Teen Coaching 

I have found that there are few stages of parenting that are feared more than the teenage years. I hear some parents say they would rather wake up many times a night to a crying newborn, or keep their toddler safe on a minute by minute basis, than try to guide a teenager who may be acting out and rebelling, depressed, angry, or feeling lost. Parents also have anxiety about a teen who is full of life, doing well in most every area, having success and the time of their lives. 

With some support, a few new tools,  and a bit of finessing, the teenage years don't have to be a time of tension and frustration.

On the contrary, with a few or many tweaks in the way you go about guiding and understanding your young person, it can be one of the most rewarding and exciting stages of parenthood.

Teenage Behavior

I don't believe there has to be such thing as “ typical teenage behavior” that centers around, low self-esteem, feeling lost, irresponsibility, rebellion, anger or self-destruction. Teenagers don't necessarily have to drink, use drugs, feel insecure, hate their parents, school, their body, or life simply because they are a teenager.

As a matter of fact, I believe that most of that behavior is born out of pain, confusion about who they are and where they fit into the world around them, and not connecting with their spirit, passion or path.

Young people are capable of understanding themselves and life around them well enough to feel balanced if shown how.

How I Approach Teen Coaching

Parents often wonder what I do and how bringing in a teen coach will help address emotional, behavior, or other issues of their child.

The answer is relatively simple: I listen, understand, and back your teenager with all of my being! And sometimes, I may even tell them the very thing that you have said dozens of times, just from a different direction.

(I know you are smiling when you read that last line.)

I have worked with hundreds of teenagers for 25 years. It's one of my favorite things to do, and after all this time, I have learned that no two young people are the same.

They each have different passions, motivators, hurts, struggles, etc., but I've also learned that, regardless of their individual uniqueness, deep down, they're all looking for the same thing.

I believe that if teenagers truly feel understood and backed, and I mean truly, they will almost give you the key to how to support them by telling you exactly what is on their heart and mind.

So that's exactly what I do.

Most of my time with teenagers is spent making absolutely sure that I am truly understanding what their world is like, because each one is different. Then, once I truly understand their world and they know and experience that I do understand them and the world they're experiencing, they are ready and open to learning new skills and ready to move themselves toward a more positive lifestyle.

One of my favorite things about teenagers is that when they feel we understand them, they are beautifully transparent with what they think, believe, feel, dislike, and love! That kind of honesty is alive, powerful, and moves them quickly to their next step on their path.

I've found that when teenagers are truly heard, accepted, backed and a shown how to understand themselves and pursue their passions, along with some sensible, consistent rules, a lot of the down side of “supposed teenage behavior” falls away leaving alive, unique, caring, ready to go, engaged, motivated and interesting young people.