For parents in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point, and across the Piedmont Triad, the most practical way to work with Shepherd's Heart is usually by secure video. The office is in Siler City, and there's no Triad location. This page walks through what parent work by video actually looks like week to week, when video isn't the right fit, and how to get started.
A lot of parent work is talking through what happened at home, building a plan, and practicing what to say. That translates well to a screen. For a busy parent, telehealth can be easier to keep up with than an office visit, because there's no drive and no childcare scramble. Sessions keep the same length, price, and structure as they would in the office.
Parent coaching sessions run 50 minutes and follow a clear shape. The first few minutes are a short debrief: what you tried last week, where it worked, where it fell apart. The middle is the working part, focused on one or two behaviors or transitions, like bedtime or the after-school meltdown. The last part is homework: a specific thing you'll do or say before the next session, with the exact words to use.
Coaching moves as fast as what happens between sessions. The change tends to happen on a weeknight when your child melts down and you say the sentence you rehearsed instead of the one you've been saying for years. Homework stays small and repeatable, one script or one routine change at a time, because tired parents can't install five new systems at once. The defiant behavior page shows how this applies to daily power struggles.
Video isn't right for everything. Sessions with younger children usually work better in person. High-conflict family sessions with several people are easier in the room, and first-time EMDR tends to be more effective in person. When one of those applies, coming to the Siler City office for specific sessions can be part of the plan. Acute crisis is different: it needs emergency support, not a scheduled session. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.
Coaching fits a parent who is basically functioning but out of tactics. If what's driving the trouble is your own exhaustion, depression, or history, counseling may need to come first. The guide to parent coaching or counseling walks through how to tell, and John will be direct about which one you're in. Coaching and counseling can also run side by side, one for the household and one for you.
Find a spot where no one can overhear you or walk in; a closed room or a parked car both work. Headphones help if the house is loud, and a steady connection matters more than a fancy device. You'll also need to be physically in North Carolina at session time. Before the first session, an email arrives with the link, a short checklist, and the intake paperwork.
The first step is a free 15-minute phone or video consultation. If it's a fit, the next step is a 90-minute intake, which can also happen by video, where John maps the household, what's been tried, and where the leverage is. The what to expect page explains the weeks after that, and you can request a consultation through the contact page.
If you're ready to look at the format of the help, see parent coaching or teen counseling. Not sure where to start? Request a free 15-minute consultation and we'll figure it out together.
No. Shepherd's Heart works from a single office in Siler City. Families in the Triad can meet by secure video and come to the office for any sessions that work better in person.
No. Coaching can happen with one parent or both. When both can join, it helps keep the plan consistent at home.
Yes. A plan can start by video and add office visits for specific pieces of work, or switch formats as the work changes. The plan follows what the work needs.
Usually not. Standing coaching sessions are parent-only. Once in a while a child or teen joins to agree on a plan together.
A free 15-minute consultation. Send a request and John will get back to you with times that actually work — no pressure, no forms up front.
