Frequently Asked Questions

What makes our Kids Life Coaching Program unique?

In the EMBRACE Kid Coaching Program we focus on developing your child’s self-awareness and strengths. This helps empower them to manage their own behaviour, and inspires them to make good decisions and be leaders of their own lives.

Our coaching sessions are highly interactive and based on experiential learning. We share tools and build skills through fun play-based activities, to help your child create positive lifestyle habits, building confidence, calm and lasting change.

I’m a kid coach, specifically trained to bring out the best in children. With experience working with children in a variety of different environments ie. Volunteer Kids Life Coach, Kids Ski Instructor, Volunteer Ethics Teacher, Raise Mentor, EMBRACE Kid Coach. And, I’m a mum who understands high sensitivity and anxiety from a personal perspective.

What is Kids Life Coaching?

Our Kids Life Coaching programs Inspire kids through Play Based Activities to Increase their Self-Awareness, Empower them to manage their own Behaviour, help them Realise their true Self-Worth, and Build their Confidence and Resilience. Creating Positive Habits that last a Lifetime.

What does a Kid Coach do?

I make sure I explain this to your child in the ‘Initial Family Consultation’. When I’m speaking to children, I ask them “What does a Soccer, Swimming, or Netball Coach, do?”

They usually tell me that a ’Sports’ Coach teaches kids to:

Learn new Skills for ‘Sport’: Soccer/Swimming/Netball
Do Better at the sport
Grow and Strengthen their body Muscles
Practice skills and Achieve personal Goals
Make Good Choices (during the game, fit and healthy)

Similarly, as a Kids ‘Life’ Coach, I help kids to:

Learn new Skills for ‘Life’
Do Better at bouncing back faster and more easily. Feel better about Life, get better at dealing with ups and downs of life, be more resilient
Grow and Strengthen their Mind Muscles, to be Happier about themselves and life
Practice skills feeling better about who they are, and Achieve personal Goals, realising all their great strengths
Make Good Choices by being the Leader of their Own Life. Taking ownership, having more control over how they react to their thoughts and feelings, feeling confident in who they are (healthy heart, mind and body)

How many sessions will we need? How long are the sessions?

The EMBRACE Kid Coaching Program consists of 8 one-on-one coaching sessions for your child, and 2 Family Sessions.

2 Family Consultations: The Initial ‘no-obligation’ Family Consultation (60 mins) is prior to the first coaching session and the Family Consolidation (60 mins) is after the eighth coaching session.
Core Coaching Sessions 1-4: Lay the Foundation of Understanding and create Awareness (weekly @ 60 mins)
Booster Coaching Sessions 5-8: Build Solid Skills and Positive Practices (fortnightly @ 45 mins)

Why should I get a Kid Coach for my child?

Could your child benefit from; some help managing their emotions, their reactions to their outside world, building resilience, confidence, grit, courage, self-worth, healthier choices, being the leader of their own lives, building hope and self-belief?

Do you as a parent hope for; more calm, change, new habits, new tools, acceptance, joy, fun, reassurance, support, no judgement, empathy, understanding?

If you can relate to any of these points, then Kid Coaching can make a positive difference for you and your family.

Is Kid Coaching only for kids with problems?

No, every child can benefit from Kid Coaching. The tools and life skills children learn will help them manage the inevitable ups and downs of life better and more easily.

Kid Coaching helps in many areas of life, including: Friendships, Communication, Self-Care, Stress Reduction, Behaviour Management, Connection, Healthy Habits, Love of Learning, Self-Esteem, Self-Confidence and much more.

In the EMBRACE Kid Coaching programs we

INSPIRE Kids through Play Based Activities
INCREASE their Self-Awareness
EMPOWER them to manage their own Behaviour
Help them REALISE their true Self-Worth
BUILD their Confidence and Resilience
CREATE Positive Habits that last a Lifetime

Important note:

Coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy! If your child or teen suffers from a psychological illness, please see a GP, licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical counsellor.

Is Kid Coaching therapy?

Kid Coaching is different from therapy in that we don’t focus on problems or defined labels. And we don’t conduct any psychological analysis or provide a clinical diagnosis.

In the EMBRACE Kid Coaching sessions labels are left at the door. We start fresh with what is going on for your child right now and how they would like their future to be. The aim of Kid Coaching is to teach your child tools and strategies that enable them to live a happy and successful life, a life they are genuinely excited about. We are here to help your child grow and thrive.

We deliver a fun and interactive coaching program, that creates self-awareness and accountability, as well as provides tools and skills that make life a little easier, calmer and more fun.

What if my child is already seeing a Psychologist/ Counsellor/ Specialist? Will it interfere with their work?

My role as a Kid Coach is quite different from other professionals (see answer to ‘Is Kid Coaching therapy?’ above), it is also very complimentary.

As a Kid Coach I am happy to work alongside other specialists and align our goals to create the best outcomes for your child. It is also ok to have us work completely independently, because what your child learns at our EMBRACE Kid Coaching sessions will very much support and benefit any work your child is doing with other professionals. We can work whichever way you feel your child would benefit the most.

Do I need a referral?

No referral is necessary.

Is it covered by Medicare or health insurance?

At this stage there is no reimbursement through Medicare or health insurance (but I’m hoping in the future this will be different).

What’s included in the Coaching Program?

The EMBRACE Kid Coaching Program includes a total of 10 sessions:

2 x Analysis of online Assessments (pre & post program)
2 x Family Consultations (60 min)
1 x Tailor-made Program Design
4 x Weekly Core Coaching Sessions (60 min)
4 x Fortnightly Booster Coaching Sessions (45 min)
4 x Home-Based Adventure Programs with Audios
4 x School/Professional Contact - if applicable (10 min)
8 x Parent Feedback (10 min) via parents preferred method - phone, e-mail, F2F
1 x Motivational EMBRACE Kid Coaching Tool Kit

What if my child doesn’t like it?

Prior to committing to the EMBRACE Kid Coaching Program, we have a ‘no-obligation’ Family Consultation, where the child and parent/s meet. We discuss the outcome of the online Lifestyle Questionnaire and your child is asked for their input, as well as their permission to continue with future coaching sessions.

It is important for your child to be empowered as the decision maker in this situation. This will ensure they are as invested in the program as you are, and will create the best results.

It is also essential that you and your child connect with your Kid Coach. There needs to be a sense of connection, trust and honesty for the program to work to its full potential. I want you and your child to feel supported, understood, safe, calm, energised, lighter and so incredibly hopeful and excited about the future.

If we connect with each other, and your child also agrees to continue, then we start a wonderful adventure together. If this is not the case, then we finish at the end of the Family Consultation. There is no obligation to continue further.

How much does it cost to start? How many sessions do I have to sign up for?

The initial ‘no-obligation’ family consultation is an investment of $98 AUD. This includes: the initial Online Lifestyle Assessment, Analysis of your child’s online Assessment and a 60 min Family Consultation. If it doesn’t feel right for you or your child to continue with the coaching program, then there are no further costs.

Does the whole family attend?

Usually only the parent/s and child being coached attend the initial ‘no-obligation’ Family Consultation. Other family members are welcome to attend the Post-Program Consolidation and Celebration.

Should I/Parent be present in the coaching sessions?

Parent/s are involved in the initial phone discussion and the Family Consultations. We find that the program works best when your child feels free to express themselves without a parent’s guidance during the one-on-one coaching sessions.

Where do we do the sessions?

We have created a relaxed, casual home office with a calm beach theme, which is perfect for the Kid Coaching sessions. I am also able to provide these sessions online via zoom if preferred.

Do you do ZOOM sessions?

Yes, we can organise to do all the sessions via Zoom, or a do a combination of Zoom and face to face sessions.

Is there homework?

There are Home Based Adventure Activities that are an important part of the program. These are fun activities which create opportunities to practice the skills and strategies learnt in the sessions and help form lasting healthy habits.

It works well if you/a parent is able to commit to approx. ½ hour one-on-one time with your child each day, to go through these activities. (This may work best as a ‘just before bed activity’, as the activities are all very positive and it’s nice to go to bed feeling great - a suggestion from a previous EMBRACE Kid Coaching client).

How long until I see results?

Seeing results is dependent on several factors, including how much time and energy goes into the Home Adventure activities. Results can be seen from as early as week one if the child readily absorbs the concepts and is enthusiastic about practicing the strategies.

An online lifestyle assessment is completed prior to starting the EMBRACE Kid Coaching Program and also at the end of Session 8. This allows us to see graphically the improvement from session 1 to session 8 in areas such as Family Dynamics, Eating and Sleeping Patterns, Physical Wellbeing, Behaviour, Confidence, Social Skills and Stress Levels.

My child is having difficulties with kids at school… can you help?

Yes, I personalise the coaching program to suit the needs and challenges of each child, and managing friendships, self-awareness, communication, perception, and self-confidence are a part of the EMBRACE Kid Coaching Program.

What age is suitable?

We see best results when coaching children aged between 6-12 years old.

Have you had a working with kids check?

Yes, my working with children check is up to date and my WWC Number is noted on the paperwork you will receive.

What experience and credentials do you have?
Mum of two girls (read our story), plus varied study and experience with a strong people focus in management roles and coaching with both adults and children for over 15 years.

Kid Coach at Future Possibilities For Kids in 2004
Life Coach, NeuroLeadership Institute 2007
Lead Coach at Future Possibilities For Kids in 2008
Essentials of CBT, The Beck Institute 2016
Ethics Teacher at Forestville Primary School 2016-2020
Positive Psychology, School of Coaching Mastery 2017
Kids Life Coach, Kids Life Coach Academy 2019
Founder of EMBRACE Calmer Kids 2018-present
Founder and Lead Kid Coach of EMBRACE Your Spark 2019-present
ACT, Psychwire 2020
Youth Mentor, Raise Foundation 2021
ACT for Adolescents, Psychwire 2021

You can check me out on LinkedIn.

What do we do now? How do we get ready for first session?

Simply contact me via email to organise a time to have a chat over the phone. On the call we briefly discuss your child’s needs, your expectations, any questions you have about the EMBRACE Kid Coaching Program. Then we assess if this feels like a good fit for you and your child
If you decide you would like to go ahead, I will enrol your child in our coaching program and organise for you to complete an online Lifestyle Assessment (it usually takes about 30 minutes). This will provide valuable feedback to help individualise the program and a create a good overview of where your child may be experiencing successes and challenges
I will do an analysis of the assessment and set-up a time to discuss the results with you and your child at the Initial Family Consultation. After this session, you and your child will decide if you would like to continue with the program
If you both decide to continue, we will set-up times/dates for the first 4 weekly coaching sessions. If you decide not to continue with the coaching program, then there are no further costs

How do I explain Why we are going to see a Kid Coach to my child?

Best question ever 😊 It’s great if you can come up with some personal examples where your child might want to feel better or react differently, or have things just be different.

Share with them that “We can ALL learn and practice how to DO THINGS BETTER, OR MORE EASILY and a Kid Coach can help you learn how to…”

Do more of what you enjoy
Manage your anger/big emotions better
Feel more confident about who you are and what you can do
Make better decisions, so you don’t end up reacting to something and then getting in trouble
Feel less stressed about tests/spelling B’s/dogs/parties
Handle things when other kids aren’t being kind, so that you won’t feel so sad

I hope you found these FAQs helpful.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any other questions or would like any additional information.

Anita

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