What Does A Family Coach Do?

Family coaching is a process where some or all members of a family partner with a coach to address goals that will ultimately improve their family dynamics and relationships. Family dynamics are the interactions between family members, how they relate to one another and how the family functions as a whole. (https://www.noomii.com/family-coaching)

Family coaching is a kind of relationship coaching that focuses on families and everything that was mentioned in the articles on relationship coaching and couples coaching applies here as well. Please refer to those articles in the blog section.

Coaching vs. Therapy:

A family coach focuses on where a family is now and where they want to go in the future or how they want the relationship to become. The coach will assess the family to first make sure that it is coachable. A family can be uncoachable if there is an active depression or mental illness in one or more of the family members. It is also uncoachable when there is abuse or a gross imbalance of power. If any of these conditions exist in the family then the coach has to refer them to a therapist or other professionals. Family coaching is a kind of relationship coaching that focuses on families and everything that was mentioned in the articles on relationship coaching and couples coaching applies here as well. Please refer to those articles in the blog section.

A family therapist looks at past trauma or conflict in the family and the way that past trauma or conflict or behaviour has influenced the family and how it might still be impacting the family now. The therapist helps the family heal that pain by exploring it with them and supporting them in talking about it and dealing with it until they can move on.The therapist is generally trying to help the family understand WHY they are where they are and supports them in healing and moving on. The coach on the other hand is not very interested in the past, although he or she might allow the family members to vent about it, rather, the coach is going to focus more on HOW to support the family in achieving their goals and reaching the outcome that they want to reach. 

How does a family coach work with the family?

The coach will start by assessing the family system using a number of tools such as individual and group interviews and questionnaires to gather as much information as possible in the beginning of the coaching process. Once the goals or the desired outcomes of the coaching are established, the coach will create a coaching plan and discuss it with the family which should lead to a coaching contract specifying all the details of the coaching process such as duration, cost and frequency of sessions as well as the goals that the family hopes to accomplish.

The Benefits of family coaching:

Family coaching helps with:

  • Improving communication between family members.
  • Creating empathy and intimacy in the relationship.
  • Resolving conflicts.
  • Increasing peace and happiness in the home.
  • Empowering family members.
  • Giving the family members a deeper understanding of their relationship.
  • Getting family members to know each other better and get closer to each other.
  • Increasing respect for one another.
  • Improving the ability to make decisions.
  • Supporting and educating parents with regard to parenting methods and practices. 
In summary, A family coach is a partner/sounding board/neutral 3rd party that supports the family and/or individuals in identifying their goals and in establishing new routines and behaviors that help the family achieve positive change as well as continue to get on-going results.

Bushra Dudeen

ORSCC, ACC, CTI, MS ECE

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