A life coach can help your child identify obstacles and set realistic and incremental goals for overcoming them. A coach will work with your child as a partner and ally, as they work together to formulate a personalized plan with goal setting and progress measurements. Coaching increases self-esteem by allowing your child to gain access to a wide variety of tools that will help them to reach their full potential. This can include learning to be more organized, taking personal responsibility, learning positive ways to be socially engaged, as well as balancing school, social activities, family life, and a job if they have one.

Just like adults, children sometimes realize that something in their life needs to change, but they are unable to identify precisely what that something is. Life coaches know the right questions to ask to allow your child to draw their own conclusions about what areas of their life could be improved.

Coaches are a great choice for kids with ADD/ADHD who need a solid plan for staying on track with school and other responsibilities. A life coach can also help with the implementation of skills that will improve relationships with teachers, parents, other authority figures, and peers. Many adolescents feel that therapy, which tends to focus on delving into the past, is an emotionally draining experience. Because it is developmentally appropriate for children in this age group to be much more concerned with the present and future, many of them find coaching to be an energizing and motivating experience. Because children tend to live very much in the moment, the concrete activities and measurable short-term progress they will make with their coach is something that feels more tangible and relevant to them.

When a clinical diagnosis is not appropriate or necessary for your child’s emotional growth and goal setting, coaching provides a great alternative.