Parenting Consultation To Help You Love & Support Your Kids

Welcome! Below please find my approach to parent coaching available to clients in Oregon, New York, Vermont and Colorado.

Parent consulting will shift the conversation with your kids, reducing frustration and stress

Parenting is one of the most important jobs on earth, and also among the most difficult. I have become completely fascinated with parenting in my 10+ years working with kids and families. During that time, I have just about seen it all as far as what can go on between kids and their grownups. What I know to be true is that parents have the power to rewrite the story of wellness, hope and possibility both up and down a generational line. I can’t wait to help you see what is possible as far as helping yourself, your children, and maybe even your own caregivers through this work

How does parent consultation work?

I will usually start by asking “how could your family have more fun together? ” My model of parent consultation focuses on fear and joy as being at odds. As parents, it’s easy to find yourself worrying about a million things at once. Living from a stance of disaster prevention or where the next fire needs to be put out is exhausting. When fear is in the driver’s seat, it’s easy to see negativity and reactivity all around you. This often shows up as psychological symptoms in one or more family members. My job will be to help you address your deepest parenting fears, figure out where they came from and how to work with them, and find new ways to set your family up for patterns of calm connection. Once calm connection is in place, everything becomes much more workable and fun.

What issues or areas do you help with?

Folks often come to me for help parenting kids with elements of neurodivergence such as autism and ADHD. I often work with parents and caregivers of queer kids, kids experiencing the anxiety of depression, and kids dealing with trauma, learning challenges, or bullying. I also coach parents when families are navigating a big transition like a move, changes to the relationship structures within the family, an illness in the family, and/or switching schools. I believe most everyone can make use of at least a bit of parent consultation, given the importance and intensity of the parenting role.

“Let all the children boogie.”

~ David Bowie

How long does parent consultation last?

Parent consultation is very flexible! Our first few sessions will be big ones, and we will cover a lot of ground as far as identifying particular parenting difficulties you want to shift, and compiling the information and resources needed to leave you with a solid set of strategies to try. After that, some parents find they are ready to give a new plan a try and come back when needed. Many other parents find that some kind of regular consult, anywhere from weekly to monthly to seasonally, is helpful to stay on course.

What does it cost?

Each parent consult session is $200. I can provide paperwork to help you submit for out of network benefits if your insurance plan offers this.

How is consultation different from therapy?

Because I am a therapist by training, my approach to parent consultation is basically still therapy. However, while individual therapy can be more open-ended, and may aim to shift things in multiple areas of a client’s life (work, friends, etc.) parent consultation takes more of a laser focus. It is targeted support to specifically address the thoughts, beliefs, and emotional patterns that get in the way of you being the best parent you can be. It is also the form of therapy where I tend to be most active, often doing some teaching and providing resources that will help you toward your goal.

You can also find answers to common questions about my practice can be found here:

How can I get started?

If you would like to have a chat to explore working together, please reach out by email at gillianboudreau@gillianboudreauphd.com, or by phone at 802-671-4037.