Why Teen Coaching?

Hello and Welcome,

One of the most common responses I hear when I tell people that I am a teen life coach goes something like this: “Wow, I could have really used that when I was a teenager!” This nearly universal response points toward a very clear need in modern families that is currently not being adequately met. Whether or not we adults are able to comprehend its expression, there is in fact a great yearning in today’s youth for direction and guidance from strong role models and mentors, and it is this need that Dynamic Teen Coaching aims to address.

Firstly, I want to thank you for looking into the option of coaching for your teenager. Not many parents know this service is available, but the potential benefits are immense. Being a parent, especially of a teen, is very challenging in this day and age. With our busy lifestyles it can often be very difficult to find the time to attend to everything that may be going on with a teenage son or daughter. In fact, simply being in the role of a parent can limit how you can help your child.

I believe that the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” is a very accurate insight. In modern times we have lost our elders, those guides that for hundreds of thousands of years served as mentors and initiators for youth and their rights of passage into adulthood. As a result, the role of the elder now often falls onto the parent, which can be a heavy burden on top of normal parenting responsibilities. Though they may or may not be consciously aware of it, most teenagers want someone to turn to whom they feel they can trust, someone who they don’t have to worry about getting in trouble from, and someone who has more experience and wisdom then their peers. If no one is adequately able to play this important role, it can lead to a lot of confusion and potentially unnecessary suffering during adolescence. I know that as a teenager I craved a positive role model and coach that I could turn to and trust with questions about what I should be doing and how to become a healthy balanced adult. I had a hard time finding people to fill these roles, however, this does not have to be the case for your teen! Coaching, Mentoring, and Counseling is available and can be a pivotal life altering experience for a young person struggling and searching for direction.

If, like many parents, you are concerned that your son or daughter would not be open to coaching, please send them to this site and have the check out the “For Teens” section. Afterwards there just might be enough of an opening for them to be able to speak with me and see if the fit feels right.

Coaching Can Help Your Teen With:
Physical health and athletic goals, communication skills, relationships, family life, social life, energy level, organizational and study skills, motivation, time management skills, ability to find and hold focus, emotional health, life transitions, making big life decisions, identifying natural talents, achieving goals, etc.
It can also reduce a great deal of the burden and worry of being a parent, as the role of mentor and coach can be shifted over.


If you, your spouse, and your teenager are preliminarily open to coaching, I typically I first meet with you, the parent/s, in your home to understand what your unique concerns and aspirations are for your teen. Then I meet with your teen to get a feel for what their unique situation is and also to assess if the relationship is a good fit. Afterword I will write up a summery of our meeting and a preliminary treatment plan to help you and your family decide if coaching is right for you.

A session typically lasts 90 minutes, which can either be reduced or increased depending on need. We generally meet somewhere in the community, since teens and offices don’t tend to mix well, and if we decide to do an activity that your teen may be interested in, such as hiking, climbing, music, etc, we could do this within the 90 minute session or schedule a half or whole day together. I also ask for a minimum 3 month commitment after the initial visit, in order to ensure we have time to make lasting changes.

The coaching relationship is goal oriented and based solely on you and your teen’s agenda. In the beginning we simply focus on building a relationship of trust and respect and assessing if your teen feels comfortable with my coaching style. From there we move onto investigating what your teen may be struggling with and identifying natural talents and passions that may be just below the surface. Then we work on creating a detailed plan of action to achieve whatever goals you and your teen have set. However, identifying and setting goals is often the easy part. As a coach one of my most important roles is to hold your teen accountable for the goals they create and the actions that they decide to take. Before each session your teen is expected to come ready with pen and paper and having completed whatever tasks we agreed upon during the previous session. I am also available to you and your teen by phone 24/7 for quick check in calls and emergencies. If at any time you need assistance, please call. Also, if at any point your teen wishes to include you in a session we can consider this option.

Along the way we may come across obstacles in your teens path. At these times we will pause and take time to get clear as to what the obstacles are, at which point I will offer your teen a range of exercises and techniques that we can choose from and use to overcome whatever is in their way. I truly believe that all the resources your teen needs are within, waiting to be uncovered, and it is my job as a coach to help them realize and then utilize their inherent abilities.

We will work closely as a team and your input as a parent is extremely important, however my relationship with your teen is based on trust and confidentiality, and I am only able to communicate with you about areas that your teen gives me express permission to, except for safety issues, which I am obligated to notify concerns of by law. Also,
it is important to understand the distinction between coaching and psychotherapy, which is this: Coaching is not appropriate for those individuals who, due to emotional and/or psychological distress, are unable to function normally in their daily lives. During these times individuals would be best suited for psychotherapy.

Ultimately there is no limit to what we can do and what your teen can achieve, and I am here to remind your teen of that; to inspire them, to push them, to be an example, and to help them find direction and accomplish their goals.

I look forward to working with you and being the witness to incredible amounts of growth, if you and your teen choose to do so. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask! I am here for you and I love what I do.

Sincerely,

Dan Entmacher MA, Life Strategies Coach, LPCc