Youth Mentoring

"Through structured, empathic mentoring, our son has made incredible strides in areas he once struggled with. James and his team provided what traditional therapies could not."

Does your child need to further develop the skills to better lead themselves through life?

Is your child struggling to relate to their peers or adults?

Have other treatments fallen short in helping your child thrive?

If your child has difficulty managing themselves, relating to other kids, adults, or family members, or has tried various therapies and treatments to no avail, our mentoring approach might be the solution you need.

Since 1998, my team and I have provided mentoring to thousands of youths. We offer one-on-one, small group, and sports-specific mentoring sessions to improve self-leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Our "Families In Training" programs support youth, parents, and families dealing with nearly any type of problem.

We work within your home, office, nearby community, and virtually, offering flexible meeting days and times for immediate availability.

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Are Any of These a Challenge?

“We tried all sorts of therapies, wilderness programs, the top therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and we didn’t make much progress, until we met James and his team. We highly recommend Mentors & More for families who are really struggling.”

Whether your child lacks skills, resists using them, is lazy, or afraid, we can help them overcome challenges and find fulfillment. Here are common challenges we mentor kids through:

Insufficient exercise, poor health and self-care
Difficulty communicating and relating to others
Poor emotional understanding or management
Prone to being lazy or apathetic
Resistance and rebelliousness
Aggressive, passive, and passive-aggressive behavior
Excessive screen life usage and other addictive behaviors
Strong sense of entitlement
Inaccurate and unproductive fears
Inflated or deflated mindset and behavior

The Benefits

“My mentor is a lot of fun! He is someone I can trust, and he helps
me to figure out situations at home and at school.”

Our objective is to role model, guide, teach and train recipients to become better leaders of themselves and to be more:

Responsible
Resourceful
Resilient
Reliable
Respectful

Compliant
Cooperative
Confident
Capable
Comfortable

Skill Mastery

“My son had struggled for years with so many problems it was quite overwhelming for our family. We tried all sorts of methods to try and help him. Only when we started working with James were we able to realize any progress. He taught us and my son how to better think and act and we are forever grateful.”

Hello, I am James Giantis, MSW, the founder and CEO of Mentors & More, and Families In Training, and author of The Mentoring Manual. Sometimes in life, kids need a different type of process to learn how to become better versions of themselves. We have developed an innovative philosophy, system and approach to guide kids in mastering the 5 key skills of leadership:

Self-Understanding
Understanding Others
Relational Skills
Self-Management
Goal Accomplishment

Our Process

“My process with my mentor started out as a sports performance coach and it quickly became like having a super smart big brother. He taught me so much about myself and everyone else I know.”

With a strong emphasis on providing the proper balance of support and structure, we target mastering skills to guide children and adolescents to learn how best to analyze and solve problems, accomplish goals and ultimately realize their potential.

Whether your child wants to improve their fitness levels, learn a sports-specific skill, further understand themselves and other people, overcome fears, learn to navigate through obstacles, practice social skills—you name it, and our team of mentors can offer exactly what many of today’s young people need.

We work with other professionals (therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists) or as a standalone service.

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Causes of the Problems

"I'm not exaggerating when I say that I don't know what we would have done without James. I'm very grateful that we found him. He has helped our family in so many ways and has made a huge positive impact on our lives. I have no reservations about wholeheartedly recommending James."

For any problem anyone experiences there exists a number of factors that lead to negative outcomes. Are any of the following causes for your child’s current set of problems?

Natural limitations
Inaccurate and unproductive beliefs and behaviors
Laziness
Lack of skill
Non-compliance
Uncooperativeness
Excessive fear
Anxiety
Depression
Lack of opportunities

Consequences of the Problems

"Life these days for our kids has to be incredibly difficult, seeing them struggle is super frustrating. They need as much support as possible. Valerie has been a major asset for our children and our family."

It's got to be difficult to see your child struggle through any aspect of life. To see them in pain or suffering has to be a real challenge. For a number of reasons they can trudge through life unfulfilled and dissatisfied. Are any of the following a reality for your child?

Anger
Resentment
Vengefulness
Guilt
Shame
Anxiety
Depression
Loneliness
Boredom
Disappointment
Disapproval
Hopelessness
Relational distance and conflict

Our Approach

"My son wasn’t following the rules at home and there was non-stop arguing. The mentors helped us develop not only a plan of action but an approach that significantly reduced the tension in our home."

Has your child tried a number of different therapies? Attended treatment programs? Or tried various medications?

Have any of them helped? Are you close to giving up hope?

Maybe you don’t believe there’s anyone out there who can guide your child in overcoming his or her difficulties. Does your child need to:

Get outside and play and exercise?
Develop new hobbies, activities or skills?
Make healthier food choices?
Learn to initiate and maintain conversations?
Overcome true fears and understand which ones are false?

Then you might want to try a different type of approach to teaching them such valuable life lessons.

Like mentoring. Why?

Because sometimes kids need someone outside their family circle or field of influence they can look up to and learn from.

Someone who’s equipped with an advanced skill set, a different approach, yet shares similar goals.

Common Goals For Youth

"I like working with De Andre, because he is fun and he likes to do fun activities with me. He takes me on hikes, fishing, to the park, and jumps on my trampoline. He helps me with my anger and teaches me how to do better. Oh yeah. He is also really good at helping me with my homework."

Our mentors have the right levels of education, training and experience to truly guide kids to learn what they need to achieve the goals their parents aspire them to attain. The following list includes some of the more common goals parents tend to have for their children, including to...

Be more resourceful, resilient and responsible
Be more confident, comfortable and capable
Learn to practice self-acceptance
Accurately believe in their significance and worth
Be properly motivated
Take better care of themselves
Be productive and contribute
Take personal ownership and responsibility
Better relate to other people with more empathy and kindness

FAQs

What is Youth Mentoring?

It’s a partnership between a well-trained Mentors & More team member and a youth with behavioral challenges. Through a dynamic process of role modeling, teaching and coaching, the mentor provides opportunities for the youth to learn, practice and master the necessary skills to function better on his or her own as well as within relationships.

How do you match my child with a mentor?

The founder James meets with the youth, parents and family to assess problem areas and determine goals. He then decides which of our mentors is the best match for your child, typically based on common interests, the youth’s specific needs and/or the mentor’s particular attributes and abilities.

What is the mentoring process?

The youth and the mentor develop a deepening connection through regularly scheduled meetings that include shared activities, discussions, direct teaching and coaching. While this mainly occurs through a natural process of relating to one another, it likely will also involve the use of training worksheets specifically tailored to each youth’s needs. A significant aspect of this process includes having the youth participate in events or activities that have been challenging in the past. The mentor educates and trains the youth before the event, coaches them during the event and provides feedback and further training after the event. A key component of our system is an efficient, pared-down problem-solving template that allows our seasoned leaders to quickly identify the factors influencing the causes of a problem so they can develop beneficial, sustainable solutions.

How does a mentor succeed?

Our professional, career mentors effectively manage and respond within any scenario without being reactionary. They are prepared, willing and capable of being present in every moment. Empathic, humble, caring yet strong and assertive, they know how to relate to your child no matter what they do or don't do, say or don't say. They are masters at teaching kids to develop the specific skills they need to gain confidence, feel safe, valued, and significant. They find creative ways to inspire and motivate kids who typically resist and are unwilling to get up and move, to try new things, or to overcome their fears and obstacles.

Why and how do kids typically respond to being mentored?

Our mentoring process works because kids quickly learn they can mess up, be genuine, and express themselves without the fear of rejection or being punished. They know they have someone who cares about them enough to challenge them to be their best. Who won’t let them get away with justifying, making excuses, blaming others, or complaining. That’s how they learn to better navigate through life, regardless of the obstacles or circumstances.

What are the goals of mentoring?

Ultimately, they're to assist youth in developing the necessary confidence and competence to better manage their behavioral patterns and relationship dynamics. Understanding and overcoming both internal and external barriers will greatly improve a youth's ability to accomplish his or her goals. To do so, we believe the youth must learn and consistently practice the 5 SKILLS OF SELF-LEADERSHIP presented in this program.

Testimonials

“Our son had struggled for years with so many problems. It was quite overwhelming for our family. We tried all sorts of methods to try and help him. Only when we started working with James were we able to realize any progress. He taught us and our son how to better think and act and we are forever grateful.”

“I’m telling you, my son couldn’t care less about anything but video games and YouTube videos. Somehow De Andre was able to not only get him away from screens but outside and playing, running around, trying new activities, even making friends. Truly amazing! Does he still love those screens, yeah he does, but his life is so much more fulfilling than ever before.”

“I didn’t have the tools to be able to handle my daughter and it was taking me down physically and emotionally. The stress of that relationship was working its way into other parts of my life. Thankfully, a friend recommended James to us and my husband and I can honestly say that meeting him has forever changed our lives. We are still a work in progress, but James has given us the ability/tools/knowledge to handle real situations.”

Pricing

Virtual Group Classes

$50/month

Tailored to support parents, providing practical advice and interactive discussions to navigate everyday challenges.

Weekly Virtual Group Classes
Two 30-minute Text Message Sessions with a Coach per Month

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Personal Coaching

$250/hour

Experience personalized coaching sessions in the home, school, or community. Our dedicated coaches will work with you one-on-one to develop a tailored plan that addresses your specific needs and goals.

Customized Support
(typically 2-3 hours per week)
Virtual, In-Home, Office, or Community Sessions
Unlimited Emails or Texts

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Coaching Package

$200/hour for 10 hours

Get the full benefit of our personalized coaching with a 20% discount when you commit to 10 hours of in-depth support. This package provides all the benefits of our Personal Coaching service, ensuring comprehensive and sustained guidance.