Parenting Coach Specializing in Teen Anxiety and Depression

WHY I’M HERE

Carolyn Guthrie Lambert My parenting journey has been unique compared to many parents I know. All of my children suffer at some level from debilitating anxiety and depression. As a result, I have become well-educated over the last several years on the particular parenting skills required to support my children and others like them.

In the fall of 2014, a few weeks in to his freshman year of high school, my adolescent son, the sweet, polite, active, social, high achieving child I had always known, began to disappear. He stopped participating in activities he loved. He developed physical symptoms that kept him out of school. He gradually withdrew until he barely spoke to his family or friends.

Four years later anxiety and depression stopped my younger daughter in her tracks. I learned that she had been working so hard to appear “normal” - to excel, participate, and engage – so that none but her closest friends would know what was truly going on inside of her that she had literally worn herself out.

My older daughter pushes through her anxiety and depression every single day. While it has not brought her life to a standstill, it has had a deep impact on her energy and confidence.

Forging a path to help and support my children has been an incredibly educational journey, and I have learned some important lessons:

YOU CANNOT FORCE ADOLESCENTS OR YOUNG ADULTS TO DO WHAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO DO!
When parents open up and talk about the challenges their children are facing, we find that we are not alone.
There is no single resource to assist parents of children experiencing anxiety and depression to define the best approach for their child.
The resources that are available leave meaningful gaps in information, making parents’ decision-making that much more difficult and stressful.
What parents really need is someone who understands what they are going through, who will listen and help them make informed decisions.

I would like to be that person for you. If you would like to talk, please contact me for a free discovery session.

Schedule Your Consultation

THE JOURNEY THROUGH ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION

Finding the path to parenting peace and wellness with a teen experiencing debilitation anxiety and depression is no easy task. I am here to help you navigate that journey. Sometimes, it is hard to know what is at the core of your child’s struggles. If the struggles are rooted in anxiety and depression, you may need something more than a traditional parent coaching program.

Kids who are battling anxiety and depression often:

Reduce or completely stop participation in their “life;”
Quit activities they previously loved;
Have frequent stomach aches, headaches, or other physical symptoms without a diagnosable illness;
Isolate themselves from friends and family, preferring to spend time with a screen or other technology;
Engage in a lot of self-criticism;
Refuse to go to school.

If you suspect your child is experiencing anxiety and depression, I offer a four-stage process, called Waypoints, to help you make informed decisions about how best to help your child and family. Any or all of these Waypoints can be combined with my ten-week parent coaching program. The goal is to design the best process to meet your needs.

As a parent who has been on this journey with three children, I am uniquely suited to help you identify the key elements needed to help your individual family situation. I can help you identify service providers such as therapists, psychiatrists, and education consultants. I can also help you make the best, informed decisions possible as you interact with these providers along the way. I’ve learned more than you can imagine over the years, and I continue to learn every day. My goal is to pass that knowledge on to my clients to help smooth their journey.

The Journey to Wellness

Waypoint 1 Free-One Hour Consultation

Waypoint 2 Choosing a Path

Waypoint 3 Navigating the Journey

Waypoint 4 Sustaining Positive Change

The Journey: Waypoint 1

Waypoint 1 involves a free one-hour consultation, either via phone or in person, during which we will explore the details of your unique experience. We will discuss things such as:

The behaviors and symptoms that your child has demonstrated;
The structure of your family and family dynamics;
The impact of what is happening on other members of the family (parents, other siblings, other caregivers);
The approaches you have tried to help your child and your family;
The financial implications of finding the right path for your family; and
Your needs and expectations moving forward.

If, at the end of the conversation, we each decide that I can be of help to you and your family, I will put together a report summarizing what we discussed and recommending next steps on the journey.

The Journey: Waypoint 2

Choosing a Path

Waypoint 2 begins with a broad look at the best options for your family based on your unique situation, and the costs associated with each. In particular, we will get down to the details of:

The challenges unique to your situation and how best to address them;
A customized list of questions for you to ask potential treatment providers as you investigate identified options;
Some options you can explore to help cover costs of treatment;
The possibility of using “transport” and how that would work.

The Journey: Waypoint 3

Navigating the Journey

Waypoint 3 is about implementing all the hard work that you accomplished during Waypoint 2. I will provide ongoing support and encouragement through this stage to:

Educate and prepare you for some things you might not expect;
Guide and support you as you navigate your role in your child’s treatment experience;
Help you acknowledge and accept what you can change, and what you cannot.

The Journey: Waypoint 4

Transitioning Home

If your child’s treatment plan involves them leaving home, whether to a wilderness program, therapeutic boarding school, or other treatment facility, Waypoint 4 will focus on preparing your family and your local support network to replace the structure of their treatment environment. During this stage I will help you think through:

Possible changes to the home environment;
Re-integrating in to the family;
Smoothing the transition back to a local school, including syncing academic calendars and transferring credits;
Re-establishing social ties; and
Investigating possible transition support services.

Schedule Your Consultation

Contact us for a free one-hour consultation to help determine whether Nathan’s Waypoint can provide the guidance you need.

Our Client’s Reviews

I have 10 grandchildren and if one of them struggled with debilitating anxiety I would seek help from Carolyn. She has the knowledge and caring ability to assist with this serious situation. To seek help from the proper person is so imperative.

Dien C.

"Carolyn has a unique ability to make connections with people. She is a compassionate listener with a depth of caring that you rarely find in people you first meet. I would describe her as strong, calm, capable, warm and armed with determination. Her combined professional and personal experiences make her the ideal resource to help navigate difficult times."

Kaye S.

I have known Carolyn for 13 years, on a professional and personal level. She is not only highly intelligent, she is a patient, caring, unselfish, empathetic, dedicated, honest, and supportive person. Her positive approach to life, including it's built-in challenges, is an inspiration to me. It is refreshing to know that Carolyn is integrating her personal and professional live's lessons into Nathan's Waypoint, to help so many others, while encompassing/expressing who she truly is as an individual.

Jules G.

Carolyn Lambert is a warm, compassionate soul who I would trust to help me in any situation, especially one involving a stressed teen. She's come through the struggle of having an anxious teen herself, and her wisdom would be invaluable to someone new trying to navigate through solution options.

Heather M.

What makes Carolyn perfect for this role is how well she listens. She genuinely put all of her thought and attention on the person she is speaking with and hears what they have to say. She is not anxiously awaiting for them to stop so she can put in her 2 cents. Carolyn’s patience and calm helps people open up to her.

Vivian C.

I have known Carolyn for about 14 years. I have seen Carolyn tackle many challenges over the years. She is very professional, thorough and smart. Carolyn left no stone unturned when she was dealing with her sons anxiety. She found the help her family needed and now her son Nathan is doing fantastic. I would not hesitate to call on Carolyn for help. She will lead you to a successful path.

Janet C.

Carolyn is a wonderful, caring resource. She has sincere interest in her clients and is committed to ensuring they receive the treatment that they need to get through tough times. She has first hand experience and is dedicating herself to using her experiences to help others. She will become your number one advocate and trusted friend and advisor.

Julie G.

Carolyn has always been a source of strength for those who know her through her ability to listen without judgment, her empathic response, and her ability to ask all the right questions. She will apply all of her intellectual and intuitive understanding of a situation and bring all of her experience and knowledge to each client with a gentle determination to help each one. I would trust her to guide and advise me through life’s toughest moments and decisions, and I have.

Jennifer V.