Parenting a child, teen or young adult  in today’s world can be a challenge. Parenting  when your child, regardless of age, is also  struggling with depression, anxiety, perfectionism, an eating disorder or trauma is even more difficult. Parenting strategies that might work well for a youth/young adult without depression may not be helpful for the youth/young adult with depression. 

Research shows that when parents are involved in treatment for their offspring that the interventions are likely to be more effective. Parent coaching is one way to be involved. It’s not therapy.  Coaching is about learning, discovering and using  parenting strategies that best fit with your child/teen/young adult developing and growing with mental wellness.

• Likely to improve treatment outcomes
• Greater understanding of areas and patterns  of conflict and how to address them
• Greater understanding of how the anxiety, depression  and other disorders can show up in daily interactions
• Increased knowledge about ways of responding that facilitate recovery and wellness
• Decreased stress for the family

1. Getting on the Same Page

Individualized parent coaching means understanding the challenges you are facing in your interactions with your child. In this initial step, your coach will complete a history and assessment of the parenting challenges you are facing. What interactions usually lead to conflict? What are the strengths of the relationship? Are both parents on the same page? This will include your values as a parent.

2. Goal Setting

After the assessment, you’ll work together with your coach to set your goals for your coaching sessions and how you’ll evaluate your progress. You’ll set a date to evaluate your progress toward your goals. 

3. Parent Coaching Sessions and Action Plan

In your coaching sessions, specific problematic interactions that you are experiencing will be addressed. After you describe the specific situation, your coach will use (and teach you) chain analysis to help you look at the factors that contribute to unwanted conflicts and reactions. Together you’ll identify ways more effective ways of responding. Relevant skills can be taught, such as skills of emotion regulation skills like validation, and benign interpretation. Tracking your progress in using new skills and behaviors will help you make the changes that get you closer to your goals and values as a parent.

Coaching sessions are scheduled as best fits your needs and goals. Sessions can be 30 minutes twice a month to weekly until your goals are met. Two phone calls per month are included.

Coaching sessions are $75 per half hour, $150 per hour.