Parent Coaching and Relational Aggression: Case Study Part Three: Session Two

This is my favorite part of the coaching cycle--the discovery session.  This is a chance to talk about and celebrate the many strengths of the family!    

Celia was very excited.  I could tell this from her voice and her eagerness to fill me in on the week.  She had gotten a chance to talk to her son about the bullying in his past.   He conveyed that he hadn't told her, not out of a lack of trust, but rather because it was something he thought he could sort out by himself. 

 He told Celia that he always felt that she was very open and that he could talk to her about anything.   His girlfriend took part in this conversation and told Celia that she was amazed at how caring she was and also that she is constantly striving to be a good parent.   

It was clear, that the conversation had enriched her relationship with her son and also with his girlfriend.  Plus, it was a huge relief to not be wondering why her son hadn't turned to her in his time of need.   This gave her hope that her fears about her daughter shutting the door to communication may not come to fruition.

As I found out the strengths of each family member, the family as a whole, and the supportive people in their world, I found myself amazed and honored to be coaching Celia.   In fact, there hasn't been a single discovery session where I haven't had this huge feeling of honor to be working in this way with parents. 

  Celia told me that Elaine had a huge amount of strengths to draw from and was very resilient.  I think it was very delightful and empowering for Celia to delve into the amazing strengths of her daughter, Elaine.

At the end of our call, I asked Celia again about the strengths she had found within to be such a wonderful parent when she hadn't had a model for it.   She said that because of her challenges, she had to parent very consciously.  She went to classes, took in a lot of information and tried to create her own family rituals.   

I wanted Celia to really embrace her strengths, so I gave her a homework assignment to

really embody her ability to persevere and thrive despite some challenges in early childhood.  I wanted her to really take notice of this and celebrate herself.  

In our next session, I will share with you the creation of Celia's dream.