Many new parents suffer a litany of well-intentioned advice as to how best to raise their children, suggestions and tips that can be contradictory, confusing, and often not relevant to their personal situation. There’s no question that parenting is hard, and the stakes are too high to trust learning just from experience. It’s into this cloudy picture that parent coaching offers clarity, a tool that’s welcome for many an exhausted, exasperated parent.

Dr. Richard Abbey and the team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic specialize in parent coaching, a psychology subspecialty that provides a helping hand and coping strategies through many of the challenges of parenthood.

The role of parent coach

Though delivered by psychologists, parent coaching isn’t a type of therapy or psychoanalysis. A fundamental premise of the coach is that you are the best authority when it comes to your own children, family, and household. Your coach builds a supportive partnership, providing parenting skills resources and a sounding board through which you can discuss ideas, frustrations, and parenting strategies.

A parent coach does not work as a consultant. Consultants are experts in their chosen field, and engage in a one-way transfer of knowledge that doesn’t work in a parenting situation. Nor does a coach teach new skills as much as they help you identify and use the skills you already have. Coaching in this context is a collaborative process that shares knowledge and experience in both directions, with the goal of improved parenting for your children.

Your reasons for parent coaching

As with any skill, learning, thought, and practice combine, creating better performance. Practice is often the part of the process that proves most challenging. It’s easy to unconsciously fall into patterns of behavior without realizing the impact these might have on your parenting style. This could put undue strain on your children even if they don’t have developmental issues, learning disabilities, behavioral challenges, or mental health disorders.

When children do face these hurdles, it may be outside your experience, and approaching daily life produces frustration, conflict, and exhaustion. The same may be true when you have more than one child, and they each respond to different parenting styles. Choosing a parenting coach gives you informed “fresh eyes” on a situation, an impartial observer that friends and family may try to be without realizing their own biases.

Your personal coach

Abbey Neuropsychology parent coaching typically starts with an assessment of your case and a strategy to help you see life through your child’s eyes so you can better understand their responses to your parenting habits. When necessary, your coach provides alternative approaches for your consideration in a supportive and nonjudgmental way.

Often, the pressure release of talking about your frustrations frees you to consider fresh perspectives. Your coach is a consequence-free target, helping you redirect negative energy away from your family and helping you be the best parent you can be.

Contact Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic at 650-215-6840 to schedule your initial consultation, or send us an email from our website. Our team is standing by to help you, no matter what your child rearing concern. Please note: During the COVID-19 crisis, we’re delivering parent coaching, and all our services, through online conferencing.