Parent Support & Coaching
Practical support for parents who want to better understand and respond to their child
Parenting can be challenging, especially when your child's behaviour or emotional responses don't seem to respond to the strategies you've tried.
Parent support provides a space to step back, understand what may be happening beneath the behaviour and develop practical ways to respond. Sessions are tailored to your child's developmental stage, temperament, needs and your family's circumstances.
You do not need to wait until your child is in counselling to seek parent support. Parents can meet with a counsellor on their own to get guidance around concerns they are experiencing at home - your child does not need to be a counselling client.
When Parent Support May Help
Parents may seek support when they are experiencing:
Frequent emotional outbursts or big reactions
Behaviour that feels difficult to understand or manage
Difficulty with boundaries or discipline
Challenges with emotional regulation
Communication difficulties
ADHD-related behaviours or executive-function challenges
Defiance, resistance or power struggles
Anxiety or worries affecting daily life
Difficulty with routines, transitions or change
Sibling conflict
School-related concerns
Changes in family circumstances
Concerns about their child's development
Feeling unsure about how to respond to a particular situation
Sometimes parents aren't looking for a diagnosis or formal treatment plan. They simply want another perspective and some practical guidance about what to do next.
Children's behaviour is communication, but understanding what a behaviour is communicating doesn't mean every behaviour needs to be accepted.
Parent support can help you look beyond the immediate behaviour and consider factors such as:
Developmental stage
Emotional regulation
Sensory needs
Temperament
Communication skills
Attention and executive functioning
Stress and significant changes
Relationships and family dynamics
The child's ability to manage expectations independently
Understanding these factors can make it easier to respond intentionally rather than getting caught in the same cycle of frustration and reaction.
What We Can Work On Together
Parent support sessions are practical and focused on the concerns that are most relevant to your family.
Depending on your needs, we may work on:
Emotional Regulation
Understanding your child's emotional responses and developing strategies that support regulation and co-regulation.
Behaviour & Boundaries
Creating clear, developmentally appropriate expectations while responding consistently to challenging behaviour.
Communication
Finding ways to communicate expectations, listen to your child and reduce unnecessary power struggles.
ADHD & Executive Functioning
Understanding how attention, impulse control, flexibility and executive functioning can affect behaviour and daily routines.
Routines & Transitions
Developing strategies around mornings, bedtime, school, transitions and other predictable areas of difficulty.
Parent-Child Connection
Strengthening connection and understanding while maintaining appropriate boundaries and expectations.
Co-Regulation Starts With Understanding
Children often need help regulating their emotions before they can manage those emotions independently.
Parent support can help you understand the difference between co-regulation and simply trying to make a child stop a behaviour. It can also help parents recognize their own responses and develop strategies for staying regulated during difficult moments.
The goal isn't to expect parents to remain perfectly calm. Parenting is demanding, and everyone becomes frustrated sometimes. The focus is on building greater awareness and having practical strategies available when things become difficult.
Development Matters
A strategy that works well for a teenager may not work for a five-year-old. Expectations, communication and discipline need to take developmental abilities into account.
Parent support considers where your child is developmentally and what they are realistically able to manage at their current stage.
This can be particularly helpful when a child's behaviour seems younger or more intense than expected, or when parents aren't sure whether a behaviour is developmental, situational or something that may require additional support.
Parent Support for ADHD & Neurodevelopmental Concerns
When a child has ADHD or other neurodevelopmental differences, traditional parenting strategies may not always work as expected.
Parent support can help you understand how differences in attention, impulse control, flexibility, emotional regulation and executive functioning may affect everyday behaviour.
Sessions may focus on practical strategies for:
Routines and transitions
Homework and school demands
Emotional regulation
Impulsivity
Organization and executive functioning
Family conflict
Communication and expectations
The goal is not to lower expectations for your child, but to find ways of supporting them that take their developmental and neurological needs into account.
What Does a Parent Support Session Look Like?
Parent support sessions are conversational, collaborative and practical.
You may come to a session with a specific situation you'd like help with, or we may look at broader patterns that have been creating difficulty.
Sessions may include:
Discussing a recent challenging situation
Understanding your child's behaviour and developmental needs
Identifying patterns within parent-child interactions
Exploring different ways of responding
Developing specific strategies to try at home
Reviewing what worked and what didn't
Adjusting strategies as your child's needs change
You are not expected to implement a long list of new parenting techniques all at once. We focus on what is realistic and useful for your family.
You Don't Have to Bring Your Child
Parent support can be provided without your child attending counselling.
Parents may seek support because they are struggling with a particular behaviour, want help understanding their child's needs, or simply want guidance before deciding whether their child would benefit from individual counselling.
Parent sessions can also complement a child's counselling when ongoing caregiver support is helpful.
Parent Support During Family Changes
Children can be affected by significant changes in their family or environment, including separation, divorce, changes in living arrangements, blended-family transitions, new siblings and other major life events.
Parent support can help caregivers think through how to communicate changes, support their child's emotional needs and maintain appropriate routines and boundaries during periods of transition.
For parents specifically looking for support around separation and co-parenting, Bright Minds also offers family and co-parenting counselling.
What Can You Expect From Your First Session?
Your first session provides an opportunity to explain what's happening, what you've tried and what you'd like to change.
We'll look at your child's developmental stage and circumstances and begin identifying practical strategies that fit your family.
You don't need to arrive with everything figured out. Bring the situation that's frustrating you, confusing you or simply not working, and we'll start there.
Fees
50-minute Parent Support Session $160
50-minute Intake Session $160
Parenting Doesn't Come With a Manual
Sometimes you don't need someone to tell you how to parent. You need someone to help you understand your particular child and figure out what might work better.
A complimentary 20-minute consultation gives you an opportunity to briefly discuss what you're experiencing and determine whether parent support is the right fit.
Direct billing is available for many extended health plans, including Pacific Blue Cross, Canada Life, Desjardins, Manulife, Beneva, Equitable and others.
Located in Coquitlam, Bright Minds Counselling serves families and individuals throughout Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, the Tri-Cities and surrounding communities. Online counselling is also available throughout British Columbia for eligible clients and services.