Caitlyn Skolnick, LCSW, PMH‑C
10+ years in child & family work
Parent coaching & strategy sessions in New Jersey.
For the bedtime battles, the big feelings, the school calls, and the moments you google "is this normal" at midnight — one child-behavior challenge, taken apart together, with a real plan for your actual kid.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey · ages 3–18
When you've read all the books and you're still stuck
You're not a bad parent. You're a thoughtful one — that's why you're here at 11pm reading about parent coaching instead of ignoring the problem. But somewhere between the gentle-parenting scripts and your kid's fourth meltdown before breakfast, the strategies from the books stopped fitting the child in your kitchen.
That's the gap parent coaching fills. Not more generic advice — a trained set of eyes on your child, your family, your specific stuck point. As a child therapist and school social worker for over a decade, I've sat on every side of this table: the classroom, the IEP meeting, the therapy room, and the parent side too, as a mom of three.
Parents come to me as a parenting coach in New Jersey for things like these — tap the one that sounds like your house:
Explosive meltdowns that hijack the whole house — over the wrong-color cup, the tag in the shirt, the word "no." We decode what the explosion is protecting, then build a de-escalation playbook that actually fits your child's nervous system.
the daily standoffsBedtime that takes two hours. Screen-time negotiations worthy of a hostage film. Homework wars. These daily battles are usually pattern problems, not kid problems — and patterns can be redesigned so evenings stop feeling like a siege.
past "they'll work it out"Constant provocation, real aggression, one child always the target — when sibling conflict crosses from annoying to corrosive, we look at the roles each child has been cast in and script how you referee without becoming the full-time judge.
the emails that drop your stomachSchool refusal, behavior reports, a teacher who's "concerned" — as a school social worker for over a decade, I know what's happening on the other side of those emails, and how to partner with the school instead of bracing against it.
walking in prepared, not outgunned504 plans, IEP meetings, evaluations, advocating for a neurodivergent child — I've sat in those meetings professionally. We'll prep your requests, your documentation, and your confidence so the plan your child gets is the plan they need.
when everything changes at onceA new sibling, a divorce, a move, a diagnosis — transitions are when behavior speaks loudest. We build the bridge routines and the language that help your child feel held while the ground moves.
it's not about fixing your kid — it's about decoding them
How parent strategy sessions work
The deep dive — 90 minutes, $325
We take one challenge apart properly. A short intake first, so I understand your child's temperament, developmental stage, and history. In session, we look underneath the behavior — what your child's nervous system is trying to say, what's fueling the pattern, and where the leverage points are.
The plan — optional, +$125
A written, personalized strategy for your actual kid: what to say in the hard moments, how to restructure the flashpoints, scripts for consistency between caregivers, and what progress looks like week by week. The "what do we DO though?" document most parents have never been handed.
In-home intensives — New Jersey families
For families who want deeper support: I observe real routines in real time and coach in the moment, where the patterns actually live. Investment tailored to your family — we'll scope it on a consult.
Virtual strategy sessions are available to parents across New Jersey — and because everything runs over secure video, both parents can join from different places, which I strongly encourage.
Every "bad" behavior is a message in a bottle from your kid's nervous system. Once you can read the message, the whole dynamic changes — usually faster than parents expect.
Why parents work with me
There's no shortage of parenting advice — that's the problem. What I bring is the combination that's hard to find in one person. Flip each card.
"You've clearly never met MY kid."
flip →A decade-plus as a child therapist and school social worker with kids ages 3–18. I've seen a thousand versions of your challenge — and I know which levers actually move.
"The school keeps talking over us."
flip →I've sat in the 504 and IEP meetings professionally. I'll prep you to walk in confident and heard — instead of outgunned.
"Is it my kid's problem… or mine?"
flip →Child development expertise plus maternal mental health training — because your wellbeing and your child's behavior are one system, not two problems.
"Will this survive my actual household?"
flip →Zero judgement, full realism. My strategies survive contact with real households — picky eaters, lost shoes, 7am meltdowns and all.
And when the parenting struggle is tangled with your own burnout or anxiety — it usually is, and that's not a flaw — therapy for you and coaching for the parenting can work hand in hand.
Parent coaching questions, answered
Is this therapy for my child?
No — and that's the point. Parent coaching works through you, the person with the most influence in your child's life. You get the insight and the playbook; your child just experiences a home that starts working better. (If your child would benefit from their own therapist, I'll tell you honestly and help you find the right fit.)
What ages do you work with?
Ages 3 to 18 — from preschool meltdowns to teenage shutdowns. The strategies change with the developmental stage; the method of decoding what's underneath the behavior doesn't.
Do both parents need to attend?
It's not required, but when two caregivers share the plan, results come faster — consistency is half the magic. Sessions are virtual across New Jersey, so a co-parent can join from work or even from a separate household.
How is a strategy session different from just reading parenting books?
Books give you the average answer for the average child. A strategy session gives you a trained clinician analyzing your specific child's temperament, triggers, and family dynamic — then building a plan around them. It's the difference between a diet book and a nutritionist who's met you.
Is parent coaching covered by insurance?
Coaching and consultation generally aren't reimbursable the way therapy can be, so plan on the flat fees: $325 for the 90-minute session, +$125 for a written plan. No surprise costs — everything is scoped before we start.
Bring me your hardest parenting knot
Fifteen free minutes. Tell me what's happening at your house — I'll tell you honestly whether a strategy session can move it.
Book your free consult