Parenting Coaching

What is Parent Coaching?

Do you wonder why certain things trigger you when your kids do them?  Your reaction is so much larger than it should be given the situation.  We all speak words that were spoken to us and do things that were done to us.  It can be as automatic as flinching at something that comes too close to us too quickly.   Maybe you have an extra-challenging parenting journey like parenting a special needs child or an adopted child, or maybe parenting just seems extra challenging for you, and you’re not quite sure why. 

In working with hundreds of families in the past years, I know that there is nothing parents care more about than their kids.  They want to get this right more than anything else.  I believe in parents’ passion for their kids (and, yes, sometimes that looks like anger in the first parenting sessions).  It is my honor to walk with moms and dads into knowing themselves better so that they can parent with intention.

Difference Between Coaching and Counseling

Dr. Aguayo is a parenting coach, NOT A THERAPIST, PSYCHOLOGIST, or MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDER. She does NOT treat, diagnose, or assess for mental health conditions. Insurance will NEVER cover consulting fees, and you cannot submit consulting fees to insurance. Dr. Aguayo is NOT a crisis provider. If you are in a crisis, we advise you to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you feel like you need the support of a mental health provider due to thoughts of harming yourself or anyone else, then we would encourage you to see a mental health provider for your needs.

Is Parent Coaching Right for Me?

• Do you feel like your children are constantly not meeting your expectations?
• Do you have a hard time letting go of certain things that your children should be responsible for like school work?
• Do you feel like you were an excellent parent at a certain developmental stage (maybe the younger years) but are now struggling at parenting through the teen years?
• Do your kids have special needs that make it difficult to ever feel like you are doing enough?
• Do your special needs kids seem to dominate the family atmosphere, making it hard for your other kids to be seen and heard?
• Do you wonder what healthy boundaries are with kids (any age) and often feel “unseen”?
• Are you struggling with wondering how to transition your relationship and responsibilities from younger kids to older kids or teens to young adults?

Types of Parent Coaching

1:1 Parent Coaching

Office sessions are 50-minute sessions.  I believe people have amazing insight inside of themselves to start to heal old wounds and achieve their personal goals.  Sometimes being in a space where someone can keep you focused and organize the conversation helps you determine what you need to do.  People have this amazing capacity for self-reflection when they commit the space and time to do it.  These sessions create that space for a parent, space to think, reflect, heal, manage expectations, and create goals. 

1:1 Tele Parent Coaching

I coach people overseas and out of state regularly.  Sometimes I also coach local people remotely who want to cut down on commute time but still need support.  Tele coaching sessions are the same length as an in-office session (50 minutes).  

Educational Parent Groups

These groups are smaller groups that meet for weeks.  Parents get to connect with each other despite their children being different ages and stages and learn to understand themselves and their children better. This group is designed to help parents understand when to meet their children’s needs, how to meet their needs, and when to take charge of a situation.  It also has a strong element of understanding “parent triggers”, so that we can stay in control of ourselves. 

Parenting Support Groups

These groups meet on a regular basis in order to have support from other parents who are going through similar struggles.  These groups are more interactive and supportive than educational although they do have some structure to them.  My goal for these groups is for you to have a space where you can share your parenting struggles with other parents.