“A parent’s reaction and response to a child’s coming out can impact that child for many years. It’s important for every parent of a gay youth to acknowledge their feelings, accept them and move to a place of understanding and complete acceptance of their LGBT child.”
Parenting Coach Susan Berland is fiercely committed to guiding parents of gay youth back to a loving, accepting relationship when they are struggling to accept their child as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. Susan guides parents and their kids to communicate effectively, trust one another and accept one another where and as they are. In as few as six private sessions, parents of gay youth make great progress to build a bridge back to love and acceptance to last for a lifetime.

Susan Berland
As the proud mother of a gay son and champion for people who are different, it’s Susan’s privilege and pleasure to provide a safe space for parents of gay youth who want acceptance without judgment and to find a path to a loving, understanding, accepting family environment with her coaching and support.
- If you are a parent who needs a safe place to express concerns and ask questions without fear of judgment …
- And you are open to receiving insights, inspiration, and tools to guide this NEW journey in your family, you’ve come to the right place.
With seven years of experience working with clients with similar worries and concerns and guiding them to build a bridge back to love and acceptance, Susan’s mission and commitment is to provide the support and tools to bring your family back together. Trained as a Certified Professional Coach by The Coaches Training Institute, what lights Susan up about this work is applying her listening skills to create and provide a safe, loving, non-judgmental place to support parents of gay youth in the most important journey of their lives.
“When a parent of an LGBT youth experiences confusion, disappointment and the many emotions that come with this new discovery, the LGBT youth can perceive it as rejection. These feelings carry into adulthood affecting many areas of their lives. Nothing excites me more than transforming that into acceptance, understanding and love.”
It’s about Adjusting Expectations and Managing Emotions to Sidestep Rejection from the Start.
Susan knows what it’s like to be told your child is gay and what is means to adjust expectations and deal with a roller coaster ride of emotions. This also qualifies her to guide parents of gay youth along this journey with her support.
Susan’s Advocacy Speaks Volumes about Her Conviction to Inspire and Ignite Real Change:
- She worked tirelessly on the No on 8 Campaign in California and is a fierce advocate for marriage equality.
- She co-founded a non-profit, The All Family Project, whose mission is to educate the public about the issues faced by gay and lesbian families. Susan donates a portion of proceeds to that and other LGBT organizations.
- Susan was one of the original 70 volunteers involved with the International Coach Federation as it began its quest to raise the profile of professional coaching. ICF now has over 20,000 members around the globe.
- She is a member of the Golden Gate Business Alliance, the LGBT Chamber of Commerce in San Francisco.
Championing Parents of LGBT Youth
Susan’s path to become a coach who fights for the underdog became clear at an early age. In the first grade, she befriended a deaf girl when all the other kids made fun of her. When her son came out as gay, she was called to work in the LGBT community to provide support for other parents of LGBT youth traveling the same path.
Your Invitation to ACCEPT Support Now:
If you need a guide to support you in dealing with and getting beyond the range of emotions that have come up since your child came out, schedule a complimentary chat with Susan today. Connect in the way that suits you best:
- susan@susanhopeberland.com
- 415-987-3194
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