Awesome Parents
What is the Awesome Parents Programme?
This is a 12-week group coaching programme that provides the skills you need so that you can be clear, calm, and confident in precipitating and supporting your child’s recovery. You will put down feelings of isolation, frustration and fear.
Each week, there will be a 90-minute online session made up of a mixture of content and discussion.
Groups consist of up to 6 parents. My experience is that your learning is enhanced by sharing with other people. You will learn from them as well as me. You will gain a new perspective and see you are not alone in what you are going through.
A Whatsapp group will support the sessions so you can share your learning or ask questions whenever needed.
At the end of the 12 weeks, there is an opportunity for ongoing support in The Recovery Cwtch if you choose.
What will I get out of this programme?
You will no longer feel scared, frustrated, isolated and stuck.
You will come away being:
Calm
Confident
Clear
You will have tools to precipitate your child's recovery
You will be able to navigate the tricky bits more easily
You will see more things going well
Your communication will be more effective
Your family dynamic will feel better
The Next Programme starts on 13th February 2023
Who is this for?
The Awesome Parents Programme is for parents caring for a young person with an eating disorder. You may be really early on in your journey, you have just had an inkling that there may be a problem, or at the other extreme, you may have been in this situation for years. Either way, you will gain new skills and insights from this programme, which will help you and, as a result, your young person.
You will be the kind of parent who wants to do whatever they can to support their child. You will be open to learning and ready to have some extra support. It is OK to feel like you know nothing or actually that you know quite a lot. Either way this programme will help you to take the best route for you and your family.
This is not for you if…
This is not for people who want to give their child away to be ‘fixed’ by someone else. If you want to blame other people or make someone else wrong, you may find this space uncomfortable.
I only work with people who want to learn. If you don’t want to commit to that, then please don’t sign up.
How will I know?
You will know you need this deep in your core. Perhaps you are exhausted and looking for answers. Perhaps you are frighted, lost or confused. You definitely believe there is stuff you don’t know, and you may be looking for someone to give you hope. You would probably really like someone to come along and take this problem away, but deep down, you know that isn’t going to happen, and you want to find what you can to help your child recover. You have probably had enough of feeling helpless, and you are ready for change.
Why work with me?
Firstly, I wouldn’t expect anyone on the programme who hasn’t had a conversation with me. You need to know that you feel like you can work with me. If I am not your cup of tea, I am not the right person for you.
I bring many things to this coaching programme. More than a decade as a qualified coach in the wellbeing arena. I founded a company called Fresh Air Fridays, in which I developed programmes that have helped hundreds of people with their mental and emotional wellbeing. I am experienced as an integrative coach, bringing numerous modalities to my work with groups and individuals. I support them in the safe space I create to learn skills and find what they want for their wellbeing and lives. I am a Positive Psychology coach who supports people to play to their strengths and work with what they are good at and what is working in their lives.
All this professional experience is enhanced in the eating disorders world by my own lived experience of coaching our daughter to wellbeing when she developed an eating disorder. After she had a relapse a few years ago, I appreciated how skilled both she and I now are. We recognised the signs, and moving to recovery was very straightforward.
I enhance my practice by volunteering for the Eating Disorders Charity BEAT and also have excellent Clinical Supervision.
Let’s talk money…
This 12-week coaching programme costs £697, which can be paid in instalments. However, I also realise that for some people, £697 pounds is entirely out of the question.
I ask that you pay the price if you can afford it. That allows me to do this work. If you can’t afford it, I ask you to consider what you can afford. I don’t give this away for free but will offer a place to anyone who can make a financial commitment that feels right for them and allows them to commit to the programme.
How do you sign up?
Send me a message, book a call with me and let’s chat. When we are both happy, I will send you a link to pay.
What might be in your way?
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This is often the biggest challenge for people. I completely understand that the situation you find yourself in can feel completely overwhelming. You may be spending so much time focused on food and appointments that fitting anything else in feels out of the question.
I know that structure can be helpful, and having a regular time slot for you can hugely benefit everyone.
I also know that unless you take time out for yourself, you will eventually burn out. We are running a marathon here, not a sprint, and you will need some energy boosts along the way. Committing to this will fuel you.
If you want something to change, then you need to change something. This is your opportunity to do that.
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I hope I have addressed this above. And I mean it. There is no need for embarrassment. I have invested considerable amounts in coaching over the last 20 years, and there have been times that I haven’t had the money, and I have received generosity from other coaches. You are not in my debt if you cannot pay the total price; you are practising receiving, which is a great skill.
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Eating disorders often go hand in hand with other distresses, including anxiety and depression. The strategies I share will positively impact these, too.
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If you are prepared to reflect on what you are doing and explore what is and isn’t working, you will definitely be better able to cope with everything you and your family are going through. It won’t cure your child, but it will enable you to create an environment that makes the situation easier to live with, and that provides fertile ground for recovery. You will be more able to support your child to want to recover.
A little bit of detail
I work with you so you have the skills to support your child. You will be able to provide more consistent conditions for recovery.
I do not work with your child.
I share not only strategies that work, but I also support you in implementing them with your child.
I believe no one is to blame for this, no one is wrong, and no one needs fixing.
This programme is about exploring strategies to create a healthy future rather than unpicking stuff from the past.
Don’t take my word for it…
“
Having been on the journey herself, Ruth combines practical tools with compassionate support and genuine insight into the daily challenges of supporting a loved one with an eating disorder. The programme is well structured and enabled me to gain additional skills quickly and easily compared to the previous two years’ lived experience and reading. I feel more confident and resourced to support my family member effectively and have enjoyed the opportunity to share and learn from others in a small and trusted group. I would strongly recommend both Ruth and this programme to anyone who is struggling with the emotional and practical aspects of supporting someone with an eating disorder
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Having Ruth and the other people on the group share their experiences has been invaluable in terms of finding strategies to try that will support recovery, but also in terms of being a way to help me feel resourced and therefore able to support recovery.”
