POSITIVE FAMILY SOLUTIONS™
TESTIMONIALS
Message to Parents from Coach Isabelle:
My name is Isabelle Zehnder. I am the Founder of Positive Family Solutions and Parents and Teens Unite! I am a Certified Family Coach, an advocate and a mentor. My niche is working with parents and teens and my focus is on helping families get through the rough spots: Adolescence, Blended Families, Divorce, Empty Nest, and others.
I am also the Founder and President of the Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse (CAICA - www.caica.org). I discovered that over the past few years tens of thousands of families have relied on sending their children and teens to residential treatment centers, boot camps, and wilderness programs in hopes the program could fix their child's problems.
I would like to share with parents that this is an unregulated industry with no governmental oversight, so just about anything goes. Unfortunately, many children and teens have been abused and some have died in the process. And many never received the therapy their families believed they would. I feel parents need to research the industry extensively before considering sending their child or teen away.
As an alternative, I offer coaching to parents (and sometimes to teens) in an effort to help them work through the problems that are pushing them apart. Parents and I have found that quite often the problems that seem insurmountable are quite easily resolved through coaching.
It is my goal to help families stay together whenever possible. I have found a winning formula for helping parents become the coach in their teen's life, helping their teens navigate through the uncharted waters of adolescence.
What I've learned is that teens need to start managing their own lives and do not want their parents doing it for them. It's hard as a parent to let go of that piece, but it's vital to your relationship with your teen.
Below are some things others have had to say about their experiences with me both as a Coach and as a Child Advocate.
If you are interested in a complimentary consultation, please call me at 360-723-5253 or e-mail me at coaching@positivefamilysolutions.com.
Sincerely,
Isabelle Zehnder
Certified Family Coach
coaching@positivefamilysolutions.com
www.positivefamilysolutions.com
COACHING TESTIMONIALS:
You can go from this: To this - read what others are saying
My work with Isabelle has spanned the last two years. I found her to go above and beyond for parents and children.
Since becoming a Coach, she has worked closely with myself and daughter. The results acheived within our family mirror Isabelle's honest, open communication.
Her style give way for families to giving families back the love, care and integrity lost as a result of many of life struggles and hardships. She is a close friend and confidant.
I would reccommend her for her work in Coaching and support her work and website, CAICA. The last 4 years she has dedicated her life to disclosing the abuse perpetrated on children in Residential Treatment Centers. Her website is the most comprehensive about this industry.
My gratitude to her for being available when I was searching for answers. Thank you, Isabelle.
Carol B. Wright
Reno, NV
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Hi Isabelle,
Your insight is empowering.
You have helped put things into perspective for me. Reminding me to take a deep breath & not make rash decisions was just what I needed to hear.
Thanks again for your time & help.
Suzanne
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My experience with Isabelle was great! She was a pleasure to talk to. She listens really well. She is not a judging or a controlling coach. She gave me suggestions and let me decide. She helped me see different perspectives of a situation and that helped me to make the right decision.
She is very supportive of who she is coaching. She is very hard working, very honest.
Elizabeth, 13 years old
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My husband & I met with Isabelle Zehnder in May, 2007. At the time we needed some coaching to make our small family of three work in harmony. Our son was 17, exerting his own independence, taking risks and making mistakes along the way. The same mistakes we made in our youth but how quickly the mind forgets. The years had crept by so quickly, where was that little boy we once knew. Our old ways of discipline weren't working anymore, we were suddenly in transition and didn't know how to handle ourselves. Isabelle made it click.
Through coaching we learned how to respect our son, listen to what he had to say. Before when there was an unhappy occurrence we would pounce on him at the door, our yelling only distancing him from us. Coaching tought us to be more patient and understanding by just stepping back and listening. It also helped to clear any misconceptions until we had the facts straight, not blowing them out of proportion. We also learned to dwell on the positive points instead of the negative ones.
I know that there will be other challenges along the way but practicing the coaching techniques definitely helps. Isabelle's listening skills, warm and caring personality helped to put us on the right path.
Mother of 17-year old boy
California
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Coaching with Isabelle Zehnder
Isabelle Zehnder started coaching me a couple of months ago and the results have been amazing. I remember at our first session she asked me on a scale from one to ten where my stress level was. I came in at a 9-10. I had a lot going on and have been really stressed out for some time. Now my stress level hardly ever goes over a 4 so it's been a great improvement for both my kids and me.
My kids have had a tough time coping with their dad's and my divorce and with the death of their grandfather who they were really close to. So it's been a very tough few years. I felt my kids were lacking in respect for me which bothered me. What I learned is that I needed to have respect for them too, it's two-way street. I also learned I was half the problem. It wasn’t until I could see that that I could make a change. The great thing about coaching was that Isabelle listened a lot and I really felt heard. I was able to figure things out on my own just by talking and thinking about things. She also had some really good things to share with me.
We used the Parent as Coach book and that was really helpful too. The way she did it was she would give me an assignment to read a couple of chapters a week and then would give me ideas of things I could do. She also asked me to figure out some of my own homework assignments based on what I read in the book. We would discuss the week and what I came up with. I surprised myself at some of the things I figured out on my own. I think using the book helped tie everything together for me. If Isabelle suggested an assignment she always asked me how I felt about it and if it was something I was comfortable with. Because she did that I was more compelled to do the assignments. Being included in making the decision helped motivate me to actually do the work.
Some of the issues were my son's grades and my daughter's attitude. I've learned a lot about my kids since we've been coaching.
One of the things I've learned from my coaching experience with Isabelle is that it's not only helping my kids but it's really helping me. I feel calmer and more assured of myself and my parenting abilities. I have a deeper level of respect for my kids and I think they have a deeper level of respect for me. I just approach things differently and it's working. The added bonus is that it’s helping me with other relationships too, like with my fiancé and other family members.
Sincerely,
Teresa C.
Mother of 12-year old girl and 17-year old boy
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ADVOCACY TESTIMONIALS:
I would like to take a moment to recognize the most dedicated child's advocate I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I have known Isabelle for the past 8 years when my young daughter was having difficulty reading.
Isabelle was her private tutor and with the most tender approach helped my struggling 2nd grader achieve miraculous advancement in her reading ability.
My daughters self esteem in reading was built in whole by the patience and understanding Isabelle used in her technique. In short a wonderful relationship has been built between her and my entire family.
In terms of the teen incarceration efforts that she has displayed as an advocate for freeing both known friends and perfect strangers I have never seen such a gallant effort on any single person’s part. This woman has opened her home and heart working literally thousands of hours of her own time including evenings, weekends, and holidays even when I knew she was completely exhausted.
I must also say that she has done this without a single penny of reimbursement to herself. In fact I know she has spent thousands of dollars of her own hard earned money towards this cause.
I could never in this short amount of space convey to any person how deeply committed to children and their rights she truly is.
What's going on in these facilities is simply horrifying! She has taken each and every child into her heart and has helped numerous families by taking the time to both explain conditions and opening their eyes to the true disgusting conditions these children are being put into.
I am so very proud to know such a dedicated human being. What she has accomplished in a very short amount of time I am sure will help thousands of children and their families. She has touched all of us with her kind actions.
Yours Truly,
Donna Rutherford
California
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Having worked closely with Isabelle Zehnder for some time, I can attest to her deeply held convictions about the rights and well-being of children. She possesses a true zeal for this work that brings her seemingly endless energy, compassion, and empathy.
I cannot think that there are many better advocates for the countless voiceless children and teenagers that have been thrown away into behavior modification camps.
She has my trust and respect, and believe that she has the fortitude to continue to work to educate parents, children, and communities about the danger and moral repugnance of these behavior modification programs.
Anthony Suter
Performance Librarian
University of Texas at Austin
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Isabelle Zehnder was vital to me in providing solid documention, moral support, and references surrounding an abduction of my daughter, by her father, who was placed in a behavioral modification facility well known for it's abusive practices.
I was able to legally have my child removed from such a scary facility within a 3 week period. I do not exaggerate when I say that it would not have been possible without Isabelle Zehnder.
Her follow up, care, and support were instramental to me and rarely found in today's world. Isabelle did not financially benefit by assisting me, she does this work for the sole purpose of keeping our children safe.
And while my daughter does not know Isabelle, she has touched her life in ways that will benefit her for many years to come. Isabelle refers other parents to me faced with similar circumstances, and I carry on the message and work that Isabelle had so freely given to me. I guess you could call it a "Pay It Forward" kind of phenomenon.
I am forever grateful to Isabelle Zehnder for her love, kindness, expertise, and selfless intentions to save our children from harm.
Christine Koerwitz
June 6, 2007
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Isabelle has been a longtime hard working advocate against abuse of Children in the Justice System, and all over the World.
Her tireless efforts have exposed the horrible abuse that children have been subjected too in Government, and Private Organizations. She has managed to save lives of many Children and have them released.
I have never seen Isabelle neglect to return a phone call, or stay in contact with those she is working with, on problems.
Dawn Chase
Florida
June 5, 2007
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Positive Family Solutions™ is dedicated to bringing HOPE to families!
Call for your complementary consultation. We offer one-on-one telephone coaching, workshops, and in-person coaching.
Isabelle Zehnder, Certified Family Coach
(360) 723-5253
Or
E-mail: coaching@positivefamilysolutions.com
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Isabelle Zehnder
Coach - Mentor - Advocate
Building healthy family relationships, one family at a time!SM