We've heard your input and created a program that meets parents where they are and offer the ongoing support to create lasting change.

The signature Family in Focus® program has 8 weeks of workshops and now 6 months of community support and application calls. This gives parents time for learning on their terms (through live and recorded sessions readily accessed in the private portal), as well as the most important aspect: individual & group application. Using these tools means practice, addressing obstacles and revisiting. We do that together, over time, in a combination of private work and a supportive community of parents.

Family in Focus® emphasizes the role of the parent to create lifelong healthy habits for the whole family.

Adult-only time is needed for frank conversation without younger ears. There is no filter on language or topics, so let's keep the kids engaged with something else during this time.

Frankly, my pediatrician mouth is on for the office and webinars... I can't promise so much for the group or individual calls (pediatrician with a sailor's mouth when calling out BS!).

Also, for their privacy, children are not invited to the recorded group calls.

For the first 8 weeks you will receive access to a workshop topic of the week. They are 15-30 minutes in duration and cover the most important and common topics parents have when trying to raise a healthy family without all the stress. Effective psychosocial tools for lifestyle habit change are introduced in each of the videos and parents are invited to try them at home. 

The group Q&A (question & application) sessions with Wendy personalize your experience with Family in Focus® by helping you celebrate what is going well, apply the tools to your unique family's needs, as well as to address any obstacles that arise along the way.

You, the adult, YES!

Even if your concern is primarily about your child's weight or behaviors, parents are the change-agents in the home. You will learn how to understand (your and their) behaviors, emotions and what they mean our children actually need in the chaotic moments.

You will learn about yourself and how to understand your child to effectively navigate growing up healthy.

I am sooooo glad you asked this question!

Lifelong change requires lifelong practice. 

8 weeks will give you the tools to start making change in your family, creating healthier habits.

The 6 month container for the Family in Focus® signature program offers ongoing community support via at least 2 Q&A (bring your questions & apply the tools to your unique life & family) sessions to keep momentum going.

After 6 months, approximately 50% of Family in Focus® participants opt to continue in a monthly support program. We'll cross that bridge together, my friend.

Workshops are the foundational education tool. Typically, they are around 15 minutes long. They are recorded and available for viewing on-demand in the portal. Future cohorts will be able to access all prior recorded workshops.

Group calls will be scheduled over the course of the month for community-building and discussion about utilizing the tools. These group calls typically last 30-60 minutes total. This is where we talk about what's working (successes!), struggles, and find pathways forward. Group calls are recorded and available for viewing on-demand in the portal.

Great question! You found Family in Focus® because of your concern for your family's weight & emotional health.

I have a sneaky feeling that the traditional weight-focused approach hasn't been working in your home either (can anyone say sneaking food and food fights, worries about disordered eating?). 

Family in Focus® helps you navigate shifting focus from the scale to define success to creating healthy habits, lifestyle and the weight that is healthy for you, no matter what the scale says.

There are plenty of weight-focused programs available for children struggling with overweight available through your physician's referral.

Friend, I get it!

Here's the thing: 

You will get exactly what you need from the Family in Focus® program. While we love having the live interaction on calls, parents have achieved the same brilliant results (increased confidence, calm, healthier outlooks and families) from participation in the recorded sessions only.

Live participation in the workshops and group calls is not required. They are all recorded and you can review in the portal for the duration of the program.

If you opt in to individual sessions, they are booked by you at a time that works for you.

Perhaps you can't afford to NOT participate in the program:

The consequences of not understanding emotional health add up over time as we turn to food, substance, shopping (all of which costs a lot more!).

Overeating costs more money with food bills, medical expenses/copays, and the expense upon the body, let alone the challenges faced with self-esteem and body-image.

Don't overlook the expense of co-pays, transportation and time off of work for medical visits (did I mention that all the group sessions are recorded for access on your time?).

You will figure out what is right for you and your family.

In the meanwhile, please remember that you are not alone! Family in Focus® has a growing wealth of support materials for families, for free.

Join the email list, subscribe to the Family in Focus® with Wendy Schofer, MD Podcast!

The Family in Focus® Mini-Courses, "Lead Your Family to Healthier Habits" and "Weight Loss 101 for Your Whole Family" offer free foundational information about my approach.

Yes.

Weight is a number on the scale. I've had concerns with my own family's health even though I wasn't overweight. And coaching helped me tremendously in navigating the concerns within my own home.

Parents have participated with family members who are on the full spectrum of weight. The tools we teach and apply in the home help no matter your weight or your family's weight.

This is why Family in Focus® so very different than any weight-management program.

Understanding your own relationship with food, yourself, your family... at any weight, will help you help your family.

No.

While Family in Focus® is a coaching program founded and facilitated by an experienced, board-certified physician, it is for educational purposes only, not medical treatment. No medical recommendations will be made.

It is also not psychological therapy.

However, everyone, including those who have diagnosed medical problems can benefit from healthier habits.

Please continue working with your family's physicians and therapists. Family in Focus® truly complements the work that physicians & therapists offer, but do not replace individual treatment.

I hear you! We have been taught to seek weight loss to ensure our family members are happy, healthy and have healthy relationships.

That approach misses two big things:

1) It makes us focus on the scale to determine success, health and happiness, and

2) Forcing change introduces shame and... shame, isolation and self-hatred are the most unhealthy aspects we just don't talk about enough.

If you want to focus on weight loss for your family, there are ample programs and referrals in the community and your medical office. 

Yes!

While Family in Focus® is a coaching program founded and facilitated by a pediatrician and stemming from experience using these effective tools with parents helping children, the tools and topics are effective and relevant for adults.

In truth, all of the Family in Focus® programs start with understanding and facilitating change for us, adults. We cannot tell our kids what to do without going on the journey first.

That, and the focus on individual sessions, means that adults are welcome to participate as family is and always will be defined by the basic unit of social connection. We can all focus on what is important to us and our family without focusing on the ages of people in our homes.

Are you a schedule jockey too? I always ask this question before committing!

Group sessions will be held at least twice per month, generally on Weds at 4pm EST. The schedule is available in the portal, along with the Zoom link and times. Reminders are sent weekly and 1 hr before the session.