Going back to work after becoming a parent isn't easy.
You're desperate to do your best for your kids but also don't want to feel like you're wasting your potential.
But in trying to juggle the demands of family and work, you're putting in two demanding shifts a day, your to-do list never seems to end, and you're feeling stretched.
Very stretched.
We live in a world where parents often:
feel judged for their choices, which leaves them feeling guilty, no matter whether they choose to be a stay-at-home parent, to work part-time or to return to work full-time
become so accustomed to addressing the needs of their kids that they lose sight of and no longer prioritise their own
feel torn between work and family and like they’re not succeeding at either
feel exhausted from pulling two shifts every day
doubt themselves and the relevance of their skills after spending time away from work
worry about how their colleagues and boss will treat them when they return to work.
But wait a minute.
Who says that being a working parent means that you need to juggle two full-time jobs all on your own?
There’s a better way.
Tried and tested steps that other mums have successfully taken, that will enable you to be there for your kid’s important milestones, confidently negotiate and navigate your transition back to work, all while feeling more calm, more resilient, and more energised along the way.
Imagine:
- having more time for yourself while still giving generously to the important people around you
- confidently delegating and asking for what you want at home and at work
- feeling internally at peace with your decisions and desires
- being productive and engaged at work AND able to be there for your kids
- feeling more resilient, calm and energised
- showing up as your best self at work and home.
I’m Rebekah Fraser, the founder of The Back to Work Coach.
I’m an ICF-certified coach and very pleased to tell you that I’m a happy, working mum!
Yes, I'm a parent like you.
I have a bright, sassy, loving daughter named Libby. She challenges me. She teaches me. She grounds me. She provides life’s happiest and most rewarding moments but the toughest and most heartbreaking as well. But you know all this already because you’re a parent, too.
And while I love my daughter deeply, I also felt a desire to return to some kind of professional work after my parental leave - for me, for my sanity, and to make me a better mum in the long-term.
But whoa - getting back into work was hard!
I never expected the loss of confidence. I never expected the tiredness. I never expected that searching for the right childcare solution would make me feel so anxious. I never expected to feel so conflicted about my choices or care what others thought about them. I never expected to have to deal with mother’s guilt or for the need to learn to negotiate and delegate like I did. I never expected to feel so overwhelmed about trying to do something that I’d done so easily before!
Thankfully, over time, I found my way.
I grew my self-awareness so that I made my decisions in line with my values and felt at peace with them as a consequence. I learned how to ask for help and negotiate to get people onside. I discovered how to talk to myself so that I could take the necessary steps with confidence. I identified my priorities so that I focused my time in the right places. I made decisions that supported my long-terms goal of how I wanted to experience my life.
I found answers…and I want to share them with you.
SERVICES FOR PARENTS
At The Back to Work Coach we offer one-to-one and group coaching programs specifically tailored to support parents like you with the unique challenges you face as you transition into parental leave and then back to work after becoming a parent.
Private Coaching
Private Coaching
Private coaching programs offer you the chance to work one-to-one (in person or virtually) with Rebekah Fraser, a certified professional coach who understands the unique challenges you face as a parent that is looking to return back to work.
Through a series of coaching sessions, coachees typically:
learn how to establish boundaries
unlock more confidence in themselves
develop a plan for getting others onboard with providing the necessary flexibility and support
gain a better understanding of how being a parent has enriched the value they have to offer their employers
become clearer on what they want their life as a parent to look like and take steps aligned with that.
“The reality is that I would not have felt as confident or assured without Rebekah’s input and coaching. Prior to working with Rebekah, I am confident the business needs would have been met, while I (on the other hand) would most likely be feeling stretched and compromised.
The great news is that there is a lot of good will and intentions on both sides and I am significantly more positive about what returning to work will mean for me and my family.”
The focus of each session will be completely customised to your unique needs and challenges. Common topics include:
Clarifying your ideal work scenario
Defining your ideal home scenario
Asking for what you need at work and at home
Solving practical challenges
Getting a grip on guilt and building confidence.
Choose from two basic program structures:
Back to Work 1:1 Program:
6 x 1 hour sessions (in person at Hobsonville office or over Skype/Zoom)
Unlimited email support between sessions
Investment: $995* (plus GST)
Back to Work 1:1 PLUS Program:
8 x 1 hour sessions (in person at Hobsonville office or over Skype/Zoom)
Behaviours and Motivators assessment
1 x 1.5 hour Behaviours and Motivators Profile debrief session
Unlimited email support between sessions
Investment: $1995* (plus GST)
* This is a discounted, community rate for parents self-funding their development. This is one of the ways I choose to ‘pay it forward’ and support parents within single income families re-entering the workforce.
Optional: Behaviours and Motivators Profile
There is also the option to include a Behaviours and Motivators Profile assessment as part of your coaching to support you in deepening your awareness of self and others, which is so important during periods of significant transition.
A Behaviours and Motivators Profile can help you:
Understand your default ways of communicating with others
Gain insight into others' communication styles
Understand what drives you and the implications of this on your behaviour, communication, relationships and work style
Appreciate what motivates others and how to appeal to their wants and needs.
Optional: Additional Coaching Sessions
Follow-up coaching sessions are also available and recommended after the first and third months back at work to:
Fine tune your transition
Deal with unexpected challenges
Sanity check your plan's sustainability.
To learn more or to enrol in a program today, simply fill in the form below and we will be in touch.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Group Coaching
Group Coaching
Group coaching provides an opportunity to not only receive the expert support of a certified professional coach but also the support of a small group of 4 to 8 like-minded parents.
We offer this service because too often, parents feel judged and alone during their transition to parenthood and back to work.
This isolation often drives parents to adopt unhelpful behaviours such as putting everyone else before themselves, not asking for help and staying silent about their needs and desires.
Group coaching provides a non-judgemental platform of support plus the opportunity to learn from others who are experiencing similar challenges.
From the moment you embark on your group coaching program, you join a community of parents who 'get it', who understand the pressures you face, who have your back and will be encouraging and supporting you on your journey to balance work and life as a parent.
The Back to Work Coach 8-week Group Coaching Program is perfect for parents who are ready to start preparing to return to work.
“I thought coaching was about someone suggesting ideas for what I could do to improve, telling me what I should do to solve my problems ... I soon came to realise that I needed first to figure out what I wanted to change and then come up with my own solutions.
Throughout I had Rebekah’s support - she asked the right questions to help me reach into myself and find my answers. I discovered how to make small changes, and change my perspective to make a positive influence both emotionally and in what I do.
Coaching has helped to transform my life. I highly recommend Rebekah who is easy to work with. She makes you comfortable and at ease. And most of all she will help you find the answers you had inside all the time.”
The Group Coaching program includes:
Session 1: Individual orientation
1 on 1 session with your Coach (60 mins)
Coaching Agreement
Expectations
Personal History
Goals
Session 2: Group orientation
In-Person Master Class (3 hours)
Group members meet and greet
Establish group boundaries and expectations
Program overview
Goal setting and vision boarding
Homework: personal values exercise and reflection about what this means for goals and vision board
Session 3: Clarifying your ideal work scenario
In-person or virtual options available (90 mins)
Session 4: Defining your ideal home scenario
In-person or virtual options available (90 mins)
Session 5: Asking for what you need at work and at home
In-person or virtual options available (90 mins)
Session 6: Getting a grip on guilt
In-person or virtual options available (90 mins)
Session 7: Solving practical challenges (including childcare and household
management)
In-person or virtual options available (90 mins)
Session 8: Happiness habits and celebrating success
Put on your best ‘work here I come!’ outfit and meet us for a drink to celebrate your achievements and commit to the habits which will ensure your on-going happiness
Optional: Behaviours and Motivators Profile
There is also the option to include a Behaviours and Motivators Profile assessment as part of your coaching to support you in deepening your awareness of self and others, which is so important during periods of significant transition.
A Behaviours and Motivators Profile can help you:
Understand your default ways of communicating with others
Gain insight into others' communication styles
Understand what drives you and the implications of this on your behaviour, communication, relationships and work style
Appreciate what motivates others and how to appeal to their wants and needs.
Optional: Additional Coaching Sessions
Follow-up coaching sessions are also available and recommended after the first and third months back at work to:
Fine tune your transition
Deal with unexpected challenges
Sanity check your plan's sustainability.
Choose from two basic program structures:
Back To Work Group Coaching Program
1 x 1:1 60 min orientation session
1 x 3 hour master class
5 x 90 min group sessions
1 x celebration session
unlimited email support between sessions
Investment: $495 (plus GST)
Back To Work Group Coaching PLUS Program
1 x 1:1 60 min orientation session
Behaviours and Motivators assessment
1 x 1.5 hour Behaviours and Motivators debrief session
1 x 3 hour master class
5 x 90 min group sessions
1 x celebration session
2 x 1:1 60 min coaching sessions after return to work
unlimited email support
Investment: $895 (plus GST)
To learn more or to enrol in a program today, simply fill in the form below and we will be in touch.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Public Events
Back to Work Chats
Are you:
Returning to work?
Starting a new role?
Struggling to find work/life balance?
The Back To Work Coach occasionally offers informal 'coffee and a chat' sessions to share some of the common mistakes parents make when returning to work after having kids.
Admission is free and you can simply like The Back to Work Coach Facebook page to be notified when registration for the next event is open.
Alternatively, if you'd like to invite Rebekah to be a guest speaker at your coffee group, simply send us a message.
“Exactly what I needed to hear! The right balance of information and discussion. Rebekah was a great listener.”