Our approach to coaching at BrightLife Kids

At BrightLife Kids, coaching meets families early, before challenges feel overwhelming, with practical, evidence-based support that fits your life. Guided by clinical expertise and delivered with care, our approach builds skills, confidence, and resilience when they matter most.

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A clear role in your family’s care continuum

BrightLife Kids helps families with everyday challenges like worry, big emotions, tantrums, sleep issues, attention struggles, transitions, and daily stress at home.

Coaching is often a helpful first step for families who want guidance while figuring out what level of support feels right. If therapy is a better fit, our coaches and specialists help families navigate next steps. Coaching isn’t a replacement for clinical care.

Definition of parent coaching

Parent coaching is a supportive partnership between caregivers and a behavioral health coach, designed to nurture your child’s emotional wellbeing and growth. It helps families move through everyday parenting challenges with more confidence, calm, and connection.

Coaching is family-led, practical, and focused on what’s happening right now. Coaches share evidence-informed strategies in clear, everyday language you can actually use. Depending on your child’s age and needs, coaches may work directly with your child, partner mainly with caregivers, or blend both — always keeping your child’s emotional development and wellbeing at the heart of the work.

Does parent coaching really work?

Yes! Studies have shown that parent coaching is a proven, practical way to help families feel more connected, confident, and supported. It’s based on strategies that research shows can improve communication, build emotional skills, and make everyday routines feel easier. The goal? To help you feel more confident in your parenting and support your child’s growth.

Dr. Diana E. Ramos

CA Surgeon General

Dr. Sohil R. Sud

CYBHI Director

Read letter of endorsement

Coaching vs. therapy: What’s actually different

Therapy

Diagnoses and treats mental health conditions
Is delivered by licensed clinicians
Often supports higher-acuity or ongoing needs
May be short-term or long-term

Coaching

Focuses on prevention, early support, and skill-building
Does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions
Helps families strengthen tools that support growth and daily functioning
Is typically shorter-term and goal-focused

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What makes BrightLife Kids coaching unique

At BrightLife Kids, our coaching is grounded in trusted psychological and behavioral frameworks, the same kinds used in evidence-based care. But what really sets us apart is how we bring that knowledge to life for families. We focus on:

Making things simple and doable — no jargon, no pressure
Tailoring support to your real life — because every family is different
Building your confidence, not your to-do list — you already do a lot!
Celebrating small wins — because progress isn’t always loud, but it matters

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Parent-centered by design

Parents and caregivers play a central role in our coaching approach, especially for younger children. That’s because lasting change happens in the moments between sessions — during routines, transitions, and everyday challenges at home. Our approach:

Treats parents and caregivers as partners
Respects each family’s values, culture, and capacity
Supports caregivers and helps you build confidence

As children grow, coaching may include more direct involvement with the child, while continuing to support caregivers as a steady foundation.

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Clear plan and purpose:
Coaching helps your family identify what you need, set simple goals, take small, manageable steps, and build confidence and independence along the way.

Structured:
Most families participate for a defined period—often several weeks—with regular check-ins to track progress and maintain momentum.

Clinically informed:
Our coaching approach is developed in collaboration with clinical experts, with ongoing partnership between coaches and clinicians to ensure quality and care.

What is parent coaching FAQs

BrightLife Kids coaches combine strong credentials with real-world experience. Each holds either a master’s degree in a health-related field or a bachelor’s degree plus a nationally recognized coaching certification, with an average of 7 years supporting children and families in schools, clinics, and community settings.

All coaches complete 80+ hours of specialized training before working with families, including culturally responsive care for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities, and continue ongoing training in partnership with our clinical team. (All coaches also pass state-based background checks.)

BrightLife Kids coaching offers short, virtual 1:1 sessions for families with kids ages 0–12. It's designed to help with everyday challenges and early signs of behavioral health concerns — things like tantrums, big feelings, sibling squabbles, bedtime routines, or school stress.

During sessions, families work with their coach to create a personalized Care Plan. These plans are flexible and built around your family’s specific needs and goals. They include things like:

Assessment results from onboarding
Focus areas (like peer conflict or attention skills)
Collaborative, measurable goals
Evidence-based strategies and skill-building activities
A timeline and progress tracker

All of our programs are informed by evidence-based methods shown to support children and families. Our coaching model draws from established approaches, including:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Third-wave CBT interventions, like mindfulness-based stress reduction
Parent management training (PMT)
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral care
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Solutions-focused care
Measurement-based care

Coaching isn’t about treatment—it’s about giving families the tools, support, and confidence to navigate the ups and downs of growing up. Whether you're facing daily challenges or just want to build stronger habits and relationships, BrightLife Kids is here to help your family grow with intention and care.

California families can join BrightLife Kids for free

Thanks to support from the State of California, families can access our parent coaching services at no cost. When you join, you’ll get:

Free video coaching sessions tailored to your child
Secure messaging with expert coaches
Parenting tools and resources you can use right away

No cost. No insurance. No referral needed. Just support — when and where you need it.