How The Vive Dynamic Works
Vive has a unique approach to support or what we call the "Vive Dynamic." This Vive Dynamic is based on four core principles—a heart-centered approach, a dual approach, grounded in reality, and action oriented.
Heart-Centered Approach
Our heart-centered approach means that we focus on connection and relationship—really uncovering and connecting to each person's heart.
We believe that all people are wired to be in relationships. Our whole mind, body and heart crave connection with others to share our life. We also believe that it is in relationship, through authentic and honest connection, that we can heal personally and heal each other. For this reason, the Vive approach is heart-centered.
Our heart-centered approach focuses on relationships rather than behaviors and helps each person take responsibility for his or her own emotions so that each person can be unconditionally loving. Relationships are a process, take time, and embrace change.
Both our mentors and parent coaches engage in the heart-centered approach with their mentees and guide parents in learning the heart-centered approach for their own parenting. An unconditionally loving connection and relationship is more important and more healing than anything else!
Dual Approach
Our dual approach means that we work with the young person and the parent(s) in a parallel process to foster a positive family culture that supports lasting change.
Sustainable healing requires an approach that addresses the teen or young adult's needs in the context of the family system. This requires that we work with both the teen and the parent(s) simultaneously. But rather than using a typical family therapy model, in which one therapist serves both the teen and the parents, in our dual approach:
We match a struggling teen or young adult with a Vive mentor who serves as that teen's friend, advocate, guide, and life coach, helping the teen navigate challenging decisions and relationships as they arise in real life. Because the mentor works exclusively with the teen or young adult, the teen develops trust in the mentor, which is imperative to the success of the mentoring.
We also match parents with their own dedicated resource—an experienced parent coach. The parent coach offers the expertise of a trained therapist as well as the support of a friend, guide, and fellow parent in the format of practical coaching. This compassionate outside perspective is critical for helping managing crises as they arise, supporting parents in their own healing process, and helping identify and change old family patterns in order to move the family forward.
The work of the mentor and parent coach is knitted together by the team's therapeutic team leader who coordinates the work of the mentor, the parent coach and the family. The therapeutic team leader ensures that the mentoring and parent coaching moves the family toward its goals.
All Vive mentors, parents coaches, and clinical team leaders are experienced professionals with backgrounds as adolescent and family therapists. These backgrounds are the perfect foundation for their specialized training in the Vive approach to mentoring and parent coaching. In addition, all of our parent coaches are parents themselves and approach each family situation from a place of experience and compassion.
Action Oriented
Vive mentors and parent coaches use an action oriented approach that actively applies lessons learned to real life situations.
Vive mentoring can take place at a café, on a hike, or at a snowboard park where the Vive mentor and adolescent can comfortably talk through practical decisions and strategies for a better life. Vive mentors use an active, practical approach to helping their mentees take healthy risks, experience the consequences of their actions, and overcome challenges to become happier, more independent and productive young adults. Activities can include things like looking for a job, going to a meal and talking through concerns, role-playing new responses to old situations, attending AA together, or sometimes just goofing around—building the trust and relationship that allows for a healing bond.
Vive parent coaches counsel parents through specific family situations as they arise, helping craft solutions in the moment while planning for future situations. Parent coaches advocate a situation-specific, practical approach to parenting. This approach empowers parents to view each situation as an opportunity to experiment with and practice new approaches to old problems. Challenges are viewed not so much challenges but as opportunities to practice!
Grounded in Reality
Our work is grounded in reality. We deliver support in the young person's and parent's real life setting, the most authentic laboratory for creating, testing and internalizing new approaches to old problems.
Vive delivers its services where it counts the most: in your real world environment—where you live, where you work, where you go to school, where your family and community intersect.
Our practitioners work within the context of everyday life to help adolescents and their parents navigate real world, day-to-day issues. Because of their fluid availability, mentors and parent coaches are also able to deliver our services in real time—a great resource, especially prior to, during, or following moments of conflict or crisis. This is a profoundly different approach than traditional therapy or therapeutic programs, which often take place in a controlled environment according to an inflexible schedule.
By delivering our services directly to you in the familiar context of your family's natural environment, Vive translates mentoring and parent coaching into practical, lasting solutions for your family.
