What is
ParentCoaching?
ParentCoaching is a new and encouraging way of assisting
parents/caregivers develop cooperative and healthy relationships with
their children. A ParentCoach assists parents expand their awareness,
understanding and knowledge while developing alternative parenting
skills. ParentCoaching encourages an environment of mutual respect and
family harmony- the foundation for nurturing independent, confident and
self-disciplined children.
What is professional coaching?
Coaching is a profession that promotes excellence within individuals
and groups by facilitating learning, engaging untapped potential, and
supporting effective action.
How did ParentCoaching get started?
Adlerian theorist and educator, Dr. Richard Kopp, initiated
ParentCoaching in 2000. ParentCoaching draws on the works of Dreikurs,
Dinkmeyer, and other well known Adlerian parent educators. Over the
past two years the concept was fine-tuned by a group of coaching and
counselling graduates from the Adler School. The testimonials
from parents who have experienced ParentCoaching and coaches who have
been using the ParentCoaching model are nothing short of “two thumbs
up!!!”
How
do parent education, family
counseling & ParentCoaching differ?
Parent education is generally conducted in groups rather than being
tailored to individual families; family counselling or therapy is
tailored to individual families but tends to be problem and/or
pathology oriented; ParentCoaching generally focuses on the individual
parent. The emphasis is building on existing strengths and skills while
encouraging parents to find their own solutions. Parents find that they
are in a position of choice in responding to their children’s behaviour.
What is
coaching?
Coaching is a
new profession. Coaches:
-
Help
people
set better goals and then reach those goals.
-
Ask their
clients to do more than they would have done on their own.
-
Focus their
clients better to more quickly produce results.
-
Provide the
tools, support and structure to accomplish more.
How is coaching
different from consulting? Therapy? Sports coaching? A best
friend?
Consulting.
Coaching is a form
of
consulting. But the coach stays with the client to help implement the
new skills, changes and goals to make sure they really happen. Therapy.
Coaching is not therapy. We don't work on "issues" or get into the past
or deal much with understanding human behavior. We leave that up to the
client to know and figure out while we help them move forward and set
personal and professional goals that will give them the life they
really want.
Sports.
Coaching includes
several
principles from sports coaching, like teamwork, going for the goal,
being your best. But unlike sports coaching, most professional coaching
is not competition or win/lose based. We strengthen the client's skills
vs help them beat the other team. It's win/win.
Best friend. A best
friend is wonderful to have. But is
your best friend a professional who you will trust to advise you on the
most important aspects of your life and/or business? Have a best friend
and a coach.
What
is the basic philosophy of
coaching?
Simply
put, that we humans are great, that we're all discovering what we
really want and that we get can get what we want faster and easier by
having a coach who's been there and who can help us.
Who hires a coach
and why?
People hire a coach because
-
They want
more.
-
They
want to
grow.
-
They
want it
easier.
It's as
simple as that. Coaches help a client get all three. Quickly.
What happens when
you hire a coach?
Many
things, but
the most important are:
-
You
take
yourself more seriously.
-
You take
more effective and focused actions immediately.
-
You stop
putting up with what is dragging you down.
-
You create
momentum so it's easier to get results.
You set
better goals that you might not have without the coach.
Does the coach
work on personal goals or
business/professional goals?
Both,
actually. And, with the line between personal and business life
blurring in the 90s, the coach is the only professional trained to work
with all aspects of you.
Where does the coach focus with an
average client?
We
focus where
the client needs us most. And, we tend to weave in the following
discussions:
-
Getting
the
client's Personal Foundation strengthened.
-
Helping the
client beef up their Reserve.
-
Helping the
client set goals based on their Personal Values.
By
including these with what the client wants from us, we help the client
have fewer problems and focus on what's going to make them the most
successful. We've found that clients really enjoy the
approach.
Why does coaching work?
Coaching
works
for several reasons:
-
Synergy
between the coach and client creates momentum.
-
Better goals
are set -- ones that naturally pull the client toward the goal rather
than goals that require the client to push themselves to the
goal.
-
The
client
develops new skills, and these skills translate into more
success.
Why
is coaching
becoming so popular?
Coaching
is
becoming popular for several reasons:
-
Many people
are tired of doing what they "should" do and are ready to do something
special and meaningful for the rest of their lives. Problem is, many
can't see it, or if they can, they can't see a way to reorient their
life around it. A coach can help them do both.
-
People are
realizing how simple it can be to accomplish something that several
years ago might have felt out of reach or like a pipedream. A coach is
not a miracle worker (well, they are, sometimes) but a coach does have
a large tool kit to help the Big Idea become a Reality. Fortunately,
people now have time and resources to invest in themselves in this kind
of growth.
-
Spirituality.
If you've tracked the phenomenal success of James Redfield's Celestine
Prophecy on the NY Times best-seller list during 1994, you get a sense
of just how many people are willing to look at, and consider, the
notion of spirituality. Wow. Many coaches are spiritually based -- even
the ones who coach IBM and AT&T. America is getting spiritual
quickly. (Our working definition of spirituality? How connected you are
with yourself and others.") The coach helps the clients to tune in
better to themselves and others.
What about
people who are already doing great in their lives. Why would they need
a coach?
They might
not need a coach. But it is helpful to find out: Are they doing what
they most enjoy? Are they tolerating anything? Is life easy? Are they
going to be financially independent within the next 15 years? Do they
have what they most want? We've discovered that, often, people need to
expect more out of their lives. A coach can help in this
process.
Can
a dependency be created between coach
and client?
Not
really. The client may "need" the coach in order to maximize an
opportunity or accelerate their growth, yet not be "dependent" on the
coach. Anyone who's up to something "needs" structure, advice, support
and a place to brag, so in that sense, the coach is necessary. But an
emotional, psychological dependency is not created. The coach works
with people who are just fine and strong enough on their own. Remember,
we're not resolving issues here. The coach is helping the client to
create a better future: More success, more money, and a higher quality
of life.
Can
coaching hurt someone?
No. How?
We aren't doing psychological work. We're not trying to control the
client's thinking. We're not cattle prods; we're partners.
Can I hire a coach
just for a short-term,
special project?
Yes. Some
clients hire a coach to help them accomplish specific goals or
projects. Usually, however, the client keeps working with the coach
after that because there are even more interesting things to accomplish.
How long must I
commit if I start working
with a coach?
Most
coaches ask for a three to six month commitment but usually let you
stop immediately if coaching is not working for you right now. Very,
very few coaches ask for a written agreement or contract. (As a coach,
I never did, and my practice stayed full. And while clients do come and
go, I don't think a contract is wise.) For the corporate client,
however, a signed agreement is simply good business.
What does it cost to hire a
coach?
Most coaches
working with individuals charge about $200 to $450 per month for one
half-hour call per week. Executive coaches charge more and some clients
work with a coach for an hour or two a week. It all works about to
about $100 to $150 per hour. Obviously, corporate coaching or programs
is more, often running $1,000 to $10,000 per month.
