Parent Coaching with James Giantis, MSW
When Your Teenager Is Struggling and Nothing's Holding
What to try when individual therapy hasn't moved the needle - and why the answer is usually in the relationship system, not just the teenager.
Book a Free Intro Session →30 min · $29 deposit refunded when you attend · No commitment
The situation
You're not out of options. You're just out of the approaches that address only one part of the problem.
Individual therapy works in isolation from the system your teenager actually lives in. They go to an hour of therapy, then come home to the same patterns, the same triggers, the same dynamic. The therapist doesn't see any of that. And most teenagers - no matter how insightful the session - don't yet have the tools to translate a therapy room insight into changed behavior at dinner.
This isn't a failure of therapy. It's a limitation of the format.
What's different
When I work with a family, I work with the parent on their side of the dynamic - because you're the constant. You're there every day, every conversation, every hard moment. A small shift in how you respond has an outsized effect on what your teenager does next.
Most parents I work with say the same thing after the first few sessions: I can't believe I didn't see this before. Not because they were doing something wrong, but because it's genuinely hard to see a pattern you're inside of.
What parents say
"As a parent, you love your children but you don't always like them. We are starting to restore relationships and I didn't know if that would be possible. This is all due to the coaching and constant communication that James invests in with us."
"I'm not exaggerating when I say that I don't know what we would have done without James. He has helped our family in so many ways and has made a huge positive impact on our lives."
"We have been working with James for almost a year and he has been tremendously helpful to our family. We have learned a better way to communicate with each other and have improved our problem-solving with the kids. James takes a very straightforward approach to problem-solving and speaks a language that the kids can relate to."
About James
James Giantis, MSW, has spent 35 years working with families in the situations where other interventions have fallen short - including psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment programs, and in-home services. He now works with families privately.
"I have complete confidence referring a family to James. There have been several families who have greatly benefited from their unique approach."
The most useful first step is usually a single conversation.
Book Your Intro Session →$29 deposit · refunded when you attend · 30 minutes · James Giantis directly