom Podcast and creator of the The Exclusive Stepmom Community, an online membership for stepmoms who want to live a KICK-ASS Life. With a focus on personal development, mindset and playing the long game, Jamie has created the type of resources she needed when she became stepmom almost 10 years ago. She is on a mission to inspire women to be the expert on their own life and thrive amongst extra stress that comes with stepfamily life.
Jamie has a BA Honours in Psychology, a post grad in Social Service Work, and prior to becoming a Life Coach enjoyed a career in Child Protection. She is a stepmom of three and a mom of one.
Dr. Patricia Papernow
Psychologist, Founder of Stepfamily Institute
Dr. Patricia Papernow has taught about “blended families” all over the U.S. and the world. In addition to her lively engaging presence, Patricia brings forty years of clinical experience helping stepfamilies, and a solid grounding in the current research about what works (and what doesn’t) to build a thriving, healthy “blended family.”
Patricia is the author of Surviving and Thriving in Stepfamily Relationships: What Works and What Doesn’t, and, with Karen Bonnell, The Stepfamily Handbook: From Dating, to Getting Serious to Forming a “Blended Family.”
She is a member of the Experts Council of National Stepfamily Resource Center and the recipient of the 2017 award for Distinguished Contribution to Family Psychology from the American Psychological Association.
Naja Hall
Certified StepFamily Coach, Founder of VIP Stepmom, Blended And Black
Naja is the founder of VIPStepmom and Blended and Black. As a Certified Coach and Educator, she understands that the family is THE MOST influential entity of human development, and her work centers around helping individuals, couples, and families navigate some of life’s toughest transitions.
As the host of popular podcast, I know I’m Crazy with Naja Hall and author of the Amazon best-seller Girl, Bye! Book series, Naja’s life’s work is to teach empathy, accountability, and emotional intelligence through the art of story-telling and genuine human connections. She’s a Stepmom of 3.
Megan Hunter, MBA
Co-founder & CEO, High Conflict Institute & Conflict Playbook
Megan Hunter, MBA, is co-founder of the High Conflict Institute and Conflict Playbook, along with author and speaker, Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. who developed the high-conflict personality theory.
Megan developed the concept of the Institute after 13 years in policy, legislation, and judicial training with the Arizona Supreme Court, Administrative Office of the Courts, and the Dawes County Attorney’s Office in Nebraska. She is also the founder of Unhooked Books Publishing.
Megan has trained professionals across a wide spectrum of professions across the U.S. and 7 countries. She holds an MBA and a B.S. in Business and Economics. She has served as President of the Arizona Chapter of the Association of Family & Conciliation Courts, the Arizona Family Support Council, and the Nebraska Child Support Enforcement Association. She served 5 years on the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners.
She is the author and/or co-author of several books, including: Dating Radar; Hiring Radar; BIFF at Work; and The High Conflict Co-Parenting Survival Guide. She's also a mom of 3, mother-in-law of 2, and stepmom of 5.
Sarajane Case
Author and Podcaster, Enneagram & Coffee
Sarajane Case is a trained Enneagram teacher, author of the popular self-help book The Honest Enneagram, and Host of the Enneagram & Coffee Podcast. She helps people to find their perfect balance between self-care and growth so they can release shame on their path to doing less harm. Her new book, The Enneagram Letters: A poetic exploration of who you thought you had to be, was released in October of 2022 and is available wherever you buy books.
Nina Purewal
Founder, Pure Minds Inc. & Bestselling Author of Let That Sh*t Go
Nina Purewal faced an unexpected childhood tragedy, which inspired her mindfulness and meditation journey over twenty years ago. In the midst of climbing the corporate ladder in CPG sales & marketing, she took a sabbatical and moved to California to unplug and live in an ashram for a year to further her learning of ancient wisdom and letting go.
It’s been her greatest passion to help others find happiness through adversity. With that, she founded Pure Minds, a social enterprise that conducts mindfulness and meditation workshops for the corporate sector.
Nina is the co-author of the International Bestseller, Let That Sh*t Go, a kids podcast host, and an Executive Grief Ambassador for the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children.
Anita Inglis
Founder, Institute of Step-Family Dynamics
Anita is a step/mum to 7 who lives in New Zealand with a revolving cast of kids, pets, and a constant husband. She works with individuals, couples, and step-families around the world to provide tools and support as they navigate the sometimes challenging waters of the step-family dynamic.
Anita specialises in working with people with trauma and those experiencing high conflict parenting situations. Along with coaching her clients, she coaches coaches and established the Institute of Step-Family Dynamics, a resource for both stepfamilies and professional working with stepfamilies.
Barbara Goldberg
Coach For All Things Stepfamily
Barb Goldberg is a Certified Life Coach with Dr. Martha Beck and the owner of The Evil Stepmother Speaks. As the stepmother to three children and the biological mom to one son, Barb has been through the trenches and understands the challenges of stepmother life. Her greatest accomplishment is looking at her four, amazing adult children with tremendous pride.
Barbara has a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is a certified Dr. Martha Beck life coach. She has been an expert guest on CBS Talk Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio, the The Pat McMahon Show and other media outlets. She has also been an audience expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
You can read Barb’s articles in The Huffington Post, and as a syndicated blogger for BlogHer. Her blog, “The Evil Stepmother Speaks” was chosen as #1 Blended-Family Blog by Circle of Moms. Her Facebook communities, The Evil Stepmother Speaks and the private community, Stepmom Life Class are outlets for thousands of stepmothers. You can hear Barb weekly on The Evil Stepmother Speaks Podcast. Her book, The Evil Stepmother Speaks: A Guide for Stepfamilies Who Want to Love and Laugh, is a favorite among stepfamilies.
Kristen Skiles
Certified Stepparent Coach
Kristen is the proud wife of Kevin and stepmom to 11-year-old Krista. Together, they live in Dallas, Texas, and share 50/50 custody with Krista’s mom! Kristen has overcome insecurities as her husband's second wife, learned a million lessons the hard way as a stepparent, and been on a roller coaster ride with shared parenting. Kristen grew up as a stepchild with a strict, very involved stepdad and one long-distance dad with a few different stepmoms over the years. Couple that with the fact she was business partners and lived with her stepdaughter's mom for a season, and it's safe to say, she offers a unique perspective!
Kristen is a Certified Stepparent Coach and founder of stepmomming.com, an online platform dedicated to providing comfort and guidance to overwhelmed stepmoms by giving them the tools and inspiration they need to overcome insecurities and discontentment.
Kristen works to show stepmoms around the world that stepmomming is what they do and not who they are, encouraging them to embrace their unique roles and truly love their lives.
Dr. Erin Careless, PhD
Certified Stepfamily Coach
Erin, aka the unfortunately named, Dr. Careless, is sarcastic, empathetic, and a recovering people-pleaser. She has a PhD, is a Certified Stepfamily Coach, and the owner of Steplife: Stepmom Coaching and Support. Erin is also a Director of Adult Learning and Teaching at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She lives just a few feet from the ocean in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the beach is a favourite spot for her and her kids.
Katie Davie
Coparenting Coach
Hi, I'm Katie! A seasoned coparenting Mama and coparenting coach. For the past two years, I've been focusing on reducing conflict between co-parents... and I've found a way to help that doesn't require your high-conflict co-parent to be a part of the process.
Coparenting Peacefully was formed in 2021, and has been helping co-parents, biological parents, and stepparents become the best versions of themselves ever since. There's no greater joy for me than helping families protect their peace!
Todd Jensen, PhD, MSW
Research Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Todd Jensen, PhD, MSW is a Research Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work, the Associate Director for Research in the Collaborative for Implementation Practice, and a Family Research and Engagement Specialist in the Jordan Institute for Families at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Jensen’s scholarship focuses on promoting family well-being in diverse contexts; strengthening family-serving systems; and centering equity in family research, practice, and policy. His research focused on stepfamilies has been featured in The Atlantic, BBC, The New York Times, and Child Trends News Service.
Dr. Jensen is a Fellow of the Society for Social Work and Research and co-founder and co-chair of the Diverse Family Structures Focus Group of the National Council on Family Relations. He is also the leader of the Family Measurement Node and Steering Committee Member of the Life Course Intervention Research Network.
Brad van Eeden-Moorefield, MSW, Ph.D., CFLE
Professor and Associate Department Chair For Social Justice Initiatives, Montclair State University
Brad van Eeden-Moorefield, MSW, Ph.D., CFLE has authored multiple works in journals such as Journal of Family Psychology, Family Relations, Journal of Family Issues, and Sex Roles as well as several books, most of which focus on evidence-based practice with diverse families.
Brad also guest-edited special issues on “Intersectional variations in the experiences of queer families” and “Transformative family scholarship: Theory, practice, and research at the intersection of families, race, and social justice”. His work primarily focuses on strengthening queer families and stepfamilies in ways that promote individual and family health and wellbeing.
Lawrence Ganong, PhD
Chancellor’s Professor and Emeritus Professor, Human Development and Family Science and Nursing, University of Missouri
Lawrence Ganong, Ph.D. has co-authored over 325 journal articles and chapters and 10 books and has received 12 research grants from public and private institutions.
Ganong’s research program has focused on how post-divorce families develop and maintain satisfying and effective relationships. Ganong is a Fellow in the National Council on Family Relations and the Gerontological Society of America. He has served on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Family Relations, the Council on Contemporary Families, and The Stepfamily Association of America.
Christina Nelson, LCSW
Host, Radical Stepmoms Podcast
Christina Nelson is a clinical social worker and therapist in Seattle, Washington. As a stepmom, mom and wife, she created the Radical Stepmoms Podcast and is committed to sharing the raw stepmom experience, letting others know they aren’t alone. Christina creates a space to support stepmoms and their partners, assisting them in getting unstuck and building the love and life they desire.
She believes every woman deserves to feel connected with her most powerful, intuitive, inner self. So many women overwork themselves by putting the needs of everyone else before theirs. Katie's been there before, feeling depleted and having no energy left. That's why she has devoted her life to teaching women how to break that cycle.
Brittany Lynch, BScN
Founder of Stepqueen & Host of Queen Of Your Castle Podcast
Stepfamily Counsellor Brittany Lynch, BScN, helps stepmoms around the world navigate & transform the relationships they have with their stepkids, their partner, and their partner’s ex, so that they can live happily ever after.
Brittany is the founder & CEO of Stepqueen, the host of top-ranked relationship podcast: Queen of your Castle, and a regular featured writer for Stepmom Magazine.
Katie Acosta, PhD
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Sociology, Georga State University
Katie L. Acosta is Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Sociology at Georgia State University. She is the author of two books: Amigas y Amantes: Sexually Nonconforming Latinas Negotiate Family and most recently Queer Stepfamilies: The Path to Social and Legal Recognition. Queer Stepfamilies highlights the strength and resilience of lesbian, bisexual, queer and transgender-parented families.
In addition, her work appears in the Journal of Family Theory & Review, Family Relations, Sexualities, Journal of Homosexuality, Sexualities Research and Social Policy, and Gender & Society. Dr. Acosta regularly teaches Race and Ethnic Relations, Families & Society, Qualitative Research Methods, Sexualities, and Gender & Society.
When not being an academic, this mamá can be found spending time with her kids and rescue pup, thriving through whatever life sends her way.
Bella Duncan
Blogger | Lawyer | Psychology Graduate
Bella is a lawyer and has a Bachelor of Psychology. Bella has transitioned between two homes since her parents divorced at age 3. Growing up in two homes, she experienced first-hand many of the issues children of divorce face. She was inspired to create an accessible platform so that kids of divorce, separation, or family conflict can feel seen, heard, and less alone.
Scott Browning, PhD, ABPP
Professor of Psychology, Chestnut Hill College
Scott Browning, Ph.D. is a professor at the doctoral program at Chestnut Hill College. He has published six books, four of which (as co-author and co-editor) examined stepfamily issues.
Dr. Browning is a member of the National Stepfamily Resource Center and won the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Science of Psychology in 2017 for his work on stepfamilies. Scott's primary text on stepfamilies is his book from the American Psychological Association: Browning, S. & Artelt, E. (2012) Stepfamily Therapy: A Ten-Step Clinical Approach.