Parent Coaching

Parents put a lot of pressure on themselves to just “know how to parent”. However, we are firm believers that conscious parenting is something you have to learn. Parent coaching can help you grow into the parent you want to be. Here, we’ll cover everything you need to know about parent coaching: what it is, how we support parents, extra parenting resources, and more. 

The truth is - there is really nothing wrong with your children. It is just that parenting has a beautiful way of showing you absolutely all of your blindspots!

The problem is that addressing stuck parts of the subconscious (that our children so wonderfully illuminate) is extremely difficult to do by ourselves.  Without the right tools to shift both our inner world and outer world when it comes to parenting patterns, it is easy to stay stuck repeating old ways of being (often basic imprinting that we learned as children from our own parents)…which can lead to even greater distress! When we are in distress, our children experience distress. And, the cycle continues! It is time to break the cycle by beginning conscious parenting.

Everything you need to know about parent coaching

Parent coaching help parents more deeply understand their parenting patterns and clear any blocks that prevent them from feeling confident to support their children with full consciousness and love.  Parent coaching also offers concrete tools to stay regulated in the most difficult of parent moments, to connect more deeply with our kiddos (which also requires strong and firm boundaries), and so much more. 

Through either individual or coursework with us, you will be reminded that we are not meant to do this alone! If there is an area of your parenting experience that is feeling particularly stuck or difficult, it is likely there is solid information (including research based info) that will offer you helpful solutions. I will help you find this information.

How does parent coaching work?

We work with all types of caregivers including: biological parents, adoptive parents, step parents, co-parents, foster parents, and more. Parents that work with us are also asked to engage in their own self paced learning by taking our self-paced 40 Day TUNED IN parenting course .

Individual parent coaching generally include 4-8 sessions (spaced out over a couple of months). Our process starts with a parent coaching hearing your family’s story, including where each parent came from (the patterns present in your individual families of origin) and how parenting is currently unfolding (within your unique family of creation). We always take a strengths based approach which empowers you to grow into your highest potential (vs. obsessing about what is not working and what is wrong).

In your first session, we also set goals together that will guide our journey toward the family of your deepest desires. Subsequent sessions are highly tailored to meet your family’s needs and include a blend of the following support:

Education to understand your kiddos’ unique traits:

After you share all about your child/children, you will learn more about the root of some of their behavior with the expertise of a trained child therapist on our team.

Experiential learning to embody necessary skills:

In our parenting sessions, you will receive in the moment coaching on how to engage in more consistent regulation, increased awareness, and better decision making in even the most stressful parenting moments.

Tips and tricks:

The capacity required for the modern parent to be successful is A LOT. Our work together will support you in learning tips and tricks for how to effectively co-regulate with you kiddo, how to set boundaries that work, how to create structures that support both your and your children’s nervous systems, and more.

What does a parent coach do?

Parent coaches offer support, encouragement, and knowledge to feel equipped to be the parent that you want to be. Parent coaching will leave you with:

Clarity on the relationship you want to have with your child:

A lot of parents who work with us realize that parenting is a lot different than they dreamed it would be. They often feel frustrated and overwhelmed by moments of showing up to their kids in dysregulated states and less empowered versions of themselves. Until they get clear on the positive relationship they want with their children, it is difficult to create it. In increasing clarity on what a rewarding and positive relationship would look like, we can together come up with the right steps to get there. 

Tools and steps to begin to foster better connection:

Once parents understand the kind of relationship they want to foster, it is necessary to learn the tools that will support this change. Kids require an incredible amount of patience. Most people (especially today) are not great with patience.

So we have to take special care to build up our “patience” muscles. In a very busy world, many of us have lost the ability to connect in the deeply attuned ways that our children are wanting and needing. It takes conscious awareness and commitments to using new tools to become a more present and attuned caregiver for our kiddos. 

Encouragement to feel empowered to consciously create the family life you want:

Parent coaching offers a roadmap to building a better future for your family. This is a co-creative process (between family members and your parent coach). An important step is getting clear enough to know with certainty what you truly want and desire for your family. As we clear away the roadblocks to living a life of your highest potential, your most authentic desires will reveal themselves. And knowing what you really want is the most important step to making it happen.

How can parent coaching help my family?

Parent coaching is a fantastic option for parents that are having difficulties attuning to and supporting their kiddos in any area of life. While individual therapy can really support children in processing emotional distress and feeling more connected to themselves (sometimes even without parent involvement), parent coaching offers an opportunity for parents to step into a long term supportive role as their kiddos grow. Research clearly tells us that strong parent involvement and learning results in better outcomes (in behavior, social/emotional growth, language, and more) for kiddos. 

Potential benefits of working with a parent coaching include:

Increased confidence as a parent:

Some people arrive at this work with a lot of confusion and overwhelm. They know they are failing to show up for their children in ways that are consistently supportive…and they are finally ready to create a different way of being. Others have already done a lot of work (on themselves and their family), have read all the parenting books, and would like validation that they are doing the right thing so they can continue to soar!

Wherever you are coming from, you will leave the process of coaching for parents with more trust in yourself and confidence as a parent.  

Better communication for the whole family:

With proper coaching, you will learn how to more effectively communicate and thus collaborate with your spouse or co-parent, as well as with your kiddos. The key to healthy communication is knowing how to listen. Learning how to truly listen requires a deepening connection to oneself and one’s ability to stay open to receiving information, even when it is potentially triggering. I will help you get really good at this.

A child that is less distressed:

Parent coaching will help you relax around your child’s needs, desires, and feelings - and thus they will be free of the high levels of stress that develops from feeling like they are not free to be themselves. Your kiddos will be so grateful that you took this journey, and you in turn will receive so much from a relationship with your child that is more mutually respectful. 

A more regulated family system:

A family creates a system. Every part of the system impacts each other (both positively and negatively). As you learn tools to regulate yourself in the parent coaching process, as well as to support your child in regulating, it is simple science that the entire system will shift. And oh how you will sigh a breath of relief when you look up one day and realize that you have ARRIVED to a moment of flow and regulation as an entire family.  

Who our parent coaching services are for:

Our parent coaching services are for ANY type of parenting willing and ready to look inside, learn new tools, and create a different future for their family.

If you are in a partnership or marriage, it is recommended that this work is done together so that your children can feel all caregivers joining to be on the same page when it comes to mindful parenting. This makes a huge difference.

Sometimes, however, it is appropriate for a parent to do this work on their own if struggles are coming up in their parenting patterns that they feel confident only relate to them and their personal history.

FAQs about working with a certified parenting coach

We all like to know as much as we can about a commitment we are considering. Here I will address some common questions about the process. As always, please send a message with any questions via our contact form or schedule a 15 minute phone call to chat.

What is the difference between coaching and therapy?

Therapy:

Therapy is a really great way to process traumatic moments that your mind, body and soul are still experiencing negative impacts from. It’s a really great place to heal attachment wounds that are preventing you from deep connection to yourself and others. Personally, it is one of our favorite ways to get continued support on the journey! Check out our therapy service pages for more information on our therapy offerings. 

Coaching:

Coaching however, is more direct and focuses more on the future (vs. the past). I will help you identify current problems and together, we will come up with plans to address them. The parent coaching I offer also includes a strong teaching component in which I will teach you relevant parenting and child development theories and support you in applying the new information to your unique family system.

As a coach, I can be quite direct and will often hold you accountable for changes that you commit to making. We will always be sure to break action steps down into small enough pieces that they feel doable for you.

Because I will always be a therapist at heart, there will certainly be moments that we reflect on the past (especially as it relates to templates you were offered for what it means to be a parent), but we will generally always link what we discover back to the present and future. 

If difficult content comes up that seems to be needing deeper processing, I will refer you to a licensed trauma therapist that specializes in whatever themes are coming up. 

Both coaching and therapy focus on the present moment, as learning how to be mindful and grounded in presence is one of the most supportive tools we can offer ourselves.

I want to change my parenting, but I’m not sure if parent coaching is right for me. What other resources are available?

Individualized parent coaching isn’t the best fit for everyone. Perhaps you simply don’t have the time and energy to make the commitment, right now. If checking out a book or podcast sounds like a better place to start, please see this list of resources for some ideas.

If you are ready for a deep dive but want it to be entirely structured on your own time, the TUNED IN parenting course might be what you need. It’s a great way to get the same content as your spouse but have the ability to work on different schedules than each other. 

Is it necessary that my spouse and I engage in parent coaching together?

It’s always useful when co-parents can join together on a learning and healing journey. It is also really important that parents learn how to be on the same page when it comes to their parenting approach. Kids really pick up on any incongruence here and sometimes even use that disconnect to manipulate in some forms to get what they want, which ultimately isn’t beneficial for anyone in the family.

With that said, yes it’s a great idea to engage with your spouse. However, there are some times when parent coaching for just one parent is appropriate and can still be really helpful, particularly if there are many stuck points coming up for one parent in particular that they want to unpack on their own first.

My child has unique sensitivities, and I think of them as a highly sensitive child. Can you help?

Yes. I actually specialize in supporting parents of highly sensitive kids. It is true that parenting a highly sensitive child requires a unique set of skills, because they demonstrate a unique set of traits. If you peruse my website, you will see a lot of content on the highly sensitive child. A great place to start might be this post on 5 tips to help a highly sensitive child thrive.

I also have a 25 minute free lecture on the top 5 traits of highly sensitive kids that I’d be happy to share with you if you shoot us a message via our contact page. You may also enjoy reading about our TUNED IN parenting course (all about parenting the highly sensitive child).

How can I get started right away on learning about how to be a better parent?

There are so many great options if you are ready for immediate learning. A quick google search on “positive parenting” books and courses will guide you towards MANY options. The TUNED IN parenting course is a cost efficient and timely way to get immediate support and to begin your healing journey now when it comes to steeping into parenting that makes you proud. You might also like to check out our suggested resource page here for some good options.

How do I know if my child needs individual support?

Many kids benefit greatly for an individual therapist. If your child is demonstrating great struggles to regulate their emotional experience and/or if your child has experienced any difficult life events that they may be perceiving as a traumatic, it is likely a good idea to find a great child therapist. You might want to search for a local support that will be a great fit as our experience is that children work best therapeutically with in person support.

You might try looking for a play therapist trained in Synergetic Play Therapy or you can take a broader search by selecting the relevant criteria on PsychologyToday.com. Remember…it takes a village! Especially when it comes to parenting, getting the right support along the journey is so essential to keep you and your kiddos grounded in wellness.

Feel empowered in your parenting with the help of a parent coach

We weren’t meant to do this human thing alone. We certainly weren’t meant to do this family thing alone. In fact, I’m not sure it is possible... Parent coaching and parent coach training can be the support you are calling in that can change everything. Many clients who have worked with me have experienced this. Read some of their words of affirmation here. Parent coaches are here to help you get back on track towards the life you really want.

We’d love to support you on the journey with parent coaching if you decide you are ready for this! Only you know. 

Please connect with us if you’re ready to chat. We can’t wait to meet you.