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This week we talked to Sarah Reidy, owner of The Austin Parenting Coach.

Sarah is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. After graduating with her Master’s Degree in Social Work, she has worked in a variety of places, including the court system, a domestic violence shelter, and several non-profits doing counseling with children and families. You can find her on The Austin Parenting Coach website, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

What is The Austin Parenting Coach?

It is my private practice, which focuses on in-home parent coaching and consulting in Austin, Texas.

What kinds of services do you specialize in?

I go to the family home to work with the parents in order to help them make the changes in their children’s behavior, rather than have them bring their children to me.  I have found that this is easier on the parents, has longer lasting results, and feels more natural than bringing their child to counseling.  I primarily see babies and children under the age of ten, but also do family therapy with families of teenagers.

Many of the families that I work with are families in transition (divorce, new baby, death in the family, a big move) but I also see many families where the parents are at the point that they don’t know what else to do about their children’s behavior. I have been called “The Austin Supernanny” before, as my services are similar to hers and everyone seems familiar with the show.

Tell us a little bit about your experience. How did The Austin Parenting Coach get started?

Due to the nature of the agencies that I have worked in (domestic and sexual violence non-profits) I was usually unable to work with both parents.  However, many of the children that I work with will continue to see both parents, even if one is abusive, and it began to feel frustrating to not be able to work with both. If the parent’s behavior doesn’t change, it will be difficult for the child’s behavior to change.  I also found that it wasn’t very empowering for a parent to bring their child to me to “fix” and leave them unable to do anything in the future. So I shifted my approach and began to to parent coaching as a part of my therapeutic intervention with parents. My hope is that with private practice, I can work with families to prevent them from experiencing the trauma that my previous clients had. I can also empower the parent to make the changes in their family, not do it for them.

How do you market or promote your business?

I have a Facebook page and I Twitter as well. I also do speaking engagements for parent groups, pediatricians, day cares, and family law attorneys.

What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced with The Austin Parenting Coach?

The economy! It has easily been my biggest challenge.  Our society is much more reactive, rather than preventative. Although I can and do work with many families who are calling because of an issue, I’ve had many people express interest, then not be able to follow through because of finances.  However, if they don’t take care of the issue now, it can end up causing bigger issues later in the child’s life that may be more costly. But when money is tight, it’s hard to keep that in mind.

What about the biggest successes?

The biggest successes have been seeing the immediate and simple changes in families that made huge differences in the family’s functioning. It is so rewarding to see a parent feel proud about their parenting and their children.

Just keep trying!