Life Coaching for Tweens, Teens, and Young Adults

Guiding Adolescents to Inner Harmony

It’s not easy being a teenager; it never has been and it never will be.  Today it seems like it’s even harder than we remember from our own childhoods.  The pressure seems to grow every year with school demands, competition for colleges, and constant social media comparison.  The result is a generation of kids who are anxious, socially uncomfortable, more dependent upon their parents, and living with less joy than we did.  The pandemic definitely affected the social skills, courage, and enthusiasm of students of all ages!  They are more wary and hesitant to try new things and unsure how to make and keep friends.  It doesn’t have to be this way!

How can coaching help?

Sometimes an emerging adult needs guidance from a trained, unbiased person who isn’t their parent. As a Certified Teen Wisdom Life Coach, I guide middle school, high school, and college students to discover their core values, their interests, their strengths and weaknesses, and their future desires. Our sessions are confidential, a safe place to learn more about themselves using proven tools and strategies. We’ll also laugh a lot along the journey because growing up can be ridiculously hilarious and keeping a sense of humor is a must!  Coaching topics may include:

  • Confidence and self-awareness
  • Academic stress and pressure
  • Body image and healthy eating (yes, boys can have body image issues too!)
  • Friendship challenges, girl drama, and social anxiety
  • Healthy social media use
  • Navigating teen dating relationships
  • Effective communication
  • Parent and family relationships
  • The pressure to use drugs and alcohol
  • And much, much more!

I love tweens/teens and young adults and I’m fascinated by the perspective they bring.  If your child is making the trek through adolescence, let’s talk.  Even the most “put together” kid has something they’d like to work out with someone who isn’t their mom or dad.  I’d love to be a part of your child’s successful future.

Kudos to Marianne Breneman for her most positive and helpful impact on our daughter, from middle school through high school. We know that our daughter’s life has been immeasurably enriched by Marianne. We have complete trust in Marianne’s ability to help our daughter.

A.M., parent

Marianne helped my daughter set high standards and goals for herself. Marianne creates a supportive environment where students feel comfortable and helps to instill the confidence for them to excel.
M.H., parent

I asked Marianne to come and speak with my sorority chapter about mental health and wellness, and the girls were blown out of the water by her presentation.  Marianne is emotionally sensitive and knowledgeable about real-life issues.  I had members messaging me halfway through the presentation saying how impactful her words were to them!  Many girls approached her after her talk and Marianne spent time getting to know them, giving valuable life advice and suggestions.  She continues to provide us with valuable resources and I can’t wait to have her back again.  Marianne is absolutely amazing.

ECU Student

An Idea as the New School Year Approaches

Let me share some adjectives and comments I get from clients and their parents. Perfectionist.  Type A.  Anxiety.  Stressed.  Effortless.  Must good at everything.  I can’t get anything less than an A.  I have to be thin.  I have to be pretty.  If I could change one...

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A Student’s Life in a World with Guns

Recently, the high school near my home had a “code red lockdown” which is every bit as scary as it sounds:  a code red means that there is an immediate threat to the school and its occupants and that all people will be moved to safe areas and the interior...

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