PARENT COACHING
Brightstone recognizes that change can be equally as stressful for the parents as for the young adults. In an effort to best support the entire family, we will provide an opportunity for our parents to participate in scheduled coaching sessions via telephone. During the first few weeks of the young adult’s transition, our parents will be introduced to an independent coach with whom Brightstone contracts. The coach is a supportive resource and assists parents in gaining tools to successfully transition in their various roles from supporting a young adult from dependence to the stage of interdependence and ultimately successful independence.
The role of the Parent Coach:
• To facilitate empowerment for the parents.
• To reflect on the role of a parent providing direct care within the home versus the support while in a program.
• To help reduce anxiety in the fear of “what if?” scenarios that parents often replay due to past experiences.
• To help the parent to gain new perspective and confidence in the young adult’s abilities they will be discovering.
• To help break old patterns that may have hindered the young adult from seeking their independence.
• To help achieve balance in the dynamics of the relationship with the young adult.
• To help the parent embrace the guidance, instruction and support offered from the team.
• To help identify the shifts in the parental roles of provider to partner.
• To serve as a catalyst for improving communication, deepening connections and enjoying all the relationships within the family.
• To help the parent refocus on other areas of their individual lives that may have been often overlooked due to the level of care having been provided to their young adult.
The coaching also provides valuable tips on how to navigate around areas of change in the dynamics of the relationship with their young adult. These “tips” offered are crucial in allowing the young adult the space they need to become more equipped in all areas that support a life of independence, but also help them manage their feelings around these shifts.
The main goals of parent coaching are to help parents set realistic expectations in the transitional phases, to feel more confident in the positive shifts that will occur in the dynamics of the parent/child relationship as their level of independence is achieved, to offer tools for effective interaction with the team and be a resource of understanding to the challenges of parenting a young adult while in program.