Life Coaching for Teenagers

teenagers-life-coaching

 

Who is This Life Coaching Program For?

  • Teenagers 
  • Parents
  • School Teachers

What are the Common Issues Solved By Life Coaching for Teenagers?

  • Poor School Performance 
  • Lack of Career Direction
  • Addiction
  • Depression
  • Lack of Motivation
  • Stress Management
  • Relationship Issues

How I’m working during the COVID pandemic

With families home a lot more, right now can be a perfect time to work together. I continue to work with individuals and families using Zoom, or in-person when it is warm enough to work outside and an acceptable social distance can be maintained. For established or past clients, Zoom works really well. Of course, it’s a bit tougher to start out this way with new clients, but it’s working just fine for many families who need help now. As always, I am happy to work for as many hours as it takes for your family to make progress. If you feel that a more intensive program is needed, although I have suspended my in-person Weekend Intensive program for now, I am happy to arrange as many Zoom sessions as it takes for me to work with all the people involved.

As always, I am happy to discuss your case with you to see if I am a good fit for your child and family. Please use the form below or call or text me at 603-496-0305.

For kids who were doing OK but are stressed by the pandemic, I will be offering small-group Confidence Coaching classes starting in a few weeks. Please use the form below or call or text me at 603-496-0305 to sign up.

Every young person’s potential is unlimited; what needs to happen to realize that potential? I can discover those answers quickly by connecting deeply with your son or daughter and partnering with him or her to develop a plan and put it into practice. Your kid may be struggling mildly or mightily, or might just need some support during a transition or challenge—I honestly feel like I can help any kid, no matter where they are with their life.

You can read more about how I work below, and I am happy to discuss your child’s issues at any time; feel free to give me a call at 617-356-2329 or 603-496-0305.

NEW! Intensive Family Coaching program.

Common Reasons Why Parents Contact Me

Decoding: Your son or daughter isn’t doing as well as you would like. His/her behavior is mystifying at times. You can’t connect with each other. You’re concerned.

Transition Tune-Up: Your kid is entering middle school, ninth grade, the eleventh-grade grind, the “college process,” college, the “real world.” Transitions can bring out some interesting dynamics with young people and families.

Teaching Kids to Follow Their Passion: Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” The cornerstone of my work with young people is figuring out what they are truly passionate about. Are their dreams athletic, artistic, scientific? Do they include getting into a great college, getting better grades, becoming more organized, developing better friends, becoming an amazing “fill in the blank?”

When Things Are Going Haywire: Things at the house aren’t good. Your son or daughter is struggling. Family communication has ground to a halt. People are tense, upset. There might be drugs, alcohol, anger, school dysfunction, failure to launch, depression, anxiety, ADD, family conflict…. Your parental options feel limited: Conventional therapy isn’t working or isn’t enough. Sending your kid away to wilderness-based therapy can be heartbreaking and expensive. Perhaps your son or daughter has already been sent away, is coming home and you’re concerned things will go backwards to a very bad place.

I offer a third option. I work with kids and their families in their home in a positive, flexible, proactive way, emphasizing measurable, practical, and sustainable change, both short and long-term. My approach is relaxed, non-hierarchical, and results-oriented.

Whatever your situation, I can help.

We all have three directions from which to choose: backwards, in circles, or in the direction of our passion. The word “coach” evolved from the Hungarian word, kocsi, meaning wagon or carriage.  As I understand it, when Hungarians started playing soccer, there was no name for the leader.  Sure enough, he was named after something in which you relax to travel. Support for forward progress in your family’s journey is what I provide.

Life coaching’s a partnership, and I work hard to connect with my young clients and their families. Here’s how I work:

  • I can connect. As a result of my training, my experience, and my ability to connect, I’m able to truly hear young people, to empathize with them and accept them, wherever they are in their lives, and to understand what’s going on from their unique perspective.
  • I work with kids where they are: substance abuse, anxiety, etc. At this point in my career, I have dealt with most problems that young people can have and can quickly tell you whether life coaching would be helpful or not.
  • I can meet clients anywhere: in their homes, at the workplace, wherever it is most comfortable and convenient, although I prefer to initially meet in the home, as I learn more.
  • I will decode your kid. One of the hardest things about raising a son or daughter who’s struggling is parents’ frustration and lack of understanding about what’s going on with their child. I’m able to untangle the issues—decode them, if you will—that are confusing them and you. I will quickly decipher these dynamics and give you a comprehensive evaluation, including what you as parents can do to change things.
  • We come up with a plan. My evaluation results in a plan that includes a description of what the issues are, and then, together, we come up with a road map for the child and the family that will guide you all towards your goals, so true healing can take place.
  • A working contract is designed that includes a description of the issues to be addressed and initial steps needed to begin to address them.
  • There is forward movement quickly. In 99% of cases, I find an emotional point of entry, individual for each young person, which allows him or her to trust me. This trust provides a foundation of comfort and acceptance that allows your child to begin to move forward.
  • Your child will receive warm, consistent support so he or she can create a plan to discover his or her passions, talents, and strengths and to design a personal path to actualize that plan.
  • A process of inquiry and discovery is used to strengthen awareness and personal/family responsibility, and clients are provided with appropriate structure, feedback and support. Clients are able to be extremely purposeful and direct in working with me to co-create ideas and recommendations that stem from individual or family strengths.
  • The process is concentrated and efficient. Feedback is given directly and honestly.
  • The priority during this fluid process is always to meet the goals developed by the client or family. Individual clients and family members feel empowered and supported with sensible, challenging structure and support.
  • The emphasis is on sustainable, measurable, practical change, both short and long-term, and clients will be supported and held accountable to the steps to which they commit. All family members are held accountable to the plan, including parenting techniques and conflict resolution.
  • The objective is always to engender individual/family self-reliance and a true change in a client’s consciousness or family culture. The overarching goals are to restore your son or daughter to happiness and optimal functioning and relieve the pressures and stress caused by his or her distress. Coaching is not a miracle cure, but when the entire family is motivated, great things often happen.

Enjoy that immediate sense of relief (not dissimilar to a doctor’s visit with a confusing, scary medical concern) as you quickly begin to see the origins of your teen or 20-something’s despair and acting out and are given a cogent, workable plan for a solution.

Common issues that can be helped by coaching: 

  • Alcohol and drug use and abuse
  • School refusal or dysfunction
  • ADD/learning challenges
  • Depression and/or anxiety
  • Family tension/marital degradation and other family issues
  • Growing dysfunction and enmity in family relationships.
  • Conflict resolution.
  • Parental anger and guilt.

From a client, who started working with me when he was 15:

When I first met Jeff I was emotionally abused by my step father and had closed myself off to everything except video games. Jeff came in to my life and within the first two weeks of meeting him we were openly talking about the situation I had to endure. Jeff listened to what I had to say and earned my trust faster than anyone else I knew. I had been to therapists before and was sick of the routine questions and answers that are the accepted norm. Jeff was never like that; while he asked me questions about my life he never answered anything. Instead he led me to find my answer, not the answer he thought I needed.

For almost seven years I have remained friends with Jeff and much of my success I attribute to Jeff’s wisdom and influence. I don’t need him as much as I used to but I always wanted to remain in contact. Jeff is the kind of person that you meet only once in a lifetime. A true friend that guides you to find what you need. Someone who will take a call at 4 a.m. just to make sure everything is ok. My father died when I was an infant and Jeff is the greatest substitution I could have asked for, although he would never want to replace my father. I have recommended him to many friends and would recommend him to everyone, including people who don’t think they need help. The best way to describe Jeff is the greatest friend anyone could ever have.

More details:

  • My program is flexible, depending on your needs. There is no set amount of time we have to meet: if you are in crisis, I will spend as many hours as it takes for you to get through it. If you need regular meetings, then we do regular meetings. If your child is doing well, I am happy to just do quick check-ins as needed until I am no longer needed. Typically, the initial sessions are a couple of hours, and once a plan is devised, we meet however often and for however long it’s needed to keep your child moving forward.
  • I am available and accessible. I keep in touch via phone, Skype, email, text, FB messaging; whatever is most comfortable and convenient for you and your child. If you need help in the middle of the night or on weekends, I am here, as I have 24/7 availability by phone for crisis intervention.
  • I will come up with an appointment plan that works for your child and you: Once a relationship has been established, I can do other activities that will help your child to relax and connect: play music (I play guitar), work out, go out for a meal, go hiking, etc. I can meet kids at school or go to AA meetings with them; whatever is most helpful.
  • The coaching model works over long distances: I can travel to meet initially with you and your child in your home. Families outside of New England usually bring me in for an intense couple of days of work. Once we have a plan, I have worked long-distance successfully with clients and their families via phone, Skype, email, texting, and Facebook messaging, with occasional face-to-face visits as needed.
  • I can travel to see your child in school or college.
  • I work with the entire family. A child’s problems rarely take place in a vacuum. Because the focus is on changing behavior, everyone can and should be included in the partnership. My approach includes, where appropriate, the parents, siblings, and other family members. Whether it is just tweaking parenting skills or something more, it is often helpful to address other family concerns in order to achieve lasting success.
  • I work with all of the adults who are working with your child: I work with (and can help assemble, if need be) the community of people who interact with your child—teachers, guidance counselor, special ed teachers, principal, coaches, tutor, family practitioner, psychiatrist, etc.—so everyone is rowing in the same direction.
  • I have worked with families that are facing IEP conflicts and controversies. I can meet with your attorney if there is a special-ed conflict with the school.
  • I work along with sports coaches for kids who have performance issues.
  • Sometimes coaching alone is not enough to achieve lasting change. I can work with (and recommend, if needed) psychiatrists, testing psychologists, therapists, and other professionals as needed and will coordinate with them as appropriate.
  • Sometimes the coaching model is simply not the best fit for a child. If that occurs, I can help you choose the best alternative. If a wilderness or therapeutic program or hospitalization is called for, I can work with parents while the child is away to ensure that you are prepared to support your child after his/her return. In addition, I work with young people upon their return to the home to build on the progress made during their time away.
  • In the rare instances where a young person is persistently resistant, I can provide you as parents with tools for change, which will lay the groundwork to help your child to take some incremental steps forward until your child is ready to accept help, whether coaching or some other modality.
  • I am a low-risk and low-cost option to try: You can hire me for a couple of sessions to see if I can connect with your kid.

From the parents of a Client:

To Whom It May Concern:

This note will serve as a letter of support for Mr. Jeff Levin. Jeff has worked closely with our young adult son for the past several months, and we have come to appreciate his unique talents and expertise.

Jeff was able to establish a meaningful connection with our son when no one else seemed capable. He was able to draw from an extensive background in education and counseling, and also demonstrated an unusual ability to communicate with young people with an open-minded approach, and with the respect and great empathy he showed towards his client and their family. Jeff also draws from his background and passion for music, art, and literature to appeal to a broad range of young people who need better direction in their lives.

Jeff’s approach to his work is unconventional, but highly effective. He personally came directly to our home on numerous occasions to meet with and have counseling sessions with our son. His meeting times were very flexible and accommodating depending on the circumstances. He was always punctual when coming over to our home even on short notice when he was quickly needed. His communication skills with us were excellent, and he always returned telephone calls and text messages promptly to keep us up to date. Most importantly, he demonstrated a genuine interest in our son and continued to contact him and us even after our son had left our home for further treatment.

It is not on overstatement to say that Jeff helped to save the life of our son. He helped our son to gain insight and provide him a better sense of purpose, ultimately prompting him to pursue the additional assistance that he required. We will always be grateful to Mr. Jeff Levin, life coach, for the critically important assistance he provided to our family during a time of great need.

Once again, I would be happy to talk with you about your family’s situation. Feel free to call me at 617-356-2329 or 603-496-0305.