Parent Coaching

Parent coaching

“Parent coaching” is a term that encompasses a range of scientifically supported therapies in which a therapist works directly with a parent to help their child with emotional or behavioral problems. In parent coaching, the focus is exclusively on changing parenting behavior, which can trickle down and have indirect benefits on how your child feels or acts. Parent coaching has been tested most with young children with disruptive behavior problems (e.g., tantrums, aggressive behavior, defiance), and there is also a growing appreciation for its application in helping children overcome anxiety or OCD, especially following the ”SPACE” approach to parent training. This approach has gained more and more research support in recent years, including through some research my colleagues and I have conducted on this program.

Why choose parent coaching if my child is struggling with anxiety, OCD, or a related problem?

There are lots of reasons parent coaching might be a good fit for a family. Lots of kids who struggle with anxiety might not be motivated to overcome their anxiety. Therapy for anxiety requires kids to step outside their comfort zone and face their fears. Some kids might prefer to keep things as they are, or might not view their fears or worries as a major problem. They might argue against change or resist participating in therapy. In these cases, sometimes parents are the people in the family system most motivated to make a change, and using parent coaching can capitalize on this strength. Even among kids who are highly motivated, almost every parent I work with is also interested in learning what they can do to help their child when they are anxious or afraid. Parent coaching is a great fit for these families as well. It's also true that when we equip parents with these skills early on, they might be more successful in flexibly applying them as a child develops and the particular focus of their fear or anxiety changes. 

What does parent coaching for anxiety look like?

In my practice, I integrate principles from the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) program as well as from more general principles of "behavioral parent training." Behavioral parent training refers to a broad group of therapies that involve the consistent delivery of effective parenting strategies. In my parent coaching practice, I find that it is often useful to draw from multiple modalities as kids and their families often face multiple related psychological problems. 

The two central elements of SPACE are to help parents 1) communicate in a way that expresses empathy for your child while also encouraging them to achieve their goals and live a full life, and 2) reduce excessive accommodations of anxious behaviors (for example, helping a child avoid things they are afraid of and answering lots of reassurance-seeking questions over and over). 

Why choose parent coaching for young children with challenging behaviors?

Parenting children who have problems with defiance, aggression, or tantrums can be overwhelming. These types of challenges are the most common reason parents seek out help from a mental or behavioral health professional for young kids. Parent coaching programs are the most scientifically supported therapies for 2-7 year-olds who have problems with disruptive behavior challenges like aggression, oppositional behavior, and tantrums. Parent Child Interaction Therapy, or PCIT, is an incredibly effective parent coaching program that is all about helping parents learn effective parenting strategies through play. I was fortunate to be trained and certified in PCIT when I was at the University of Florida, where this treatment was developed, and have had the chance to see how life-changing it can be for families, and continue to enjoy using PCIT in my practice when it is a good fit for families. Beyond PCIT, I also integrate principles from other beahvioral parenting programs to best meet the needs and parenting values of the families I work with.