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Coaching for Families of Individuals with Neurodiversity

Coaching for Families of Individuals with Neurodiversity

One in six families in the United States have a child who has been diagnosed with neurodiversity (special needs). No matter the developmental disability, the lives of these families are likely to be affected.

One in six families in the United States have a child who has been diagnosed with neurodiversity (special needs). No matter the developmental disability, the lives of these families are likely to be affected. Parents of children with neurodiversity (special needs) may experience relationship distress. A family’s financial situations can also change dramatically. Relationships with siblings, relatives, and friends of the child can become strained as the focus shifts to the child who has neurodiversity (special needs). Often parents lose track of their personal goals as they commit their lives to caring for a child with neurodiversity (special needs).

A life coach can help parents, supporters, and families set goals to take care of themselves while taking care of their loved one. When the parents, supporters, and families constantly put their needs last, they might feel alone, depleted, unsupported, judged, confused, angry, and guilty. A coach can help you identify your goals, create practical steps needed to achieve your goals, guide you through obstacles, and help you make decisions. Together we can solve problems, create action plans, and find ways to manage stress, fear, anxiety, grief, and loneliness. Our life coach is here to support you on your unique journey and help you put your best foot forward while raising your child. She knows the challenges of judgement and loneliness parents of children with neurodiversity (special needs) can face because of her 21 years of experience in working with these children and their families.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about coaching for families of individuals with neurodiversity at The Banyan Tree.

Are my sessions confidential?

Counseling is a confidential process. We adhere to strict professional standards of ethics and confidentiality. We are required by practice guidelines and standards of care to keep records of your counseling sessions. However, information can only be released with your permission and written consent unless mandated by law. You should be aware; however, that there are a few exceptions regarding confidentiality. For example, therapists are required to take appropriate action when a client is judged to be in imminent danger of harming oneself or threatens grave bodily harm to another person, and this action supersedes confidentiality. We must also report all incidents of child or elder abuse, whether it has already occurred or is likely to occur. Finally, under certain circumstances, confidentiality may be superseded by a court order. If you have any questions regarding confidentiality, bring them to the attention of your therapist.

Can counseling help me?

Yes! Not only do we believe it can, there is a substantial amount of research to support the idea that counseling works. We understand that you may feel skeptical and uncertain. Perhaps you or someone you know has tried it before with no success. We encourage you to try it anyway. The greatest predictor of counseling effectiveness is the relationship formed between the client and therapist. Browse our staff pages and contact our intake coordinator for a free consultation to determine if someone on our staff would be a good fit to work with you. Counseling works when you find the right fit.

How do I contact my counselor?

Due to the nature of their work and the complexity of their schedules, our counselors are often not immediately available by telephone. The Banyan Tree phone number (706-850-7041) is answered Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. by our office manager and intake coordinators. During other times, it is answered by a confidential answering machine, and calls will be returned by our office manager during the times listed above. The answering machine is also monitored once or twice daily during weekends and holidays. Please speak clearly and give numbers slowly, since we may not have any way to look up your number. If you have an urgent need, please make this very clear in your message. However, since we do not carry pagers, there may be a delay in our receiving your call request. If you are unable to reach us and feel that you can't wait for a return call, please contact your family physician or the nearest emergency room or mental health crisis center. If your counselor will be unavailable for an extended time, we will provide you, via our outgoing message, with the name of a colleague to contact, if necessary.

What are my rights and responsibilities?

Our purpose is to help you resolve problem areas in your life. Although no one can solve your problems for you, we are trained to help people cope more effectively with their difficulties. We will do our best to understand you as a unique individual and help you work through your difficulties. We will listen, understand, and help you to the fullest extent of our professional training and experience. It is your responsibility to help us understand your life situation, thoughts, and feelings and to have the courage to try to master your problem areas. As a patient, you have the following rights: - To ask for and receive information about our qualifications, including licensure, education, training, experience, membership in professional organizations, specific areas of practice, and limits on practice - To have written information before therapy about fees, method of payment, insurance coverage, number of sessions that may be needed, on-call therapists used in case of vacations and emergencies, and cancellation policies - To refuse to answer any question or give any information you choose not to answer or give - To know if your case will be discussed with others (for instance, supervisors or consultants) and what information will be shared - To ask about your progress - To have any therapy procedure, including pros and cons of its use, explained to you before it is used - To end treatment at any time (However, please schedule at least one session with your therapist before terminating treatment.)

What happens if I miss an appointment or need to cancel?

Mental health professionals differ in many respects from other healthcare providers. Unlike most physicians, dentists, and other professionals who work on flexible and inexact schedules, we commit a specific time period to each client. Therefore, it is important for you to appreciate the fact that a block of time has been set aside for you only. Our schedules can be crowded. Canceling or rescheduling an appointment without sufficient notice often means the loss of an hour of therapy to someone else that needed the appointment time. Therefore, we ask that you give at least 48 hours notice if you cannot be at the appointment for which you have contracted. If no notice of your cancellation is received, or if less than 24 hours notice is given, YOU WILL BE CHARGED A FEE FOR THE MISSED APPOINTMENT. Of course, rescheduling an appointment can be done at any time if there is an emergency or unexpected illness. Cancellation messages can be left on the voicemail. To prevent any confusion about your appointment time, always keep your appointment card. If a mistake is made, your appointment card is your means of verification.

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