The Benefits of Life Coaching Children

There are so many direct benefits of life coaching children:

• To help them see they can change a situation where they are unhappy
• To help them fully understand the situation they are in
• To help them see that they are the only person responsible for their own actions
• To empower them to make positive changes in the way they act, think and feel
• To develop essential life skills that they need for life

An indirect and additional benefit of life coaching children is raising a child’s self-esteem and confidence. When a child sees that they are able to change one area of their life it makes them realise they are capable of making significant changes in other areas.

I also find that having a trustworthy outsider for a child to talk to can be very beneficial especially if the problem is family related.

The main issues I work with coaching children on are:

• Self-esteem
• Co-operation
• Confidence building
• Social interaction and communicating with peer groups and adults
• Stress management
• Challenging negative thoughts and beliefs
• Friendships
• Anxiety
• School problems
• Family difficulties
• Parent separation
• Motivation and listening skills
• Building resilience and character

I do not work with children with any type of addiction or eating disorder.

The way I work with children

Before my first session with a child, I always have a phone conversation with the parent or guardian so I know what issues they would like me to address. With this in mind, in the first session, I always ask the child what they would like to talk about. I feel it is important to address what is on the child’s mind first before going onto the parents agenda. The ‘parents issue’ is still addressed but later in the coaching process. The child may say the same issue as the parent and if they do then we start troubleshooting the problem immediately.

I don’t like to go directly into an issue without establishing trust so I will always start a session talking about their life generically before getting into the nitty-gritty of what they would like to change. Once we have some trust and are comfortable with each other it is easier for the child to open up and be honest with me about how they feel. We can then start to address the things they would like to change, establish what the child would like to happen instead and look at ways of achieving it. Together we come up with a variety of possible strategies they could use so the child can choose the most achievable and realistic options for them to get the result they want. This solution may not necessarily be the preferred route for the parents, but by letting the child find an answer to their problem they will feel empowered and in control of the situation, which in turn will raise their self-esteem.

My sessions are lively, interactive and supportive. I help the child think creatively. I don’t just sit and listen to what they are saying but I ask questions and get the child to verbalise their thoughts and feelings. We may also do activities or I might share stories of other children who have been in similar situations so they get to see that they are many children who struggle with the same challenges. I see the whole child not just the issue they are coming to see me about and address anything I pick up on through their verbal or non-verbal communication.

Read my testimonials to see what parents have to say

The coaching children setting

I work from my home in North London so that children feel relaxed in a comfortable family environment. I also do SKYPE coaching if your child is unable to visit me for geographical reasons. SKYPE is a great, flexible way to resolve your child’s issues from the comfort of their own home and it is just as effective.

When I work

In terms of the hours I work, during term-time I coach Monday to Thursday evenings 4.30pm – 7.30pm and on Sundays 10am – 7pm. During the school holidays my hours vary as do the hours I work when coaching children internationally. 

The duration of the sessions

My face to face and SKYPE sessions are weekly, unless you state a preference otherwise. Both types of session are 45 minutes long. The sessions are at the child’s pace and I am able to tackle the main problem the child has in the first session. There is no average when it comes to how long I will see a child however 95% of the children that I see will have 3 or 4 sessions in total.

Age range

Typically I work with children aged six years to seventeen years however, if you would like help with your young adult and think coaching would work please get in touch.

Confidentiality

All my sessions are confidential unless a child gives me permission to discuss our conversations with their parents or they have disclosed something to me that I need to pass onto Social Services. Most children are happy for me to talk to their parents between sessions. It not only allows me to make the parent aware of how the child wants to solve the problem but the parent knows what changes they can expect to see. With the parent on my side they can talk to the child about their emotional and behavioural progress and encourage them to keep going with changing their actions/thoughts/beliefs.