Family and Parent Coaching Certification Processes: What Do Current Programs Do?

Abstract

Family and parent coaches work in clinical and non-clinical settings, receiving training from a variety of sources. Although family coaches are gaining in numbers, there is no standard credentialing or certification process for individuals or programs related to family coaching. The purpose of the current study was to understand training procedures and specific competencies required by programs offering training and certification in parent and/or family coaching. Qualitative information was collected regarding program standards and topics, skills gained, format and length of program, cost, theoretical perspectives, and support offered (during and after training). The primary finding was that seven training programs were quite varied with few similarities. Implications include the need for standardization of definitions as well as the creation of training standards and competencies. This study demonstrated that as the family coaching field expands, some modicum of standardization in training is necessary to ensure families receive quality coaching services.