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Perhaps there’s no other company in the world that puts out a product as important as the family. And like the best corporations, some coaches believe the best families know the power of good coaching. “Being a parent is the most sacred work we do,” says Gloria DeGaetano, a parent coach and the founder of the Parent Coaching Institute, which has been training parent coaches since 2000.
“Partly, parent coaching can support and relieve anxiety and worry and also support parents to be their best for their children, just like we have coaches for CEOs and business managers–and parents sure are the CEOs of their home and really deserve the best support they can get.”
PCI, a year-long program that carries graduate credits through Seattle Pacific University, puts parent coaching students through at least 100 hours of coaching before granting the PCI certification. “This model grew out of my work over the past twenty years as parent, teacher, and educational consultant,” says DeGaetano. “I looked for what brought aliveness to parents; and I looked at how parents used the information presented to them to bring about change in their lives.”
DeGaetano also drew on some truly valuable experience–her own role as a Mom. “I…found the discipline and organizational skills I didn’t know I had until I became a single mother,” she says. “For several tough years with ever-present health and financial challenges, I thought I could not go on another day. But thanks to daily fun, creative experiences with my boys, I found a way to not only survive, but to thrive as a solo parent.”
DeGaetano believes parent coaching is an emerging niche, and not necessarily a niche for coaches who are themselves parents. DeGaetano says most of her students do have children, but a few don’t, and they have been excellent parent coaches, drawing on their own experiences in teaching, working with kids, or simply being around their own nieces and nephews.
DeGaetano spoke with CoachReporter Mark Joyella about parent coaching, her Parent Coaching Institute, and the next big step Mark’s making in his life–becoming a father.
To learn more about the Parent Coaching Institute and some of the research being performed in the area of parent coaching, click here.
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There are 3 Responses so far...
My most enjoyable coaching was working with children, teens, and parents on goal-setting skills. The families were encouraged to work together with audio tapes and to set goals together. This broadened communication, strengthened self images, and provided a basis for a team approach to surfacing problems. Separate workshops addressed peer concerns, but families interacted together in the home. An area seldom addressed in today’s market. Kudos to the author for an excellent read.
While I had not heard of the PCI, I think it is a fabulous approach to something that most of us are faced with: parenting. One of my previous employment experiences had to do with child abuse prevention and we worked very closely with the parent to help them and give them tools to be the best they could. When introducing the program, I remember saying to them that ‘children don’t come with handbooks’ and is because of that very reason, that I think that Parent Coaching can be so beneficial to any parent, first time or not. Parenting can be challenging especially if you don’t have support; and what better way to overcome some of those situations that working with a coach. In my opinion is a very valuable proposition: as stressors around parenting and raising children are minimized; family values and the opportunity to embrace the experiences is enhanced. I’ve checked and bookmarked PCI’s website; good resource!
I was looking around for different coaching websites when I came across this one. I was definitely intrigued when I saw Parent Coaching. Even though this is an entirely different niche than what I do, I can see it is a much needed niche and like Maria mentioned, I too can see the value you do and I applaud you for the work you do.
Keep up the good work.