FAQ

About

Me

Get in

Touch

Let me help you

parent the way

only YOU can

I'm Megan Hils, a school psychologist, mother of two boys and PCI Certified Parent Coach®. As a mom, I know that parenting today can be overwhelming. Thanks to the internet and social media, we have access to unlimited experts and resources promising that they have the solutions we are seeking. Sometimes, this makes it hard to hear our own voice, or remember what we know to be true about our children and families.

My passion for parent coaching comes from my own parenting experience. As a school psychologist, I would frequently start my time with parents by saying, “You are your child’s greatest advocate and you know them in a way no one else can.” I did believe that, but I wasn’t parenting like I did. I kept trying to follow scripts or replicate systems other people used. Eventually, tired and waning in confidence, I decided to listen to my own words. I thought deeply and carefully about what would work for my family and the goals specific to us. The change in how I parented and, perhaps more importantly, how I felt about parenting, was immediate. It changed my life and my family for the better and I want to help you do the same. I love working with people like you to find the strategies that work for their specific lives and families. If we work together (and I hope we do!), I will enter our partnership with confidence in you and your ability to meet your parenting goals in a way that makes sense for your specific situation. I know that there is not an expert in the world who can parent your children the way you can parent them. In other words, don't look to me for one size fits all rules, routines, or scripts. I am not saying they are never useful, but they are only one piece of the puzzle. Using my background as a trained parent coach, school psychologist and expert in child development and strengths-based parenting, I use assessment tools and ask thoughtful questions to help you identify your parenting style and goals. Then, using research-based strategies tailored to your unique situation, we will work together to build for the today you have, the tomorrow you want, and the confidence in your ability to get yourself there.

It is important that I acknowledge that you do not have to be a biological parent to parent a child. Parent coaching is open to all people parenting children. Raise and Shine welcomes people of any gender identity or expression, race, religion, or ethnicity.

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio but you don't have to live here to work with me! If we can't meet for coffee we can talk over zoom or on the phone. (I will probably still have coffee.)

Let me empower you to use your own intuition and skill sets to parent in an effective and sustainable way. Let's Talk!

Coaching

You and I will work together to identify your parenting style and goals. I'll be right with you as you chart your path and make your dream your reality. Click here

learn more about this opportunity!

Speak to your Group

I have extensive experience talking to groups of parents and professionals. Contact me to chat more about what I can offer. Click here to learn more about current offerings!

Consultation

This is the right fit for parents that have a specific problem they want to talk through. Click here to learn more about what sorts of needs might be addressed by consultation. I also offer support for parents navigating the school system.

Why:

I can picture you on the other side of the screen. Maybe you are rolling your eyes and imagining someone telling you to take time for self care while also being a present and gentle parent who never looks at their phone and savors every second with their child. I can picture you because I was you! But then I was coached and I have never been so happy to be wrong! It is very powerful to be given the space and time to think about who you are as a parent and family and who you want to be. In coaching, you learn about the little things that make a huge difference. You learn how to acknowledge and appreciate who you are and what you need to be the best you for your family and yourself (and better yet, how to make time for it!). You find that you do know what your kids need, you just need someone to ask you the right questions and give you the time to work it out. Click here to find out more about specific issues I've tackled in coaching

What Does it Look Like?

I am able to coach just you or you and your spouse or coparent. The first one or two conversations will focus on exploring your strengths, those of your children, and the resources currently available to you. As we work together, we will keep coming back to those. The next conversation (or two) will highlight what your ideal coaching outcome would be. What are your goals? How would your life change? How would your child’s life change? During the next part of the coaching, we will work together to design new approaches and strategies. You try these out, and with my help, we assess what works best and why. We use what works to build more successful strategies. This phase will take the bulk of our sessions. It’s really exciting and you will learn a lot about yourself and your children! Our last one or two conversations will be spent on what has worked well and understanding why it worked so well. We will end our coaching with you understanding the key strengths, skills, and strategies you used during the coaching that worked best and how to sustain them going forward. Depending on where you live and what works for you, we can meet in person or over zoom.

Why Raise and Shine?

I have received Parent Coach Certification® through the Parent Coaching Institute (PCI), a graduate level program and the only program that offers parent coaching certification. I use that training to guide my coaching along with my own experience and knowledge as a school psychologist and mom. I know that there is no such thing as a perfect parent-myself included-but am also confident that every parent has strengths within themselves and their family and community that we can build on. I use a blend of humor, practicality, honesty, and knowledge to support parents where they are and help them move where they want to go. Want to learn more? Contact me for a free introductory call or click here to learn more about my pricing. .

• Age appropriate behavioral

strategies

• Identifying your family values
• Setting and maintaining

boundaries

• Teaching empathy and

kindness

• What to expect from your

children developmentally

• Communicating effectively

with your child

• Cultivating self confidence

and higher self esteem in

your child

• Behaviors associated with

ADHD, Anxiety, ODD and

others

• Sibling issues
  

The Who and The What:

Consultation works best for parents who are looking for the most up to date research and strategies for specific problems. This may be a good fit if you are happy and confident in your parenting overall but feel stymied by one particular problem. Consultation may include sample letters for your school or pediatrician, tip sheets or recommendations for resources depending on your particular needs.

Issues tackled during consultation may include, but aren’t limited to:

• Helping children navigate friendships
• Specific and isolated behavioral concerns
• School choice and school related problems
• Determining if it's time to ask for help from a mental health or academic specialist and how to do that
• Decoding paperwork and test results from the schools, psychologists or evaluation teams
• Practical suggestions for improving home routine and organization
• Strategies for teaching your child self regulation, calming strategies and more
• Quick questions and concerns related to school intervention, special education and 504s. More in depth support can be provided through my school support services. More information about that here!

Why Raise and Shine:

I have over 15 years of experience working to support children, parents, and schools. I've worked in a variety of settings, public and private, with grades PreK through 12. As a school psychologist, I assessed children for learning disabilities and giftedness, designed and carried out school based behavior and intervention systems, and supported student and faculty mental health. As a mom, I appreciate concrete information based in research and practicality and have no interest in selling you a program or book.

Where, How, and When:

I'm located in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you are here, we can meet in person if that's your preference. Otherwise we can talk over zoom or on the phone. Hours are flexible. Contact me to talk more! Click here to learn more about my pricing.

What You Can Expect:

I provide support for parents who are overwhelmed or defeated by navigating the school system in Ohio. If you choose this option you can expect a partner as you work to get your child the support they need in school. In this capacity I‘ve helped parents get their children evaluated after several refusals from the school district, have their IEP changed to better support their needs and advocate for a 504 plan, among others. I will be honest with you about what I think is realistic and how I would ave perceived your situation when I was working in the school districts. I will help you decode the language and the law and make sure you know your and your child‘s rights.

During our time together I’ll give you step by step directions for filling out forms, what to write and who to send it to. I’ll help you determine who to involve in the process and what questions to ask. I have letters and templates that other parents have successfully used to request evaluation and other special education related changes.

Why Raise and Shine:

I have over 15 years of experience working to support children, parents, and schools. I've worked in a variety of settings, public and private, with grades PreK through 12. As a school psychologist, I assessed children for learning disabilities and giftedness, designed and carried out school based behavior and intervention systems, and supported student and faculty mental health. I have quite a bit of experience working with private school parents and staff in working with the public school district and navigating and understanding the Peterson Scholarship and can provide references from parents and schools who have worked with me.

Where, How, and When:

I'm located in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you are here, we can meet in person if that's your preference. Otherwise we can talk over zoom or on the phone. Hours are flexible. Contact me to talk more! Click here to learn more about my pricing.

Coaching services start at 75 dollars per one hour session. Included in that session is a detailed summary with relevant resources or materials. Discounts are available for returning clients and prepayment.

Consultation services start at 100 dollars for one hour. Included is a detailed summary with relevant resources or materials. Information shared may include but are not limited to recommendations for doctors or other service providers, intervention scripts, letters for school, behavior plan models.

Services available in addition to standard coaching and consultation include; attending school meetings to support you and your child's best interests, behavior chart creation (if relevant and wanted), I also provide more intensive support to parents working through the special education system, seeking evaluation or understanding their rights. School support services fees will vary based on level of support needed but generally start at 200.

Workshop fees will vary depending on length of time and hiring organization. Contact me for a quote.

If you search other parent coaches' pages, you will find my fees to be very competitive, despite my significant level of experience relative to many other coaches. This was intentional. In building my business, I prioritized developing personalized services that are accessible to people in varied parenting situations and life circumstances. As a fellow parent, I appreciate that your time and money are valuable and often have to be stretched further than you'd like. In being intentional with my choices and time, I'm able to offer high end, individualized services at prices that are more accessible than other options.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. And don't forget, you can schedule a free, no obligation call, to get to know me better and learn more about coaching.

Book your first session here

Will you come to my house?

Not usually. I work directly with parents. So often in our support to families we neglect the very real needs of the parents and focus on the children. My goal is to encourage you to parent in a way that is fulfilling and authentic for you, not come in and show you what to do so you can replicate it.

Can you tell me more about how you have been trained?

I received my masters in school psychology in 2005 and completed 30 additional hours of study to obtain my school psychology licensure. Since then, I've also been trained and certified by the Parent Coaching Institute® (PCI). The curriculum was developed by Gloria DeGaetano, an acclaimed educator, author, and speaker who originated parent coaching as a profession in 2000. It is rigorous and meets the standards for a graduate level course. "PCI is a complete system that productively addresses the whole parent and the whole child in today's current culture with its unique parenting challenges. The PCI coaching model has been researched to be highly effective, transforming the lives of families in practical and inspiring ways." (PCI)

Where do we meet?

If you are in Cincinnati, Ohio, we can meet in person. If you are not-that's no problem! I conduct sessions over zoom or the phone as well.

Is this therapy?

While there is definite overlap, coaching is not therapy. Coaching is very focused on the present and the future. It is action oriented and aims to create a plan for change. It tends to be time limited and focused on specific outcomes. When you are trying to decide if a coach is right for you, it might be helpful to consider these questions:

• Are you experiencing mental health symptoms that cause distress in your life?
  
• Are you wrestling with things that happened in your past that you need to talk through and reconcile?
• Do you need support navigating emotions?
• Are you experiencing relationship issues and think you could benefit from couples counseling?

If the answer to any of those questions is yes, coaching may not be right for you right now. That being said, I have coached people while they also see therapists and find that process can be extremely powerful.

Are you like my cousin who became a life coach?

Similar to careers like motivational speaking or consulting, anyone can call themselves a coach. Since the profession at large is unregulated some well-meaning people call themselves coaches because they like to help people. I am different because I have been trained and certified as a parent coach and use very specific methods, backed by research.

Can you work with me even if my child has been diagnosed with... or has....?

Usually! My background as a school psychologist makes me uniquely qualified to help parents who have children with many different diagnoses or conditions. Don't hesitate to reach out to me about your unique situation and we can decide together if what I offer is a good fit for what you need.

Megan helped me see more clearly the good that was already going on for my family so that I could focus on what was working in order to help smooth out the kinks with some of the tougher problems. Megan is smart as a whip, intuitive, sensitive and thoughtfully honest which altogether make her a fantastic coach and someone I would recommend to anyone looking to improve the quality of their family life.

– G, mom of 2

Working with Megan gave me a better perspective on how to get the best out of my time with my son, setting up the summer months very well. The effects have been lasting! Because of the process, I have been able to keep thinking and deepening the skills that Megan has helped me to access.

-A, dad of 1

It helped me map out a path to more joyful, intentional and confident parenting.

-P, mom of 2

It helped enhance communication with my spouse.

-P, dad of 2

It helped me focus instead of just feeling overwhelmed thinking about all the things that bothered me. It has let me step back and think - okay is this fight worth having because it ultimately goes to my long term goal. Before I was just giving up in those fights thinking I was just being a nag, after meeting with Megan I can now think okay I am allowed to feel this way and I do want this attitude to change.

-M, mom of 3