Course 1:
Multi-Dimensional Parent Coaching

Course One, Multi-Dimensional Parent Coaching, the first in a series of four courses for Parent Coach Certification® welcomes you to the world of coaching. It introduces the PCI Coaching Model™, providing the foundational principles and the basic parent coaching tools participants will use later in the training, including important concepts of positive psychology, the five basic principles of Appreciative Inquiry, along with the four-phase Appreciative Inquiry process. You explore two main questions in depth: “What makes coaching, coaching?” and “What makes parent coaching, parent coaching?”

Using an example parent coaching scenario, students complete an exercise to examine typical questions a coach would ask in each of the four phases of Appreciative Inquiry. They also consider the entire coaching process and the number of sessions in each of the phases to ensure the most effective overall outcomes for the client.

The final month of the course introduces the PCI Coaching Process through the coaching scenario, Coaching Emily. Students study the types of questions and coaching techniques in each of the four phases of AI to understand the core tasks of each phase and the types of coaching techniques used in each phase. Through discussions with peers and instructor, students have the opportunity to ask questions and to share their understanding of the living system principles and AI principles, as well as the coaching techniques used throughout Coaching Emily.

Course One is divided into three modules—modules 1, 2, and 3. Each module takes one month to complete. Each module contains six lessons, two preparatory audio lectures, and one audio module summary, for a total of nine preparatory audio lectures during the course. Twice a month, students are expected to attend 90-minute discussions with colleagues, facilitated by a PCI Instructor. (These cohort discussions usually take place either at 9AM Pacific Time or 4PM Pacific Time on a Tuesday or Thursday. Specific dates are given ahead of time for students’ planning purposes.)

Course 1 Objectives

• Distinguish between coaching, counseling, mentoring, and consulting.
• Explore specific philosophies and models of life and business coaching and determine applicability for parent coaching.
• Examine various definitions of coaching which provides an overview of effective coaching as well as foundational elements of the coaching process developed by leaders in the coaching industry.
• Review principles of living systems and apply aspects of new science theory to parent coaching.
• Examine an introduction into the Appreciative Inquiry process, including moving from a deficit discourse to a language of hope; focusing on what is working in a current situation; and understanding the role of positive imagery in reaching goal attainment.
• Apply four aspects of Appreciative Inquiry: Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny to the parent coaching relationship and to the parent coaching conversation.
• Analyze how positive psychology is used in parent coaching within an Appreciative Inquiry four-phase process.
• Begin practicing the PCI parent coaching model with practice client #1, a PCI colleague.
• Complete a reflective paper on your new self-care practices and insights gained over the last three month.

Course 2:
Coaching to Parent Well in Technological Times

Course Two, Coaching to Parent Well in Technological Times, is designed to help you more clearly understand the impact of media and screen technologies on families. It provides the most up-to-date, compelling information on how the media environment affects learning, literacy, motivation, self-image, and moral and spiritual development as well as research-proven strategies for coaching parents effectively in a media age. Participants use the PCI model of parent coaching as a basis for listening, communicating, and encouraging parents to take actions to design home environments conducive to optimal cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual development within the existing challenges inherent in the media/cyber environments impacting children and teens today.

This course also begins your parent coaching practice. You will practice applying the four D-phases of the Appreciative Inquiry process while learning to integrate principles and coaching techniques introduced during Course One. You will begin filling out a coaching log for each coaching client according to specific directions that will support your implementation of principles and techniques, along with honing your questioning abilities. As you move forward with your coaching practice you will gain not only an understanding of PCI’s coaching process, but also a deeper understanding of your own strengths and coaching skills as well.

Course Two is divided into three modules—modules 4, 5, and 6. Each module takes one month to complete. Each module contains six lessons, two preparatory audio lectures, and one audio module summary, for a total of nine preparatory audio lectures during the course. Twice a month, students are expected to attend 90-minute discussions with colleagues, facilitated by a PCI Instructor. (These cohort discussions usually take place either at 9AM Pacific Time or 4PM Pacific Time on a Tuesday or Thursday. Specific dates are given ahead of time for students’ planning purposes.)

Course 2 Objectives

• Examine key concepts and coaching techniques for applying parent coaching as a reflective inquiry process.
• Explore the concept, Functional Ecology of Parenting™, and its framework to support parents in a media/digital age.
• Re-visit Living Systems principles from Course One and consider their implications for coaching parents in a media/digital age.
• Examine media/cyber environments and their impact on cognitive, emotional, social, and moral/spiritual development of children and teens.
• Examine research patterns over a 60-year time span regarding excessive screen time’s impact on thinking and learning; feelings and behavior; and general well-being.
• Apply various coaching techniques to provide relevant information, ongoing support, and authentic affirmation for parents to pro-actively address potentially contentious tech issues.
• Consider the optimal home environment for healthy development, taking into account 6 unprecedented parenting challenges in these technological times.
• Examine Appreciative Inquiry questions in each of the 4-Ds to help parents focus on child and adolescent healthy development.
• Review and develop coaching strategies to help parents discover ways to set up the home to be a media/digital literate environment and methods for teaching critical viewing skills and creative uses of all screen technologies for children and teens based on principles of Appreciative Inquiry.
• Define Brain Compatible Parenting™ and consider fifteen components for addressing the needs of the whole child/teen in technological times.
• Examine the concept of Parenting Identity™ for helping parents align decisions with their values and priorities.
• Practice coaching parents, logging at least 25–30 hours of coaching practice.
• Complete an analysis of a coaching series, showing evidence of understanding various questioning strategies, coaching techniques, and application of living system and Appreciative Inquiry principles.

Course 3:
Coaching Parents to Appreciate the Wonder Within

Course Three, Coaching Parents to Appreciate the Wonder Within, is the third course for Parent Coach Certification®. The course addresses concepts regarding the nature of deep change and parent coaches as catalysts for an effective change process. It helps you integrate key elements learned in previous courses, while providing new opportunities to increase your coaching skills and signature strengths.

Course 3 also provides a framework of affirming principles and a compilation of practical strategies to help parents effectively support and enhance their children’s school success. The basic premise of the course is that parents do that best by focusing on their own internal strengths, as well as those of their children. The course examines three important areas for assisting parents within the current educational paradigm: the roles of parenting styles and children’s learning styles for a better understanding of both parents’ and children’s behaviors; the usefulness of intrinsic motivation techniques to engage new levels of aliveness, capacity, and creativity within the family; and the key components for parents to become effective, appreciative advocates for their children’s learning process.

Course Three is divided into three modules—modules 7, 8, and 9. Each module takes one month to complete. Each module contains six lessons, two preparatory audio lectures, and one audio module summary, for a total of nine preparatory audio lectures during the course. Twice a month, students are expected to attend 90-minute discussions with colleagues, facilitated by a PCI Instructor. (These cohort discussions usually take place either at 9AM Pacific Time or 4PM Pacific Time on a Tuesday or Thursday. Specific dates are given ahead of time for students’ planning purposes.)

Course 3 Objectives

• Examine the impact of knowledge of parenting styles on parents’ perceptions and appreciation of self and children.
• Consider the interrelatedness of parenting styles, children’s learning styles, and their developmental stages, and examine the consequences of coaching for self-knowledge and self-reflection in these areas.
• Practice compiling questions which increase parents’ appreciation of themselves, their children, and their current situation.
• Evaluate a model of intrinsic motivation based on self-concept and self-determination, and assess its usefulness in parent coaching.
• Examine the nature of change and the coach as a change catalyst through course readings and cohort discussions.
• Determine a working definition of “Appreciative Advocacy” and apply it to helping parents support their children’s learning process.
• Consciously use more intrinsic motivation methods when working with and/or coaching parents.
• Practice using a variety of PCI Coaching Tools, along with applying advanced coaching techniques with your pro bono coaching clients.
• Practice coaching parents as individuals or as couples/partners using the PCI model, logging at least 30–40 hours of coaching practice.

Course 4:
Transformational Parent Coaching

Course Four, “Transformational Parent Coaching,” helps you integrate key elements learned in previous courses, while providing new opportunities to increase your coaching strengths and skills, as well as your self-awareness as a conscious catalyst for deep, positive change. In this course participants examine and design productive approaches for helping parents understand the power they hold to effect positive change in their lives, with their children, and in the world. Since this is the final course in the Parent Coach Certification® training program, the basic goal is to assist and equip the student to accept and develop his/her/their role as a catalyst for transformational change in our world.

You will discover qualities of a conscious catalyst and learn three distinct ways to catalyze consciously as well as learn more techniques for asking powerful questions. During this course, you will read interesting articles to examine how Appreciative Inquiry helps—even in the direst of circumstances—and how we can help parents retain a generative focus during the coaching process with thoughtful, intentional questioning. In addition, you will examine five principles of individual and social transformation and their implications for effective parent coaching.

Course 4 also give you the opportunity to apply the PCI Coach Model™ to group coaching, providing you with a template for facilitating a series of 8–12 group coaching sessions. And toward the end of this course, you come full circle from the “paradox of self-care” in Course 1 to the Renewal Cycle, developed by Frederic Hudson. You examine the Renewal Cycle and its application in parent coaching, while reflecting on your own unique renewal cycle by considering the growth in your coaching strengths and skills, as well as your self-care practices, over the training year.

The final month helps you transition from PCI student to PCI Certified Parent Coach®. You begin by considering your new emerging identity as a practicing parent coach and what that will entail for you. Re-visiting the Living Systems principles and Appreciative Inquiry principles from Course 1 will help you to determine their applicability in launching your parent coaching practice. In addition, you explore ways to build your parent coaching practice, using your innate gifts and signature strengths. You will consider the commitments you will make in order to launch a successful practice, along with practicing the art of communicating your value to potential clients. The course concludes with a reflection and sharing about your progress on your Client Case History—your final project for Parent Coach Certification®.

Course Four is divided into three modules—modules 10, 11, and 12. Each module takes one month to complete. Each module contains six lessons, two preparatory audio lectures, and one audio module summary, for a total of nine preparatory audio lectures during the course. Twice a month, students are expected to attend 90-minute discussions with colleagues, facilitated by a PCI Instructor. (These cohort discussions usually take place either at 9AM Pacific Time or 4PM Pacific Time on a Tuesday or Thursday. Specific dates are given ahead of time for students’ planning purposes.)

Course 4 Objectives

• Explore the concept of “conscious catalyst” and the qualities of a conscious catalyst.
• Examine the qualities inherent in generative, powerful questions and increase your proficiency with asking powerful questions during your coaching sessions.
• Review five principles for personal and social transformation and their implications for coaching as a “conscious catalyst.”
• Consider PCI’s process, techniques, and questions for a group parent coaching model using Appreciative Inquiry.
• Examine Frederic Hudson’s concept of the Renewal Cycle and its applicability in parent coaching
• Consider your own “Renewal Cycle” by re-visiting your strengths, skills and self-care.
• Reflect on your new emerging identity from PCI student to PCI Certified Parent Coach® and develop a general plan for launching your parent coaching practice.
• Practice coaching parents as individuals or as couples/partners or in groups using the PCI model, logging 30–40 hours of coaching practice, to total 100 coaching hours.
• Complete your capstone project, Client Case History, to meet the final requirement for Parent Coach Certification®.