Parent Coaching

Parent Coaching for Happier Parents and Children 

You may have read from my story that my passion for healing and parenting came from my own negative childhood experiences. I wanted to ensure that my daughter didn’t have similar experiences, so I transformed my own life.  Initially, I changed ME which positively impacted my family.  I wanted to break the cycle of the generational patterns of the past.

I learnt through coaching, therapy, and training to reparent myself and then parent her with compassion, connection and open communication.  

Since then, I’ve supported and empowered 100’s of different families, from different cultures who have different parenting practices and rituals.  

I’ve worked with some amazing parents to create a bespoke therapeutic programme that combines psychotherapy and coaching to help you to become a conscious 21st Century parent to create calm, confident, and happy children and you feel empowered and happy in the process.

It IS possible.
Let's face it, when someone in the family has a mental health problem or illness, it affects the entire family’s dynamics and behaviors and sometimes parents and other family members don’t really know how to support them…or themselves. Can you relate?

Since the pandemic, anxiety within families has increased and people are experiencing all sorts of difficulties. What is important is to find a way to address the problems and improve communication between the children and parents.  

What kinds of difficulties?

• Complete meltdowns
• Perhaps your child is experiencing problems at home or at school, such as bullying or not fitting in with their peers.
• Your child may have additional social and/or emotional needs or behavioural difficulties.
• You may be worried that your child appears unhappy, sad, anxious, distressed, angry or otherwise ‘not themselves’.
• S/he may be shy, highly sensitive or withdrawn.
• Perhaps your child has a neurodiverse diagnosis i.e ADHD, Autism, ODD?
• You may be concerned about your child’s physical, emotional or mental well-being and looking for some professional help.
• It could be that you are worried about how your child is doing at school and you feel s/he needs extra support.
• Or perhaps you feel your child is doing well, but you would like them to learn important life skills that are essential to their future success and happiness in life: skills such as positive thinking, self-discovery, effective communication, empathy, self-motivation, along with qualities such as self-esteem and self-belief.
• Maybe you are struggling to fulfill your parenting role effectively and feel that you need some advice and guidance with your own triggers.
• And much more….

It’s not your fault

Parenting does not come with a manual.

Us parents are trying to find balance with family, friends, our finances, social life and the endless list of to-do’s whilst at the same time bringing up our children and sometimes our own triggers make us feel frustrated, scared, tired and overwhelmed and alone…all riddled with feelings of shame and guilt.  Our reactions are based in survival mode.

Parent Coaching

Parent coaching can help families to learn new ways of interacting with each other, and it can also help them to understand and resolve conflict. In addition, Parent coaching can also be used to address mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety. When all family members are involved, it can help improve communication and understanding. As a result, parent coaching can be a valuable tool for improving family relationships.

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Common topics discussed during parent coaching

Family dynamics

One of the most common topics discussed during parent coaching is family dynamics. Family dynamics refer to how family members interact with each other and the roles they play within the family. In our sessions, we would discuss issues that can be addressed through discussion of family dynamics, including communication problems, peaceful conflict resolution, and parenting styles.

Intergenerational trauma

Intergenerational trauma is a form of trauma that is passed down from one generation to the next and is more common than most people think. This can happen when a traumatic event occurs, and the resulting stress goes unresolved. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, leading to brain chemistry and physiological changes. Intergenerational trauma can have a lasting impact on mental and physical health, relationships, and overall well-being.

I help families understand intergenerational trauma and to address the needs of those who have experienced it. By working to resolve the underlying stressors, we can help break the cycle and promote healing for individuals and families.

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Relationship problems

Another common topic discussed during parent coaching  is relationship problems. Relationship problems can arise for various reasons, such as communication difficulties, different values or goals, or a lack of intimacy. Parent coaching can help families to identify the root cause of their relationship problems and develop healthy ways to communicate and resolve conflict.

Parent-child relationships

Parents and children may have difficulty communicating or disagree on important issues such as discipline, bedtime, or screen time. Parent Coaching can help parents and children to understand each other's perspectives and develop a more positive relationship. Many of my clients also work on a more intimate level through my dedicated Parents & Children (child and adolescent therapy Services.

Sibling relationships

Sibling relationships are often a hot topic during parent coaching. Siblings may fight constantly, have different interests, or feel like they are being treated unfairly. Parent Coaching can help siblings to understand each other's perspectives and develop a more positive relationship.

Mental health

Mental health disorders can affect any member of the family and can have a significant impact on family dynamics. Parent coaching can help families to understand mental health disorders, learn how to support each other, and develop coping strategies.

Benefits for you and your child

evidence-basedMy approach is rooted in evidence based methodologies and puts you at the centre of change so you can support your child. The idea is to break the cycle of generational wounding to empower you to find a different way to parent your child. It is possible that your child is experiencing mental health issues as well and I can support you all.

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The most common benefits cited by parents I have worked with are:

• A deeper more loving connection with your child. You will notice a significant difference in your child’s behaviour. Fewer meltdowns, less conflict, and less shouting.
• You will feel happier because your child will feel happier.
• Your child will feel self-assured and confident, learning to trust their own intuitive ability.
• You will feel freedom as your child learns to better manage his or her feelings and therefore, will not have to rely on you so much.
• More interaction and cooperation when solving problems towards positive solutions

Most importantly, your intergenerational patterns of reactivity and triggers will get resolved

WHAT benefits WILL MY CHILD GET?

• Be self-motivated and stay committed to projects/tasks in and out of school
• Set their own targets and work towards them.
• Understand and change their behaviour (and depending on the child’s age) can influence other people’s attitudes
• Communicate well, show empathy towards others

• Be more assertive, independent and with greater self-esteem
• Be good mediators and are good role models for siblings and other children.. 

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What is involved?

First, I will assess the parent(s) separately and then we will collectively agree on outcomes that you would like for yourselves and family. 

We will meet weekly but some sessions might take longer as you will have activities to implement or  if other things take priority.

We would book blocks of 6 sessions and review progress at the end of the 6 sessions and book more sessions if needed.  To manage your time, I would look at booking between 12-18 sessions. 

These are the kinds of things we will cover in roughly the time markers as follows –

First 6 sessions

Assessment

Values/outcomes

We will cover these themes Connection, communication, problem solving and attention – to improve emotional regulation, managing emotions and learning to communicate appropriately. I will give you tools and resources and ideas on how to implement these strategies.  It could be that we will approach the ‘themes’ in a different order depending on what challenges you are facing each week.

Next 6 sessions
Understanding how praise and rewards can help with motivation, thinking skills and social skills.  Praise and rewards can sometimes be enough to reduce challenging behaviour.

Next 6 sessions 
Rules/boundaries/behaviour management and consequences and limit setting – You will feel skilled with dealing with managing your children’s behaviour and to help answer some of your questions about how you can manage your state when problems arise.  

We will go at your pace and we can assess where you are at every 6 week intervals.  The parenting sessions are to talk about ANYTHING that is challenging (and it might not be a parenting related topic).