Testimonials

What Parents Say

Coaching has made an enormous impact in my life. It helped me to move from a very stuck place to being able to focus on areas in my life where I could make significant changes (new job, leaving an abusive relationship, moving). Coaching helped me to identify my strengths and embrace the healthy strong core of my being. I feel that I now have a stronger foundation to best support my daughter and myself.

Single Mother of Depressed Teen

Debra is a kind, compassionate person who really listens. She encouraged me to remember my strengths and drew out the best in me in a creative way. I hired her for assistance in my job search after being a stay-at-home mother for 12 years. She helped to identify my key values and priorities and what kind of a job would fit my life as a parent of a bipolar teen. Through our coaching work, I had the confidence to interview and I received several job offers. In the end, I had the courage to turn down the offers knowing that the best decision for my family was to remain at home. I am at peace with my decision and know that I can find a job when my family situation is more stable. I no longer feel stuck.

Stay-at-Home Mother of Bipolar Teen

Coaching is like having your own personal cheerleader. It is about your issues. The benefits are having someone who is objective, who listens and makes suggestions that you are unable to see and articulate. We are our own worst critics, which often keeps us stuck, feeling overwhelmed and unable to make changes. It helps to slow down, reflect, evaluate options and take baby steps toward bigger changes. When parents do better, kids do better!

Parent of Teen with Anxiety and Addiction

Feedback for "Parent as Coach" Workshops

• I enjoyed the workshop. It was encouraging, forward-looking and hopeful.
  
• This course was very worthwhile. Just the fact that there are other people in the same situation was helpful to know.
  
• More people who have teenagers with mental health issues should attend this workshop. It is very helpful to take some time away from the family, to step back and look at the big picture of what parents can do to support their depressed teenager to become more responsible and independent.
  
• I enjoyed the workshop and came away with concrete steps to try with my bipolar teen and partner. It was very helpful.
  
• More parents of teens with depression should take this course! I loved connecting with the other parents. The exercises were a great way to practice listening skills, setting limits and understanding our teen's perspective. I'll practice these at home with my kids.
  
• The interactive exercises were really helpful and good practice. This was a good balance between group-building for problem-solving and practical information.
  
• I loved connecting with the other parents of teens with mental health issues. Some of the stories are so sad but we didn't feel so alone. Debra was an excellent facilitator and got us all talking and helping one another.