Life coaches Nancy Barclay and Nenah Milne are the perfect team to help mothers and daughters navigate the treacherous teenage years.
Few relationships can be as fraught as that between mother and teenage daughter, and yet it is also one of the most important for the mental wellbeing of both. Helping to rebuild those relationships is what drives life coaches Nancy Barclay and Nenah Milne. They’re not mother and daughter but they may as well be – Nancy is an experienced life coach who works with teenagers and parents and has four children who are teens or have been through those years. Nenah is a 19-year-old qualified life coach who works with teenage girls. Being so close to the age of her clients means they relate to her and listen to what she says.
Nancy and Nenah’s own relationship began when Nenah was studying towards her life coaching diploma through the NZ Institute of Business Studies. She was keen to connect with another life coach focused on youth, and Nancy was impressed with Nenah’s passion, intelligence and authenticity. They teamed up to run a workshop for mothers and daughters and found their similar ways of thinking and working with clients meant they worked well together right from the start.
Ahead of their next Mother & Daughter Weekend Workshop, on February 15 – 16 at The Tannery, Nancy and Nenah answer some questions about what they do and why.
What is life coaching? It’s massive! It covers all areas of your life. Everyone needs it, from school kids to executives. It enables people to see themselves clearly, see where they are now, and gain confidence about what they want. It helps people find the resources to succeed because it pushes them beyond their limiting beliefs and opens their perspective to what is possible.
Why is it important? Because it supports people and teaches them to manage their life in the best way possible. Life coaching empowers people to handle whatever life throws at them – and life does that. It prepares people for life, rather than being an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
Why focus on mothers and daughters? We all have relationships that are challenging. Because we work with teens, we are very aware that their mothers are a big part of their lives. When the mother/daughter relationship isn’t going well, it’s just another thing to get in the way of self-worth for both of them. Building strong family communication and connections empowers both the teen and the parent and can be used in other challenging areas of their lives. We are doing multiple jobs in one workshop!