INDIVIDUALIZED COACHING for Parents/Caregivers,
Siblings and Family Members
“Coaching” is the way that DBT refers to teaching clients how to use skills in their natural environment.
Pat coaches parents/caregivers and family members (including siblings and spouses) of individuals (of any
age) who have any kind of emotional difficulties. In these coaching sessions, parents and family members
will discuss their specific issues, concerns and feelings. They will learn practical strategies and skills for
managing their child/family member and their own lives more effectively, learning to do what actually
works to change the situation.
Pat has many years of experience listening to parents and family members, hearing their stories, their
feelings, their despair and their grief. Coaching sessions occur in an environment without blame or
judgment. Pat has learned to apply the DBT skills to her work with parents and family members, creating
sessions that facilitate acceptance and empower individuals to change in ways that are most effective for
them. Although this is not “individual DBT therapy”, Pat does teach the specific skills, using handouts and
practice, that will help parents and family members to be more effective in the particular situations that
they describe. These sessions are tailored to the individual and unique needs of each person who attends
them.
While coaching is most often done with parents/caregivers. Pat has begun to work more often with siblings
of individuals with mental illness who have found their home life or their history overwhelmed by the
needs of the person with emotion dysregulation. Whether the healthier sibling is an early adolescent or an
older adult, the experiences of living with or caring about someone with emotion dysregulation often has a
serious impact on his/her life. In coaching sessions, the healthier sibling is validated for his/her own
feelings, learns to understand and validate his/her sibling and learns techniques and skills for managing
his/her emotions and responding to his/her sibling more effectively. Most importantly, parents and family
members learn that they are not alone in their feelings and concerns.
It is often most effective for several coaching sessions to occur after the initial session so that the DBT
principles and skills can be learned and understood and so that strategies can be developed. Family
members can then discuss how often they would like to come. Coaching can occur prior to, in conjunction
with, and after participating in group. For some family members, individualized coaching may meet their
needs and some return periodically to review particular skills or to discuss strategies for new problematic
behaviors. Other family members find it helpful to be coached periodically as a way to receive support
and validation for their experiences and concerns. Pat's availability is flexible and she offers sessions
during the day and in the evening. There are no weekend hours.
Pat does offer “coaching in crisis” if a parent or family member, who is engaged in coaching, finds
themselves in a crisis situation. This coaching is done by phone (or e-mail) at any time.
Pat is also willing to do "Phone Coaching" if you are unable to get to her office in Rockville,
Maryland. Pat can teach the skills and talk about strategies that can be used with your "child" in sessions
that take place by phone.
For more information on how Pat works with parents, see the New Harbinger article on "How do you
support the parents of child clients who have emotional and/or behavioral problems?" in New Harbinger's
Quick Tips for Therapists
Siblings and Family Members
“Coaching” is the way that DBT refers to teaching clients how to use skills in their natural environment.
Pat coaches parents/caregivers and family members (including siblings and spouses) of individuals (of any
age) who have any kind of emotional difficulties. In these coaching sessions, parents and family members
will discuss their specific issues, concerns and feelings. They will learn practical strategies and skills for
managing their child/family member and their own lives more effectively, learning to do what actually
works to change the situation.
Pat has many years of experience listening to parents and family members, hearing their stories, their
feelings, their despair and their grief. Coaching sessions occur in an environment without blame or
judgment. Pat has learned to apply the DBT skills to her work with parents and family members, creating
sessions that facilitate acceptance and empower individuals to change in ways that are most effective for
them. Although this is not “individual DBT therapy”, Pat does teach the specific skills, using handouts and
practice, that will help parents and family members to be more effective in the particular situations that
they describe. These sessions are tailored to the individual and unique needs of each person who attends
them.
While coaching is most often done with parents/caregivers. Pat has begun to work more often with siblings
of individuals with mental illness who have found their home life or their history overwhelmed by the
needs of the person with emotion dysregulation. Whether the healthier sibling is an early adolescent or an
older adult, the experiences of living with or caring about someone with emotion dysregulation often has a
serious impact on his/her life. In coaching sessions, the healthier sibling is validated for his/her own
feelings, learns to understand and validate his/her sibling and learns techniques and skills for managing
his/her emotions and responding to his/her sibling more effectively. Most importantly, parents and family
members learn that they are not alone in their feelings and concerns.
It is often most effective for several coaching sessions to occur after the initial session so that the DBT
principles and skills can be learned and understood and so that strategies can be developed. Family
members can then discuss how often they would like to come. Coaching can occur prior to, in conjunction
with, and after participating in group. For some family members, individualized coaching may meet their
needs and some return periodically to review particular skills or to discuss strategies for new problematic
behaviors. Other family members find it helpful to be coached periodically as a way to receive support
and validation for their experiences and concerns. Pat's availability is flexible and she offers sessions
during the day and in the evening. There are no weekend hours.
Pat does offer “coaching in crisis” if a parent or family member, who is engaged in coaching, finds
themselves in a crisis situation. This coaching is done by phone (or e-mail) at any time.
Pat is also willing to do "Phone Coaching" if you are unable to get to her office in Rockville,
Maryland. Pat can teach the skills and talk about strategies that can be used with your "child" in sessions
that take place by phone.
For more information on how Pat works with parents, see the New Harbinger article on "How do you
support the parents of child clients who have emotional and/or behavioral problems?" in New Harbinger's
Quick Tips for Therapists
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| DBT Coaching For Parents,Siblings and Family Members |
