Kimberly Allen

I Hope: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Fragile Families

The literature surrounding fragile families, low-income, unwed couples that are expecting a baby or that are new parents, is quickly expanding as there is a growing interest in understanding demographics, barriers to marriage, desire to marry, and patterns of relationships. This is due in large part to the federal governments healthy marriage initiative, which provided millions of dollars nationwide in demonstration grants designed to improve relationships among fragile families. In the midst of the expansion of literature, however, there is a deficit of deep, qualitative understanding of the experiences, beliefs, and attitudes of fragile families regarding relationship formation and marriage. Therefore, this article describes a phenomenological study that explores the lived experience of fragile families.

Parental Perceptions of Coaching

Family Life Coaching (FLC) is an emerging approach to serving families that blends family science and coaching psychology. While family life coaching is growing, there is limited research on the perceptions of families about coaching. This study explores parental knowledge of and opinions of family life coaching as a way to help deal with parenting issues across the life course. Findings from this mixed methods study support parental preferences of family life coaching and further suggest that parents support the idea of hiring a family life coach or coaching professional to assist in meeting their goals.

The use of coaching strategies within the field of social work

ABSTRACT The rapidly growing field of coaching has permeated a variety of social science disciplines over the last 40 years, including social work. Because social work continues to evolve in its service to diverse populations with wide-ranging needs, its flexibility has allowed for the inclusion of a variety of progressive treatment approaches such as coaching. To better document the empirical prevalence of coaching approaches by social work professionals, the primary objective of the present study is to identify the extent to which social workers use coaching strategies in their work with families. Furthermore, the research explores whether or not social workers identify these strategies as coaching strategies and if social workers consider themselves to be ‘coaches’. Using a mixed-methods research design, online survey data were collected from (n = 171) social workers and social work students who serve youth and families. Results indicated that social workers recognise the techniques they use as coaching techniques, although they do not consider themselves to be coaches.

Introduction: Why a Book on Family Life Coaching?

You may wonder, why another book on coaching? While the field of coaching and science of coaching is growing (Grant AM, Int Coach Psychol Rev 6(1):84–99, 2011), there is a gap of literature and books designed to educate life coaches dealing with family life issues such as relationship coaching, parent coaching, and coaching for families with special needs children. This chapter provides an overview of the theory and practice of family life coaching and the process of helping clients sustain emotional or behavioral changes that help them reach their goals in the realm of family life. This chapter provides an overview of the field of family life coaching and the bringing together the theories and practices of family life education and coaching psychology.

Roots of Coaching Psychology

This chapter provides an overview of the roots, theories, and practices of coaching psychology including the history of coaching and the differences of coaching psychology and the coaching industry. Combining the theory and rich scientific background of psychology and bringing that together with the industry of coaching is great way to grow the fields of coaching and coaching psychology. While there has been resistance from both fields in the past, today there is a convening of the fields of psychology and the practice of coaching (Grant A, Int Coach Psychol Rev 7(2):146–165, 2012; Grant A, Putting the psychology into coaching, and the coaching into psychology: Lessons from the road (less traveled). Presented at the 5th international congress of coaching psychology, San Diego, CA, 2015). This chapter provides an overview of the literature of coaching psychology efficacy, application, and future directions of the field of coaching.

Models of Coaching and Assessments

This chapter provides an overview of research-based assessments that are helpful in coaching families. To further illustrate the importance of assessments, readers will be encouraged to complete their own strengths-based assessments and familial assessments to help them better understand themselves as a coach and to provide practice on the use of assessments. Assessments reviewed in this chapter include Strengths Finder, Styles of Conflict Management, Styles of Decision Making, Communication, Interpersonal Strengths Model, Learning Style Inventory, Assessing Parenting, Keys to Interactive Parenting Scale, Relationship Satisfaction Survey, and more.

Family Life Coaching: Building a Business, Building a Profession

This chapter focuses on the professionalism in family life coaching, highlighting the various credentialing options, training requirements, and professional associations related to family life coaching. Additionally, this chapter provides an overview on the business of family life coaching. Readers will learn about the business of coaching, from creating their business plan to identifying their target audience, marketing themselves, and covering their liabilities.

Theoretical Applications, Research, and Practice of Family Life Coaching

This chapter explores the current research on family life coaching with emphasis on the results of a grounded theory study of family life coaches. Based on the results of that study, as well as other recent studies of family life coaching, a model of theory and practice of family life coaching is presented. The theoretical underpinnings of family life coaching come from three primary sources: family life education literature, coaching psychology literature, and literature on family life coaching. Theories covered including Humanist, Solution-Focused Coaching, Positive Psychology, Appreciative Inquiry, Adlerian, Adult Learning, Gottman, and Social Learning. The chapter concludes with a look at how family life coaching fits within Family Science.

How to Coach Families

Theories are the backbone of family science as they help explain practice and suggest how to develop programs and services that change behavior. However, application is the heart of family life coaching. As such, this chapter focuses on the how-to of family life coaching and the process of coaching individuals, couples, co-parents, or a family dealing with family life issues. Readers learn about the core competencies of coaching, the process of coaching, and a case study is included so that readers have an opportunity to witness a coaching session from start to finish.

Family Life Coaching: Where Do You Belong?

The field of family life coaching is new, is growing, as is the literature on coaching families. Family life coaches today tend to be found primarily in the areas of relationship, parenting, and specials needs coaching, however, there is a much more broad arena for family life coaching. This chapter showcases how coaching is found in many areas of family life, family and consumer sciences, and the fields of social science, health, and education. Coaches are finding niches in a variety of family life content areas, including health and nutrition, which is a high growing field closely related to family life. Additionally, this chapter showcases research that has been conducted on effective approaches to coaching across the family life spectrum. This chapter provides a short overview of current or recent research studies in the following coaching areas: Youth: ADHD & Academic success Relationship Sexuality Parenting Divorce Special Needs Older Adults Health Nutrition