What is Family Coaching?
Restoring one troubled family at a time…
Frustrated families finding help from “parent coaches”
Parent Coaching… a new discipline of para-professionals serving
distressed parents of troubled teens. At ALFC our parent coaches
are parents of former troubled teens, now restored. We call
it “Parent to Parent Mentoring”. Who best to coach a parent
in crisis but another parent who has made it through the fire?
Most of the Parent Coaches affiliated with ALFC are parents
of students who have graduated from Abundant Life Academy (Abundant
Life Academy is a Christian Boarding School offering academics
and leadership training to teens who are rebelling against their
parents and seeking the spoils of the world). Therefore, the
ALFC Parent Coach is now uniquely qualified to help parents
in crisis.
Americans readily seek “professional” help whenever
faced with tough situations and/or crisis. It is the American
way. For example, when faced with tough financial issues, people
hire financial advisors, accountants, and attorneys to guide
through their crisis. When faced with medical calamity, people
readily seek help from Doctors, Dentists, Chiropractors, Physical
Therapists, etc. Then, why not “Parent Coaches”? When faced
with crisis in the family parents can now seek the guidance,
advice, and mentoring from a new crop of para-professionals
known as “parent coaches”. At ALFC our Parent Coaches have earned
their “degrees” the hard way. They have gone through the crisis
and have come out on the other end with new knowledge and awareness.
The ALFC Parent Coaches are now ready to shar their blessing
by mentoring others who need immediate help. We never receive
the full value of a miracle until we give it away!
Parent coaches do not act as clinical psychologists or therapist
(as most people now realize, therapy rarely is effective with
the “troubled family”), nor do the diagnose disorders or mental
illnesses. Parent coaches simply guide and coach parents, suggesting
various strategies to kinds of parenting challenges.
Most parent coaches work over the phone, charging anywhere
from $300 to $400 per month or more for weekly, hour-long sessions
and email support. Parent coaching is one of the fastest growing
areas in the coaching industry. Parent Coaching can be extremely
effective for hurting families if the coach is well trained,
professional, and available during crisis.
Employers throughout the US are now recognizing the value of
“parent coaching” services. The good news regarding the “immediate
positive impact” parent coaching has on stressed out employees
has caught on. Many companies are now offer “parent coaching”
as a part of their employment benefit package. Whether the parent
is dealing with troubled teens, or day care matters, the “family”
crisis are getting into the workplace. The stress is very damaging
to productivity. It has been proven that valued employee who
is provided “Parent Coaching” is more productive and stable,
and has fewer absences from work.
The problem with “parent coaching” is that way too many parents
are reluctant to ask for help. To many it is embarrassing to
disclose or admit that they have “family problems”. Before they
seek professional help most parents are buried under the stress
of numerous crisis. There is a stigma associated with “therapy”
and “counseling”. However, “parent coaching” is catching on.
The same negative stigma that is tagged to “therapy” is not
attached “parent coaching”. At ALFC Parent Coaches completely
and totally understand, from personal experience, what the troubled
parent is going through. The ALFC Parent Coach is full of wisdom
and knowledge, but more importantly, they are full of compassion
and understanding. Essentially, having gone through their own
personal family crisis they know exactly what other parents
are going through.
However, there is still some reluctance in some Christian parents
to ask for professional help. There is still a stigma that a
Christian parent asking for help means they’re not capable or
don’t have control. There is a perception with some Christian
parents that they should know how to parent just because they
are Christian (this should not be happening to me… I have dedicated
my entire life to raising my child in the church, to know Christ).
Fortunately, more and more Christian parents are beginning to
see that “getting help” is a sign of spiritual maturity and
strength. Seeking professional coaching is more effective and
is the highest sense of love a parent can demonstrate to their
child. It means that they really care.
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