Tricia Thornton on Parenting with Purpose: How Authentic Connection Transforms Families

Beyond Blessed Parenting: Embrace These Seven Principles and Experience Authentic Connection, the new book from author, speaker, and therapist Tricia Thornton, is slated to release from Fitting Words on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

Thornton, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Registered Play Therapist (RPT), is an emerging figure in the field of child and family therapy. She came to national attention after counseling children and their families from The Covenant School in the wake of the Nashville shooting in 2023.

Beyond Blessed Parenting, the followup to her debut book, Blessing from Fear, is the perfect guide for parents seeking to navigate the complexities of raising children in today's tumultuous world. In the book, Thornton combines psychological and neuroscience research with spiritual guidance and practical suggestions based on her clinical and personal experience to address topics including fear, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health issues that parents face while raising children in our modern world.

Q: Tricia, thanks for doing this interview with us. Please share a little about your faith journey and your current ministry with us.

My faith journey began as a child, when I attended church on a semi-regular basis. It grew
deeper as I entered high school, when I started attending Young Life clubs and camps.
After going through several losses and a couple of significant fear-producing events as a
younger child, I began to seek a deeper understanding of God. During my junior year of high
school, I became a Christian while attending a Young Life camp. From that point forward, I
have been pursuing a deeper relationship with the Lord.

Through ups and downs, and winding paths, I now have a more whole knowledge that God
is in control. Currently, I walk alongside my clients as they discover their True Self, serving
as both a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered Play Therapist. In my other
roles as an author and speaker, my prayer is to guide parents and people of all ages to a
more empowered relationship with God, within themselves, and with others.

Q: Tell us more about your work with children and families.

I own a private practice as a professional counselor in Nashville, TN. I work with children as
young as four years old through adulthood. Through play therapy, I provide a safe place for
a child to process their inner world through their natural language of play. I also offer a
parent coaching program to guide parents through the parenting journey. Especially in this
day and age, parenting is tiring. My work with parents is like marriage therapy, yet from a
parental lens.

I also work closely with schools to coordinate treatment plans that incorporate a whole-
child perspective, both at home and at school. My work in schools as a certified school
counselor provides me with a unique viewpoint on how to support a child's holistic
emotional and academic success.

Working with children and their parents is a privilege and a blessing. I also work closely with schools to coordinate treatment plans at home and school for a whole child perspective. My work in schools as a certified school counselor gives me a unique view of how to holistically help a child toward emotional and academic success. Working with children and their parents is a privilege and a blessing.

Q: Could you briefly tell us what your new book, Beyond Blessed Parenting: Embrace These Seven Principles and Experience Authentic Connection, is about?

My newest book is a resource for parents to help navigate the complexities of parenting. Many parents are overwhelmed as they try to balance shepherding their children with the pressures of a performance-driven world. The reader will embrace true connection through an understanding of seven foundational principles. The book intertwines spiritual andpsychological themes with neuroscience, yielding a powerful guide for those desiring to have children, parents with children, and grandparents.

When parents prioritize self-care, they can be more present and attuned with their children. Once a parent is connected with God and within, they can then parent from that grounded place. A child will then feel seen and heard and then empowered to regulate their big feelings. Parenting is not about perfection but about connection.

Q: In the book, you talked about the need to establish an "authentic connection." What does that mean?

In Beyond Blessed Parenting, I discuss the "cross of connection" framework. Think of parenting as if from the idea of a cross. At the top is God, then oneself, then the relationship with a partner, then the children. An authentic connection starts with deepening your relationship with God. Once you are more attuned to God, you can prioritize self-care to embrace your True Self. Once you connect with God and yourself, then grow in the relationship with a partner (spouse or another supportive individual). Once all these pieces are in place, a parent will be better able to connect authentically with their child.

I know from my own experience and watching many parents struggle with this framework. It is so easy to bypass the relationships at the top of the cross and jump right to pouring
energy into the child. However, eventually the parent will grow weary and overwhelmed. If
parents authentically connect with God and within themselves, then a genuine connection
can occur with their child.

Q: You also talked about the seven principles of parenting. What are they? How do they help us?

The seven foundational principles are: Silence, Listening, Acknowledgement, Renewal, Forgiveness, Balance, and Embrace. They provide a framework for being an empowering
and affirming parent. In Beyond Blessed Parenting, I encourage the reader to incorporate
these principles into their own lives, then parent from that connected place. The seven principles are not a playbook just for parenting. They also serve as a guide for personal growth. As an individual delves deeper into the seven principles, an authentic connection with others becomes more attainable.

I carefully chose the order of the principles. Silence is a foundational step toward embracing authentic connection. If we do not practice moments of silence and stillness, then emotional noise will prevent us from listening to God and within our souls. As we begin to acknowledge the power of God within ourselves and with others, we will feel a renewed spirit. Forgiveness is a multifaceted concept with numerous layers. I struggled with calling this principle "Forgiveness," but God kept nudging me to be bold in my writing.

Parenting presents many opportunities to balance as we journey through mountains andvalleys. Embracing all parts of ourselves will bring freedom to parents to fully understand that there is no perfect parent. We will never master all seven principles, but we can be empowered to lean on God's guidance and His grace to embrace authentic connection.

Q: What advice do you have for parents who are feeling overwhelmed now?

Sprinkling in self-care throughout the day makes connecting within more manageable. I
encourage parents to incorporate grounding techniques into their daily lives in small ways.
Whether a parent chooses deep breathing, journaling, light exercise, reading, singing,
drawing, or meditation, the tool is not as much the key as being intentional. We would all
love a full day at the spa, but often our schedules don't allow for that much time. I
encourage parents to take small steps that will yield big blessings.

Noticing when big emotions arise within and naming the feelings will bring a parent to the
present moment. The parent shame spiral can quickly ensnare us when we are not in a
connected state. Taking time to be in the here and now will empower a parent to react from
a place of authentic connection rather than a reactive state. Children's brains will then be
cued for safety, allowing them to feel connected to their parents. Pausing and attuning with
God, within oneself, with others, will empower relationships based on authentic
connection. 

Beyond Blessed Parenting: Embrace These Seven Principles and Experience Authentic Connection will be available on Amazon.com or wherever books are sold. 

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