Parent Coaching
It’s a known yet sometimes unacknowledged truth – parenting is hard. We are inundated with opinions about the “best” way to raise a child every day. These opinions come from our parents, in-laws, friends, social media influencers, podcasts, and endless books about how to parent our kids the “right” way. As a parent myself, I understand how overwhelming making choices for your kid can be, and how paralyzing the fear can be about doing it “wrong”.
You may be feeling pressure to break generational cycles or struggling with the intense emotional labor that is gentle parenting. Or, you might be struggling with a specific behavioral issue and your child’s therapist has recommended parent coaching to better support your kid in between sessions at home.
Whatever your goal, I’m here to help you cut through the clutter and figure out the best way to parent for your child and for your family. I’m here to lend my professional expertise to support you in feeling confident that you’re making the right choices and managing your family the right way for you.
I can support your family in:
Understanding how to parent your child’s specific developmental stage
Aligning on your parenting values, either individually or with a co-parent
Managing changes in family life such as divorce or adding a new baby to the family
Blending families including adding a step-parent and step-siblings to the family and working through new household dynamics
Managing challenging behavioral problems at home
How to effectively and set and enforce house rules
Increasing trust and connection within your family
Developing coping strategies for you and your child when challenges present themselves
Book your complimentary consultation call today
“As children develop, their brains ‘mirror’ their parent’s brain…the parent’s own growth and development, or lack of those, impact the child’s brain. As parents become more aware and emotionally healthy, their children reap the rewards and move toward health as well.”
— Daniel J Siegel, MD & Tina Payne Bryson, PhD; The Whole-Brain Child
My philosophy
While there are lots of different schools of thought about the best way to parent, my strategies are rooted in neuroscience and psychology. I believe that the best gift a parent can give a child is by learning and modeling personal growth. Parenthood is one of life’s experiences that challenges us and makes us grow the most – most parents have never done “this” before! Whether “this” is blending a family, parenting a teenager, or dealing with potty training, parenting is an ongoing learning process. Isn’t it natural that we should need some support and guidance through this process? Sharing with our child the values of self-discovery, experiencing yet not succumbing to tough feelings, and showing up for each other even when it feels hard are some of the values I believe raise emotionally resilient children and encourage harmonious family life.
My strategies and tools are influenced by attachment theory, authors such as clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy, professor and psychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel, therapist Robyn Gobbel, and mindfulness teachers such as Thich Naht Hahn.
What you can expect
As your parent coach, I’ll provide both instructive tools and strategies to work towards your individual goals and support you in navigating the stresses and challenges that come along with implementing household change. I can work with parents individually, as a couple, as co-parents, and with extended family members as well.
My sessions are 50 minutes long. In our first session, I’ll ask you about the goals you have for your family and what challenges you’d like to work through and ask some questions to get to know you and your family better.
Getting started
Get in touch to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call to hear a bit more about why you’re seeking therapy, answer any questions you might have, and schedule our first appointment. If you’re just ready to get going, we can schedule our first appointment on first contact.
My fee for all services is $200/hour. I take FSA/HSA cards and am always happy to discuss ways to make therapy affordable for you.
I offer both virtual and in-person sessions. Let me know if you prefer to meet virtually via secure video conference or in-person at my office in Culver City. My availability varies depending on how you’d like to meet.
I tailor a coaching plan to meet your needs. We’ll agree on a cadence for how often to meet, either weekly, every-other-week, or once a month, depending on your budget and your family’s specific goals.
If you’re being referred by your child’s therapist, I’ll have you sign a form so I can collaborate with them directly to make sure your family is getting holistic care.
FAQs
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My fee for all services is $200/hour. I take FSA/HSA cards and am always happy to discuss ways to make therapy affordable for you.
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The initial consultation is a short conversation to see if we are a good fit to work together. This is your opportunity to ask me questions and get a sense of my style of working. If you have any hesitations about working together, let me know and we can talk about it. We’ll also discuss logistics such as the fee and frequency and location of sessions. If we decide that we would like to move forward, we will schedule a consistent time for us to begin our work together. If not, I am happy to offer referrals to others who may be a better fit.
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In our first session, I’ll hear about what’s bringing you to couples therapy and we’ll identify goals for working together. I’ll ask questions about your relationship and your individual histories. Then, I’ll hold a session with each partner individually so I can get to know each of you better and hear more about your individual goals for therapy. After those sessions, we’ll dive into the work together.
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It really depends on your specific goals for therapy. You can expect to be in therapy anywhere from a couple months to a few years. Initially, I recommend we meet in weekly sessions to make initial progress, and then I often recommend my couples move to a less regular cadence, such as meeting once or twice monthly to process recurring issues.
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I do not participate in any health insurance networks or submit insurance claims. However, I do take FSA/HSA cards or am happy to offer you a super bill. A super bill is a summary of services, including a clinical diagnosis, which you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. If your plan provides out-of-network provider coverage, you can get reimbursed for a portion of your service costs – the reimbursement rate depends on your specific plan and provider.
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My sessions are 50 minutes long
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I am an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist (Alexandra “Lexi” Berard, AMFT #137342) which means I have a provisional license to practice under supervision. I meet with my clinical supervisor weekly with to discuss my cases. As an AMFT, I have a master’s degree and advanced clinical training, however I am still in the process of completing the 3,000 clinical hours the California Board of Behavioral Sciences requires for full MFT licensure. The benefits to you are that you are able to get a therapist at a lower cost than market rate and you also get the benefit of my supervisor’s experience and insight.