Frequent Questions

Please read through some of the questions that we receive and our responses. If you would like your question answered, please send us one through our contact page and we will get back to you personally with a response and post it to our website as well.

1. Is it not better to help a child improve on his weaknesses instead of working on talent areas?

2. What is the average time spent with a child to work through their action plan?

3. I’ve never heard of Personal/Life coaching for young people—is this new?

4. How are a coach and a therapist different?

5. Can a child who has special needs be enriched?

6. Why are the parent(s)and child interviewed separately at the first meeting?

7. Can I meet you before I sign up my child to be coached? If so, what is the cost and where do we meet?

8. Do you work with groups of children?

9. What ages do you work with?

1. Is it not better to help a child improve on his weaknesses instead of working on talent areas?

According to research on Positive Psychology, if children were taught strategies on how to utilize their talents and turn them into strengths, more children would feel good about themselves at an early age and would not fall into patterns of depression when they were older.

2. What is the average time spent with a child to work through their action plan?

Beyond the first two visits where there are interviews and an action plan discussed with the parent(s) and child, a child may work with a coach for @ 10-12 sessions over a period of 5-6 months. These sessions may be once a month or every two weeks—each child‘s plan is individualized.

3. I’ve never heard of Personal/Life coaching for young people—is this new?

Currently there are coaches who work with adults and focus on strengths and talents in the areas of business, social, health,… to promote inner growth towards a fuller lifestyle. I believe children deserve that same individualized attention while they are young. Now is the time to promote their strengths, talents, and potential so they develop a positive lifestyle from the beginning.

4. How are a coach and a therapist different?

Coaching is based on the concept of positive psychology with the goal of focusing on the functioning strengths within a person to help to sustain and enhance one’s potential. Traditionally, therapists seek to uncover a rooted dysfunction within a person and help them to a healing place. Recently, I read an article, which compared coaches to architects as coaches focus on building strengths and therapists were compared to anthropologists as therapists dig into one’s past to explain present behavior.

5. Can a child who has special needs be enriched?

Each child is unique and has talents, interests, and strengths that can be enhanced, children with special needs are no different in that sense.

6. Why are the parent(s)and child interviewed separately at the first meeting?

Most parent(s) can describe their child’s unique strengths, talents, and affective qualities. The child also has a self-perception of where s/he is and what s/he wants to do as a young person –to understand this individual perspective—it is important to hear directly from the child without parental influence.

7. Can I meet you before I sign up my child to be coached? If so, what is the cost and where do we meet?

I offer a FREE 1 hour consultation meeting to any parent who is deciding on whether I would be a good fit in coaching their child. I can meet at your home or at a mutually agreed upon location such as a coffee shop or library. Call 203 536-5496 or email me at susan@enrichyourchild.com to arrange a time to meet.

8. Do you work with groups of children?

I prefer to work one-on-one with a child to truly individualize an action-plan. However, I am willing to be creative and flexible to your child’s or children’s needs.

9. What ages do you work with?

I work with young children through young adults—4 through 21.