Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Cooley.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been fascinated by human behavior for as long as I can remember, and my education reflects it. (I learned early that Math was definitely not my calling!) I’ve earned a bachelors degree in Elementary Education, a masters in Mental Health Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. The early part of my career as a psychologist was devoted to providing psychotherapy and outreach to college students. I loved this work but over the years, I noticed a concerning trend. Adolescents and young adults were becoming more and more anxious, depressed, and in constant crisis. I saw college students every day struggling to cope with disappointment, mistakes, and simple conflicts. Parents were contacting me concerned for their young adult’s well being.
When I became a parent, I had an epiphany: there’s something missing in the way we parent our children if they reach adolescence/young adulthood and fall apart emotionally. As my own children grew and developed, I started noticing many opportunities for teaching the important life skills I wanted them to have as young adults. I want them to make mistakes, learn from struggle, and manage difficult emotions. I also quickly realized the relationship between healthy sleep habits and behavior, and the number of parents struggling with feeling exhausted, anxious, depressed, and out of control when it came to their family’s sleep habits. But, I noticed another big problem: there is an overwhelming amount of information and “expert advice” out there for parents regarding sleep and behavior. Parents aren’t sure who or what information to believe, or how to implement it. So, I decided to use my training as a teacher and psychologist to simplify the information, customize it for parents, and empower them to raise rested, resilient, and resourceful kids. I coach parents individually, teach classes, and consult with schools regarding behavior and discipline.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The business side or my practice has been the hardest obstacle. Business wasn’t something taught in my graduate programs. My biggest struggle is the struggle many women have: knowing my value and setting my fees accordingly. I want my services to be financially accessible to everyone, but I also need to make a living. After all, any time I spend with another family is time away from my own family. My way of overcoming this obstacle has been getting creative and customizing a package of services for a family who may not be able to invest in my traditional hourly fee. My advice to other young women is that other people (your clients) will value you as much as you value yourself. This is hard to practice but it gets easier over time.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Dr. Jill Parent Coach story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m a licensed psychologist specializing in sleep coaching and behavior/discipline consultations. I work with parents to implement healthy sleep habits for their children, manage difficult behaviors, and implement a system of discipline that teaches important life skills like conflict management and resilience. Much of my work is phone or web-based, so parents can conference in from their homes or offices. I also do in-home visits or meet families at a neutral location like a park. Finally, I lead small parenting classes in the evenings or on weekends. I believe one thing that sets me apart from other sleep or parent coaches is the way I combine my extensive training as a psychologist with my experience as a parent. I spent a lot of time training, soul-searching, and then experiencing the “on the job” training as a parent before launching my specialized practice. I think my clients would say I’m known for being genuine, practical, and expressive – in my classes, I talk a lot with my hands!
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
I’m a big fan of Brene Brown’s work on vulnerability. I read and recommend pretty much anything Dr. Dan Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne-Bryson write: Two of my favorites are The Whole Brain Child and No Drama Discipline. I practice yoga and recommend Cosmic Kids Yoga as a great free resource for parents. Being with husband and kids in nature is also one of my favorite things. I’ve been teaching my kids about mindfulness since they were very little, so we like to sit outside and practice our mindfulness by listening to the birds or noticing clouds.
Contact Dr. Jill for a free 15 minute consultation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drjillparentcoach.com
- Phone: 858-525-2520
- Email: drjillparentcoach@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJillParentCoach/
Image Credit:
Rebecca Yoakum Photography, Conscious Discipline
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