A more human approach to co-parenting education.
For over thirty years, Susan Dockerill has helped families navigate change with compassion. Life Works carries that mission forward — supporting parents nationwide through divorce, separation, and the everyday work of raising children together.
Reduce conflict. Strengthen families. Help children thrive.
Divorce, separation, and co-parenting are some of the hardest transitions a family can face. Our mission is to walk alongside parents during those moments — replacing fear with clarity, friction with communication, and isolation with real human support.
We believe the goal isn't just to finish a required class. It's to leave with tools that actually change how your family communicates, parents, and shows up for each other.
Susan Dockerill
Educator · Conscious Discipline Certified · Founder
Susan has spent more than three decades working with parents, children, and educators around the world. Her career began in early childhood education and grew into a deep specialty in family systems, child development, and the emotional life of parenting.
After years of speaking and training internationally, she saw a recurring pattern: families navigating divorce and separation were being handed paperwork and rules, but rarely real support. Parents wanted to do right by their children — they just needed someone to walk with them.
Life Works Parenting was built to be that companion. A place where the curriculum is grounded in Conscious Discipline and child development research, but the tone always feels like a conversation with someone who genuinely cares.
"Parents don't need to be lectured. They need to be understood, supported, and equipped — so their children can thrive, no matter what their family looks like."
A life's work with families
A foundation in education
Susan began her career as an educator, building deep expertise in early childhood development and family systems.
Trained in trauma-informed practice
Certification in Conscious Discipline shaped her belief that connection, regulation, and empathy are the heart of parenting.
Speaking & training globally
Decades of speaking and training internationally — supporting parents, teachers, and family professionals across cultures.
Life Works Parenting
Susan built Life Works to bring this same warmth and rigor to families navigating divorce, separation, and co-parenting — nationwide.
More than a court-approved course.
We're often the difference between a family checking a box and a family that actually changes the way it communicates. Here's what sets our work apart.
Compassionate, never clinical
We meet parents in the middle of hard moments — without judgment, jargon, or shame.
Real humans, fast responses
Text us anytime. A real person on our team responds — usually within minutes during business hours.
Court-recognized programming
Trusted by families and accepted by courts across the country, with state-specific pathways where required.
Emotionally intelligent curriculum
Built on child development science and Conscious Discipline — practical tools you can use today.
Family-focused mission
Children thrive when their parents feel supported. Everything we build serves that goal.
Decades of expertise
Designed by an educator with 30+ years guiding families through transition.
A real person, one text away.
Court requirements, deadlines, and family conflict can feel overwhelming. You shouldn't have to figure it out alone. Text us with any question — about enrollment, your state's requirements, or whether a program is right for your family — and a real member of our team will respond.
Find the right level of support for your family.
Whether you're meeting a court requirement or navigating a high-conflict situation, we have a program built around your family's needs.