Whether to choose parent coaching or family counseling depends on the reasons why you are looking for help for your family.
Parents who are aware that conflicts or inconsistencies in their parenting styles seek parent coaching to improve their strategies, in order to decrease the challenging behaviors of their children.
When any family member has a known or suspected emotional disorder, trauma or abusive experiences, specialized therapy/counseling is required to manage the symptoms, as standard parenting skills are not sufficient.
Other questions to ask yourself before choosing are:
What is it?
Parent coaching is training focused on improving the skills of the parents to address the children’s challenging behaviors.
Family counseling is psychotherapy that heals the feelings, behaviors and relational conflict among children and parents; often associated with emotional symptoms or disorders.
Who participates?
Only the parents typically participate in parent coaching.
Participation of all the relevant family members is essential for counseling.
Who provides it?
Parent coaches can be teachers/instructors or life coaches from any professional background, with any degree of education. However, psychotherapists provide parent coaching that is more specialized than what a non-therapist coach can provide. Some examples are: parent coaching for child anxiety, parent coaching for divorce or separation, and parent coaching for challenging behaviors
Family therapists are licensed mental health professionals with at least master’s degree and preferably a doctorate degree; thus, they are prepared to treat symptoms and disorders that might not be apparent initially.
Where?
Parent coaching is conveniently delivered online, as it involves only adults.
Family counseling can occur either online or in person. However, young children have difficulty engaging virtually; in which case, play therapy, art therapy and mindful movement in person are the most effective approaches.
When?
Parent coaching tends to be short-term (a few sessions) in a period of around 3 months. It can happen at any time of the day, when parents have a flexible work schedule.
Depending on how severe the symptoms of family members are, the length of family counseling usually ranges from a few months to over a year. It happens in after-school hours, to involve the children.
How much?
The cost of parent coaching can be lower than the cost of family counseling, according to the qualifications of the professionals providing it and their location.
However, family counseling and parent coaching when provided by a psychotherapist can be covered or reimbursed by your health insurance company, as it is considered a mental health service.
We invite you to see our Blog/News for articles related to parent coaching and family psychotherapy; as well as announcements of online parent talks and conference presentations.