Common questions:
- Are coaches and therapists the same thing? Parenting coaching is a type of service, whereas therapist is the outcome of a specific training in clinical social work, counseling, psychology, or psychiatry. Some coaches may be therapists, but not necessarily.
- Is coaching based on scientific evidence? Yes, Family Pathways services are rooted in family support best practices, using only evidence-based strategies that reliably and predictably yield positive outcomes in child development and family functioning and delivered by trained professionals in social work, youth counseling, and psychology.
- What's the difference between coaching and therapy? Therapy deals with potential mental illnesses, sometimes leads to diagnosis and can be understood as a form of treatment. Coaching is about empowering you to realize and maximize on your existing strengths, to help you build achievable steps towards your vision of success, and places you in the expert seat. Your readiness for a high level of personal accountability and willingness to tackle your obstacles are essential ingredients to your success.
- Who is the client in parenting coaching? Your Family Wellness Coach can work with you and/or your child directly. Our professionals are highly experienced in working with parents of children from birth to adolescence. From a developmental perspective, adolescents shift their learning from parents to peer orientation which is why parenting coaching is most effective with children until they reach adolescence. At this point, your adolescent may be interested in working on their own separate goals and vision.
- Can you meet with my child's teacher? Yes, your Family Wellness Coach can meet with any professional involved in the care of your child. This includes your child's teacher, doctor, daycare, before & after school care, or other family members. Family Pathways is build on the premise that effective solutions are flexible solutions so wherever you need the support, we are here to help.
- Will coaching be covered under my health benefits or health spending accounts? Your approach to family wellness is to prevent your family's challenges from reaching medical levels and according to the Canada Revenue Agency, the only services that can be claimed under health insurance plans are medical expenses provided by medical practitioners for medical purposes. As such, coaching is not typically covered under health insurance plans. Our fees are reflective of this and payment plans are available.
- What if I am not ready to go it alone at the end of my package? Family Pathways makes sure you remain the expert of your family's wellness. When you decide to work on a package, you also decide on the goals you want to achieve within that time. Our Family Wellness Coaches are trained to carry out those goals with you within that time. But if you have additional goals you want to work on or if you want more time before going it alone, our services are build to help you continue receiving services without interruptions if you chose to and your Family Wellness Coach will review the options available to you before initiating the phasing out of your parenting coaching services.
