You can see who they could be. Right now, they can't.
Your son or daughter is smart and capable, and stuck. Not working, not moving, and not really talking about it. You've tried advice, pushing, and backing off. If that's your house right now, you're not alone, and it's not the end of the story.
A lot of parents book the first call themselves. That's normal.
It's probably quiet right now. A closed door, or a couch and a pair of headphones, and you're doing the math you do every day: do I say something, or let it go?
You've asked how the job search is going. You've sent links. You've tried gentle, and you've tried firm. Some nights it turns into a fight. Most nights it turns into nothing, which is worse.
And underneath it, the question you don't say out loud: what if this is just how it's going to be?
You may have heard it called "failure to launch." I don't love the phrase. The young adults I meet aren't failing at anything. They're stuck, they know it, and they're embarrassed. It's far more common than anyone admits at the neighborhood barbecue, and it's workable.
Why won't my adult child get started?
Usually it isn't laziness. It's a loop. No job and no direction make anyone feel low, and feeling low makes it harder to start. Most young adults want things to change. They're missing the support that makes it possible.
Part of them is embarrassed. "I'm job searching" can mean "I don't know where to start."
Change takes three things: motivated willing and able. Most kids have more of the first two than you'd think. Showing up is enough to begin. We help build the third.
They own their life. You get to be the parent again.
Not overnight, and not by force. But I've seen it happen many, many times.
You're not the wrong parent. You're just the wrong messenger.
Most parents don't want to be the police or the referee. And most young adults just want their parents off their back. A coach takes that role off the table, so you can go back to being on the same side.
Where is your son or daughter right now?
You don't have to get this exactly right. Figuring out which fits is what the free call is for.
Job Search Accelerator
For the young adult who's willing to work but doesn't know how to search, or has been at it with nothing to show. Direction first, then a real search, with a coach to keep it moving.
A 90-day coaching season
For the young adult who isn't ready for a job search yet. Low motivation, no direction, days that blur together. We work on direction and on running their own life, one season at a time.
Counseling comes first
If anxiety, low mood or something heavier is the bigger piece, counseling is the better first step. We'll tell you honestly if we think that's where to begin.
One $200 working session gets them in the room with low commitment. If they start the Accelerator or a season within 7 days, the $200 comes off.
Book a first session →ADHD Career Change · $197. A self-paced 9-week program for figuring out what's next. No calls, and nobody has to have a conversation first.
Take a look →What the 90 days actually look like.
Not another plan on paper. We build a way of running the week that they can keep, and it's written down so it's theirs when we're done.
What it looks like when it works.
"Since working with you, I've landed my dream role."
Do they need counseling, or coaching?
It's one of the first things parents ask. A few minutes on how I think about the difference, and how we figure out which comes first.
A counselor who became a coach.
I'm Scott Treas, MA, LPC. I've worked with young adults since before I started LifeSketch in 2015, and I've lived with ADHD my whole life. So I get the stuck part from both sides.
I'm direct, practical, and on their side. Your son or daughter also gets a say in who they work with: Emily Treas coaches with us too.
What if they won't do it?
The free Parent Rescue Guide: nine short strategies for when someone you love is stuck and won't take help, with scripts and a small tool for each one. You can't make them. You can make yes easier.
We'll email you the link. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Straight answers.
Is it ADHD, depression, or just laziness?+
Hard to tell from the outside, and often it's more than one thing. ADHD can look like laziness, and being stuck for a long time can look like depression. Coaching isn't a diagnosis. On the call, we'll tell you honestly if counseling or an evaluation should come first.
How do I get my adult child to agree to coaching?+
They don't have to be all in. They have to be willing to show up. Most young adults are more ambivalent than opposed. Book the call yourself, and we'll talk through how to bring it up without a fight.
Will I be involved? Is it private?+
Coaching is their space, and we keep it private. How involved you are is agreed together at the start, usually in the first session. I don't keep secrets from the client, so if you and I talk, they'll know. The one exception is a real safety concern.
Is this therapy?+
No. It's coaching: solution-focused and about life and work. If counseling is the better first step, we'll say so. Counseling is available separately for Colorado residents.
Do you take insurance?+
Coaching isn't billed to insurance. Payment plans are available for both programs.
How old does my kid need to be?+
Most of the people we work with are in their late teens and twenties. On the call we'll talk honestly about whether it's a fit for where your son or daughter is.
What happens on the free call?+
Fifteen minutes by phone. You tell me what's going on, I ask a few questions, and I tell you honestly what I think would help. No pressure, and no hard sell.
Change is possible. Let's talk about where to start.
Fifteen minutes. Tell me what's going on at home, and I'll tell you honestly what I think would help.
Coaching isn't therapy or a substitute for mental health treatment. If you or your son or daughter are in crisis, call or text 988.