Typically, when I tell people that I'm a teen coach, I receive a curious raise of the eyebrows and tilt of the head, followed by questions. It's been a long time since my last blog post, so now seems like a good time to break down what I do as a teen coach.
When I meet a new client, I focus wholly on getting to know him or her. I usually offer a warning that the first session might feel like an interview, which actually puts many new clients at ease since the burden of carrying the conversation is on me. As we talk, clients reveal areas of stress or concern (some examples are: organizing belongings (including anything from schoolwork to personal possessions); learning to cook; tending to a car; household management; developing and maintaining relationships with peers, romantic interests, parents, teachers, etc.; creating and sticking to a schedule; creating a strategy for completing projects of all kinds; approaches to decisions of varying magnitude; etc.) and this information offers a foundation for the next step in our work: identifying areas of focus and action items. Some clients are able to articulate what they'd like to work on; others need and want that information reflected back to them. Over time, I teach my clients how to identify and craft goals for themselves, and I ask them to participate in the creation of achievable action items. The part that many parents love most is that during sessions and in between sessions, I follow up with clients about their progress which provides accountability while removing stress from the parent-child relationship. Over time, my clients and I celebrate their successes and growth. We also engage in a perpetual process of identifying areas of focus which are sometimes new and sometimes recycled. I happily work with all clients who want support.
I love my work, and I love to talk about it! Email me at jennifer.labovich@marinteencoach.com if you'd like to learn more.