Beth Kurtzweil, M.Ed
PCI Certified Parent Coach®
I am a parent coach, teacher, wife, but first and foremost I am a mother. I had my four boys in just under six years so I can relate to the chaos of a busy home. While I’m still embedded in the middle of it all, I’ve been through quite a bit already; colicky babies, headstrong toddlers, potty training, moving to the suburbs from the city, puberty, teenage years, balancing sports and family life, and witnessing the way technology impacts kids and a family. Its hard to be a parent, especially with all the challenges today. I still rely heavily on my army of mom friends to share in the joys and bumps of raising kids and I understand the importance of having someone to talk to, compare stories and sometimes just get a different perspective. I want to help support parents and parents-to-be through my own experience and parenting coaching expertise.
I am a trained educator with extensive experience working with child-oriented issues from an educator’s perspective. I hold certification in parent coaching and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Reading. As a teacher I found great enjoyment working with children from different backgrounds and abilities and working hard to meet their different needs and learning styles. I especially enjoyed working with parents and having the opportunity to shine a light on their child in ways they weren’t always expecting. I want to help lighten your load. I will actively listen, offer valuable insight, ask you questions that will invite you to dig a little deeper and offer you compassion and support. Hopefully, you will be easier on yourself and enjoy witnessing the transformation of your entire family. Yes, parenting IS hard work, but it can also be a ton of FUN. So let me help you learn the strategies and skills you need to strengthen and find joy in your parenting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some key differences between therapy and coaching:
Therapy typically addresses issues in a client’s background and seeks to work through those issues until the client has found some “closure.” Therapy frequently uses diagnoses and can last anywhere from weeks to years. Therapy often focuses on interpersonal health and identifiable issues such as anxiety or depression. The attention often has to be retrospective to address and repair damage from earlier experiences. Parent coaching looks forward, deals in the present, seeks to educate, but does not diagnose. Parent coaching uses tools and the most current research to help you gain the skills you need to parent your child. Coaching’s unique methodology allows the coach to provide support as a cheerleader, guide, and a mirror.
- power struggles, tantrums
- triggers/frustrations
- getting kids to listen
- sibling rivalry
- school challenges
- social drama
- household organization/chores
- backtalk
- bedtime resistance, sleep struggles
- setting boundaries and limits
- strengthening connections
- toddler to teen years
- digital media plan/help setting family limits and guidelines around technology usage at home
- being a “good enough” parent
No, it is quite usual for one parent to sign for up coaching and they may share the information they are learning with their partner. Today with work and our busy schedules it is often hard to get both parents free at the same time, so I have many individual clients. However, I do work with both parents too. It is often just a personal preference.
Most of my coaching takes place over the phone or on Zoom. Coaching sessions work around your schedule, so you can talk during the day when children are napping; during your lunch hour or anytime throughout the day when you have a free 50-55 minutes. However, if you live in the Chicago area and would like to meet in person that can be arranged.
Moms and dads seek out parent coaching for different reasons, but I can assess you and your partner’s parenting styles to show you how you can leverage the strengths of each of your style(s) to deal more effectively with your current parenting challenges. I can be a resource for you as you contemplate decisions that will affect you and your child. I will help you learn to put self-care as a priority and show you the importance of taking better care of yourself and how that has a positive impact on your parenting. I can help you manage all the challenges with the digital media and help you figure out your family’s plan for how you want to manage that in your home. These are just a few of the examples of the various ways I can help.
Our parent coaching model is nothing like the “Super Nanny.” We will not invade your home or assume incompetence on the part of the parents. The techniques on these types of programs are often dramatized for television and offer short term solutions that are based on a behaviorist approach. The PCI© coaching model is a highly respected, cooperative and affirmative approach. We utilize parent input and creativity and we achieve positive results with long term sustainable changes.
Coaches do not yet require licensure to practice their profession, however, I have completed Parent Coaching Certification Training at the Parent Coaching Institute. A PCI® (Parent Coaching Institute) Certified Coach is a highly trained, caring family support professional with years of experience working with parents, who has completed a comprehensive academic one year-graduate level program affiliated with Seattle Pacific University. More about coaching as a profession can found here. Additionally, I carry a policy for private practice professional liability through Forrest T. Jones & Company.
Although parent coaching is not covered by most health insurance, it is a wonderful investment in your happiness and well being as a parent. Feeling more capable and confident will save you a lot of worry, anxiety and even money in the long run. If you have a HSA (Healthy Saving Account) or FSA (Flexible Spending Account) you may be able to apply that to your coaching sessions. Please check with your account provider. I realize that the cost of Parent Coaching may make it difficult for some to participate. I am committed to helping parents be successful, so if cost is an obstacle please contact me. Reduced fees are available on a limited basis. Click here to a link to my fees.
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