Family Life Education and Coaching/Consulting Can Support Family Mental

Health Care and Relationships

Between traditional psychotherapy (usually called

just “therapy”) and business/life coaching, there is a
space where some family needs are not being met.

Family Life Education and Coaching (FLE and

FLC) can fill it. Family life educators and coaches can
(and do!) have a powerful influence on families and
society. The family sciences field is evolving through
practice and research.1

More Mental Health Care Accessibility

Today’s families require more varied approaches to care for their mental health and relationships
than fields of psychology have traditionally offered. While the mental health fields often specialize in the
treatment (and/or diagnosing) of mental illnesses, family life education and coaching specialize in the
prevention of some negative life outcomes, maintenance of positive family function, and guidance toward
family members’ goals; ultimately, enhancing family members’ mental health and relationships.2, 3

Valid and Necessary Support for Families’ Mental Health

Family Life Educators and Coaches/Consultants can:

❖ Prevent some mental health problems in family members

❖ Mitigate some effects of mental illness on families
❖ Provide mental health check-ins for families
❖ Offer early-signs referrals for family members
❖ Provide appropriate early interventions for families
❖ Provide co-active support with treatment for families
or family members.

Family Education and Coaching/Consultation are not only for those doing well. FLEs and FLCs honor all
parts of our human experience in families and relationships. They understand the inherent needs and
dynamics of interrelationships of families and personal development within a family structure and can
help family members attend to real needs in real time.

1
Allen, K. (2016). Theory, Research, and Practical Guidelines for Family Life Coaching. Springer.
2
National Council on Family Relations. (n.d.). Research and policy briefs. https://www.ncfr.org/policy/research-and-policy-briefs
3
Family Life Coaching Association. (n.d.). Research and Policy. https://flcassociation.org/research-and-policy/
 YOU CAN HELP

Family life education and coaching/consulting can fill that space between therapy and coaching. These Family
Science professionals can help meet the mental health needs of modern-day families by helping families
attend to their inter- and intra - personal relationships.

Recommendations:

Institutions can support the evolving roles of Family Life Educators and Coaches/Consultants in order to
best serve consumers.
● Education and Certification requirements and training can create qualified family life educators
and coaches to support mental health care better.
● Laws can provide accountability in the profession and importantly, protect clients.
● Insurance can provide for and reimburse family education and coaching/consulting services.
● Businesses can make the correct referrals and utilize services.
● Other helping fields can refer to family educators, coaches, and consultants and collaborate when
appropriate.
● Research fields can work towards creating greater understanding and practical, effective solutions.

White paper by Rhythm & Cadence Family Services, LLC

January 2023 2
 Rationale with References
❖ FLCs and FLEs utilize the principles that guide
changing thought and behavior, creating a high
potential for clients to make lasting positive
changes. These principles are inherently linked
to mental health.5
❖ Trained and accountable coaches can help
normalize (the much-needed) caring for our
mental health.6
❖ Recognizing the possible therapeutic value in
family life education and coaching/consulting
creates more access to 1) mental health care for
people on waitlists (with or without diagnosis), 2)
people who may not realize the effect that some
thoughts and behaviors are having on their families,
and 3) people who may not go to therapy for
various other reasons, especially because of cost.7
❖ Coaching can relieve the mental health crisis;
allowing therapists to work with those who need
more intensive care and treatment.8
❖ Coaching theories and modalities are being
interchanged successfully with therapy theories
and modalities.9, 10
❖ Coaching has been used and works well as a
co-active support partner with therapies.11
❖ Coaching enhances resilience.12
❖ Family life education and coaching/consulting
practices prevent illness, maintain health, and
enhance well-being. 13, 14
❖ Promulgating that coaching can be for anyone can
de-emphasize the stigma around mental health
care.15
❖ We need mental health check-ins, early
referrals, and appropriate early
interventions not only for those with
symptoms but for the families.16
❖ Educators and coaches can offer greater
access to mental health care for people who
may not have it otherwise.17
❖ In America, 1 in 5 people cope with a mental
illness at some point in a year. This statistic does
not include those who don’t seek help or a
diagnosis (and it does not exclude therapists and
coaches). The necessity of mental health care
stems from the fact that everyone will deal with
some sort of mental health need in their lifetime
for themselves or for a relationship.18
❖ Families with diagnosed members can benefit
from family life education and coaching.19
5
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). 7
Behaviors for improving mental health.
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/August-2021/7-Be
haviors-for-Improving-Mental-Health
6
National Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Caring for your mental health.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health
7
American Psychological Association. (2020). Why people aren't getting the
care they need. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/07/datapoint-care
8
North Carolina HealthCare Association. (2021). Spotlight: Addressing NC's
Mental Health Crisis.
https://nchealthcare.org/events/spotlight-addressing-ncs-mental-health-crisis/
9
Ogba, F.N., et al. (2020). Effectiveness of SPACE model of cognitive
behavioral coaching in management of occupational stress in a sample of
school administrators in South-East Nigeria. Journal Rational-Emotional
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy 38, 345–368.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-019-00334-2
10
Winter, D. A., & Reed, N. (2019). The Wiley Handbook of Personal
Construct Psychology. Wiley-Blackwell
11
Wiley. Eddie, D., et al. (2019). Lived experience in new models of
care for substance use disorder: A systematic review of peer recovery
support services and recovery coaching. Frontiers in Psychology, 10,
1052. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01052
12
Skews, R., Palmer, S. & Green, S. (2018). Coaching to enhance resilience
and wellbeing. In S.Green & S. Palmer. (Eds.) Positive psychology coaching
in practice (1st ed., pp.141-154). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716169-9
13
National Council on Family Relations. (n.d.). Research and policy briefs.
https://www.ncfr.org/policy/research-and-policy-briefs
14
Family Life Coaching Association. (n.d.). Research and policy.
https://flcassociation.org/research-and-policy/
15
American Psychiatric Association. (2020). Stigma, prejudice and
discrimination against people with mental illness.
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination
16
Colizzi, M., Lasalvia, A., & Ruggeri, M. (2020). Prevention and
early intervention in youth mental health: is it time for a
multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic model for care?. International
Journal of Mental Health Systems, 14, 23.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-020-00356-9
17
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2016). The doctor is
out.
https://www.nami.org/Support-Education/Publications-Reports/Public
-Policy-Reports/The-Doctor-is-Out
18
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). About mental
health. https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
19
Buncher, B.A., (2018). BALM: The loving path to family recovery. Peach
Elephant Press.
White paper by Rhythm & Cadence Family Services,
LLC January 2023
Tiffany Burnette, MT-BC, CFLE-P, BCC
tiffany@rcfamilyservices.com 3