Hi, I’m Katie Malinski.

As a parenting coach, I offer expert guidance to help families regain their balance and move forward together. My top priority is preserving your parent-child relationship, and my greatest strength is my ability to see connections and patterns that are key to resolving your family’s difficulties and discord.

No judgment. Just understanding, a fresh perspective and hope.

And yes! I am accepting new one-on-one clients again. (Texas & Virginia residents only.)  Contact me here to get more information or to schedule.

Katie Malinski, LCSW-S

Parent Coaching Groups

Join a small group of like-minded parents for support, information, compassion, insight, and growth. Most parenting questions are a great fit for group coaching. If you’re having the problem, chances are other parents are having it, too!

  • Each session is 1 hour long.
  • Our very first session will include introductions and a discussion about our agreements with each other (ie, safety, support, permission.)
  • Subsequent sessions are tailored to what YOU want.  Parents who have a story to tell or a question to ask can submit it ahead of time via email, or simply speak up and ask for time.  Katie will do a little math, figure out how long each person’s slot is, and use a timer to keep it generally fair.
  • Over the course of our 4 meetings, each participant can expect to be able to ask 1-2 small questions and unpack 1 incident.  (We will have a framework for presenting and discussing incidences.)  If there’s empty time, it’s available for anyone to use!
  • You’ll notice that other parents’ challenges are often parallel to yours… so hearing other’s questions and answers can be just as valuable as your own.

 

Individual Parent Coaching

I create a quiet, inviting space where it’s safe to talk about the hard stuff. I’m there to lighten your load – to listen and observe, then give you valuable insights and concrete steps you can take to make positive changes for your family.

  • Most parenting questions are a great fit for group coaching. If you’re having the problem, chances are other parents are having it, too! Plus, it’s such a comfort to see that you aren’t alone. In a parent coaching group, you’ll learn from one another as well as from Katie.
  • Classes have a set agenda, and tackle specific topics–common things I’ve found coming up again and again with parents.  They are also much larger groups than group coaching.  Classes are also recorded for parents who can’t attend live, and are priced very affordably.
  • One on one sessions are reserved for the most critical situations.
Situations where coaching can help include:

  • parenting dilemmas

  • tantrums

  • preschool behavior problems

  • school problems

  • defiant behavior

  • developmental issues

  • family communication issues

  • divorce or custody difficulties

  • sleep problems

  • toileting problems

  • lying

  • not listening

  • “failure to launch”

  • underperformance

  • arguing

  • teen challenges

Coaching Q&A

The process is generally this:
Session 1: I need information about your family, your child/children, and the problems you want coaching on.  Ideally, we’ll keep this to half or 2/3 of a session so that you can get at least a sample of coaching at the end.
Session 2: You’ll come prepared with a concrete, detailed example of of a recent time when the problem occurred. We will work together to better understand what’s happening, and I’ll give you specific, concrete advice about what you can control to have it turn out differently in the future.
Session 3: The problem behaviors have continued, but you ‘see’ them differently now. You have tried the advice. Sometimes it works beautifully right away (yay!) but often it only sortof works and so now you need fine-tuning. We WILL get to the bottom of these situations!
All subsequent sessions: Rinse & repeat sessions 2 & 3. Bring new problem examples, get new insight and advice. Bring same-old problem examples, get more detailed, specific, and nuanced advice. Both are great!

Initial 15 minute consultation: free upon request
45-50 minute individual or family session: $225
Workshops and classes: contact Katie

No.  Parent coaching is not therapy and doesn’t include diagnosis, and as such, is not an insurance covered benefit.

No.  I’ve been doing this for many years, and have found that parents have a deep and comprehensive amount of knowledge about their kids.  I’ll help you identify specific pieces of additional data that I need for our work together, and (secret sneaky intervention~) the practice of collecting that data will be part of what helps you. Besides, as parents, most of us find that our brains work a little better when we have the peace and quiet of a private session–without our kids present!

Coaching focuses more on the now and the how, and typically concerns a particular “stumbling block” issue. So if, for example, your child’s temper tantrums are a problem, in parent coaching, we would focus on this problem behavior, possible triggers, and talk about actions you might try to resolve it.  Coaching does not include diagnosis.  

To say it another way, coaching is a targeted consultation, where better understanding and concrete, practical advice are the ‘missing link’ that lets parents make effective change.  20+ years of experience as a child and family therapist informs all of my parent coaching work, but parent coaching is not therapy.

Therapy focuses more on the past and the why, and typically concerns longer-term, larger life issues. Therapy usually does include diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions that align with the diagnosis.

Well, I can’t really tell you that but I can give you some thoughts to consider. Therapists talk about different “levels of intervention,” which basically means ‘how big of a tool’ is needed.  Parent coaching is a smaller tool than therapy. It just involves the parents (I’ll never meet your kid–but I do love when people upload photos~!) and is often just a few sessions. Kid therapy does require your child’s participation, primarily provides intervention TO the child, and generally requires 6, 12, or more sessions to see any benefit.  If you want concrete advice about what YOU can control, what YOU can do differently… that’s parent coaching.  Also–many, many of my parent coaching clients also have therapists already on their team–an individual therapist, a couple’s therapist, or their child may have a therapist.  I play well with others.  :^)

I am not accepting new therapy clients at this time.

Please send me a message on the contact page. We’ll get you scheduled–either for a first session or for a free 10 minute intro call, whichever you prefer.

Testimonials

This is a random email, but I wanted to let you know that I think about you and apply the advice/ tools you gave me (personally and as it relates to my kids) almost every single day.  It has been invaluable.
Mom, 5 & 7 year olds

“It has been a long time since I felt that a presenter was actually talking to me. [This workshop] was amazing.”

Parent, 4.5 Parenting Secrets Workshop
We use techniques from our sessions with you every day during Coronavirus times. Thank you for what you shared with us.
Jay, dad of 2