Samantha Straub is a transformational coach and educator, helping teens and parents of teens to thrive.
Welcome! I’m Sam.
I’m a veteran educator, licensed adolescent therapist, parent, and overall champion of teens and the adults who care for them. For over 25 years, I have been reaching and teaching teens and supporting the adults who care for them.
Who Do I Help?
I help confused, overwhelmed, invested parents reclaim their relationships with their teens and effectively manage the curveballs that come with raising adolescents. In my workshops, I equip teens and their parents with the tools they need to flourish and become the best versions of themselves, all during a time of significant transition.
HOW DO I HELP?
Raising teens is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be confusing work, nor does it have to be as isolating as many parents report. Teens have bigger and higher stakes issues to contend with than they did as elementary students. And parents must try to balance their teens’ need for privacy with very real parenting needs of their own that include validation and support. It can be relieving as well as validating to share your parenting concerns and goals with an expert and with other parents going through the same stuff!
And it’s not just parents who stand to grow within a supportive community. A sense of belonging is critical for all humans, but especially for adolescents. In my teen workshops, I focus heavily on establishing positive group dynamics. Learning happens most freely in an environment of psychological safety.
In my individual and group coaching parent programs, I provide a supportive environment for parents of teens to ask questions, grow, and connect with others in the same unpredictable boat.
As parents, when we feel more confident and connected, we not only improve our own well-being, but also that of our most precious people: our teenagers!
How did I get here?
As the mother of two teenagers, I have experienced the ups and downs that come with guiding and loving adolescents. However, I recognize that my training and expertise help me keep these ups and downs in context and allow me to respond effectively…most of the time! While I can’t change the biology of adolescence and all of the typical growing pains that raising and being a teen entails, I can provide knowledge, skills, and mindsets to help teens and their parents tap into their full potential during this exciting, and sometimes challenging, period of life. And I do this with the expertise that comes from teaching and supporting teens and their families for over 25 years!
why work with me?
- Outside of coaching, my professional hats as an educator and therapist allow me to interact regularly with teens and their families. I have my finger on the pulse of the current adolescent academic and social scene.
- I’m a teacher by training and experience. Over my 25+ year career, I have taught English, Psychology, Conflict Resolution, Health and Wellness, Leadership classes, and even P.E.! I have conducted countless trainings for teachers and parents on a myriad of topics. I know how to make learning sticky–for teens and for their adults.
- There is no manual for raising or being a teenager. But there are resources and information that can help. Further, in my lengthy career, I have worked with enough parents and teens to know what’s effective–and what isn’t when it comes to raising and being a healthy adolescent.
- I operate from a strengths perspective. I help my clients and workshop participants claim their individual gifts and use those strengths for problem solving, relationship building, and charting their unique pathways to thriving.
- Adolescence can bring with it feelings of self-doubt–for teens themselves, but also for parents and caregivers who are trying to understand their child’s changing behaviors, priorities, and emotions in context. Having an expert in your corner as a resource can be reassuring.
- Many of the programs I provide involve groups: workshops, coaching cohorts, and parenting parties. And even my one to one coaching involves a partnership: my client and me, working as a team. This is very much on purpose. There’s something magical about learning and growing in the company and support of others. And there’s something very validating about hearing your own experiences reflected in the stories of your peers.
- I laugh a lot, and can often find the funny in life’s absurdities. I invite my clients to laugh along with me. I consider this one of my super powers when it comes to mentoring teens and supporting their parents.
- I’m not afraid to tell it like it is, and I always have my clients’ best interests in mind. I am all about helping my clients grow by being authentic with them.
Other things you might be interested to learn about me
- I was a two sport athlete in high school and college and even coached briefly at the collegiate level. Now, my favorite way to get my exercise is through swimming, which was NOT one of the sports of my youth.
- I am married to my college sweetheart.
- I hate the taste of chocolate, and no, I’m not allergic. I just hate it. And “hate” is not a word I use lightly.
- I am a total cat lover, but any cute animal is bound to catch my attention.
- I have worked with literally thousands of teens and their parents over the course of my career. If you work with me, I bring that experience to the table.
- Some of my highest strengths are humor and love. I laugh a lot, sometimes even in the face of pretty heavy stuff, but never at another person’s expense. I invite my clients to find light and laughter in our work together. Further, I am always pulling for my clients. That’s something you’ll feel if you choose to work with me.