Real goals, built one step at a time.
Blackburn Mentoring offers one-on-one mentoring and coaching for teens 13 and up, college students and young adults, by video nationwide and in person in Los Angeles.
At a glance
One dedicated mentor, by video anywhere in the United States or in person in Los Angeles.
- Who
- Teens 13 and up, college students and young adults
- Where
- By video anywhere in the USIn person in Los Angeles
- Since
- 2014Part of The Blackburn Group
- First step
- A free 20 minute intro call
- Matched
- With a mentor within 2 business days
- Between sessions
- Check-ins by text or callMentoring and coaching, not therapy
Intro calls Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific
Blackburn Mentoring offers one-on-one mentoring and coaching for teens 13 and up, college students and young adults, by video anywhere in the United States and in person in Los Angeles. Mentoring since 2014: it starts with a free 20 minute intro call, and new clients are matched with a mentor within 2 business days. Each client works with one dedicated mentor, with check-ins between sessions. It is not therapy. Part of The Blackburn Group.
Start here
For parents
For college students and young adults
- Executive function coaching for college students, online
- Help for a college student failing classes
- Online mentoring for college students
- Failure to launch help for a young adult
- Alternatives to wilderness and residential programs
- An adult child gaming all day
- One-on-one mentoring for young men 18 to 25
How it works
Four steps from first message to a mentor in your corner.
Tell us about you
A short assessment about your goals and what has gotten in the way. About five minutes.
Free intro call
We review it personally and call you.
Meet your mentor
We match you with a mentor whose experience fits your goals.
Start your plan
60 minute sessions, in person or by video.
Mentoring by video, wherever you are.
The same mentor, the same plan and the same accountability, from home, work or the road.
- A free intro callSubmit the assessment and our team reviews it personally, then sets up a call
- Sessions that fit your schedule60 minutes, booked around your week
- Your mentor between sessionsText and phone check-ins keep you moving
- Mix it upStart by video and meet in Los Angeles later, or the other way around
Sessions, next steps and your mentor, in the Blackburn Mentoring app. See the app
Plans
Mentoring is arranged in 30 day cycles. Your mentor recommends how often to meet on the free intro call.
Weekly support
Up to 4 meetings a month
- One 60 minute meeting a week by video, anywhere in the US
- Check-ins by text or call on weekdays
- A monthly written update for your family
- Notes you both see, and a written summary after each meeting
- Ask for a different mentor any time
Daily support
8 to 20 meetings a month
- 60 minute meetings, one to five times a week
- Daily check-ins by text or call
- Family support: weekly written updates and a monthly family call
- Video, or in person in Los Angeles, at the same price
- Book, move and cancel meetings yourself in the app
If your mentor cancels or misses a meeting, it never counts against your plan.
Pause or cancel your plan from your phone, and we email you three days before every renewal.
Call (888) 305-5422.
Who we work with
High School Students
Organization, motivation and independence, with parents in the loop.
College Students
Time management, study habits and life on campus, anywhere in the US.
The First Year of College
From the summer before through a strong first semester.
Young Adults
Work, school, money and momentum for anyone who feels stuck.
Professionals
Accountability and a thinking partner for big goals and transitions.
Families
Support for a loved one, without becoming the one who nags.
What we work on
Career and Education
Job searches, interviews, career changes and going back to school.
Money and Life Skills
Budgets, bills, credit and running your week.
Health and Fitness
Exercise, food, sleep and a routine you keep.
Relationships and Family
Communication, trust and boundaries.
Accountability and Structure
Structure, routines and follow-through, with someone who checks in.
About
Most people know where they want to go. A mentor helps you actually get there.
Blackburn Mentoring, based in Los Angeles, offers one-on-one mentoring for teens 13 and up, college students, young adults and adults. We pair you with one dedicated mentor who learns your goals, turns them into a plan you can follow week to week, and stays with you while you do the work. Sessions happen by video wherever you live in the US, or in person in Los Angeles, and your mentor is reachable between them. The focus is simple: steady, practical progress in the parts of life that matter most to you.
Mentors are hands-on and direct. They help with the real tasks, like a job search, a budget, a training plan or a hard conversation, and they hold you to what you said you would do. When a therapist or family is part of the picture, your mentor works alongside them with your permission. About Blackburn Mentoring
Founders
Robby and Nathan began mentoring together in Los Angeles in 2014, working one-on-one with people who wanted to rebuild structure, purpose and momentum in their lives. Twelve years later they are still doing the work side by side, building the approach, training the mentors and staying close to every client.
Blackburn Mentoring is what they learned along the way: one dedicated person, a clear plan and steady follow-through make the biggest difference.
Questions
What is Blackburn Mentoring?
Blackburn Mentoring provides one-on-one mentoring for teens 13 and up, college students, young adults and adults, by video across the United States and in person in Los Angeles. Mentors help people build practical skills and structure in school, work, money, health and relationships, with regular sessions and daily accountability. It is part of The Blackburn Group.
Who is mentoring for?
Teens 13 and up (with parents involved), college students, young adults and adults who want structure, direction and someone in their corner: a capable teen who is stuck, a student starting college, a young adult building independence, someone changing careers or going back to school, or anyone working through a big life transition.
Can Blackburn Mentoring work with my teenager online?
Yes. Blackburn Mentoring works with teens 13 and up by video anywhere in the United States, with text check-ins between sessions and progress updates for parents. Families in Los Angeles can also meet in person. See online mentoring for teens.
How often do clients meet with a mentor?
Most clients meet with their mentor weekly or several times a week, in person or by video, with text and phone contact in between.
Is a mentor the same as a therapist?
A mentor is not a therapist. Mentors focus on practical action in daily life and work alongside a therapist or other professionals when a client has them.
Do you offer virtual mentoring?
Yes. Virtual mentoring by video works the same way as in-person mentoring, with regular sessions and contact in between, for clients outside Los Angeles or with busy schedules.
Does Blackburn Mentoring offer coaching?
Yes. Blackburn Mentoring offers one-on-one mentoring and coaching for teens 13 and up, college students and young adults: executive function, accountability, school, work and independence, with weekly or more frequent sessions and check-ins between them. It is not therapy, and mentors work alongside a therapist when a client has one.
How fast can my son or daughter start with a mentor?
Quickly. Complete the short assessment, our team reviews it personally and sets up a free 20 minute intro call, and new clients are matched with a mentor within 2 business days. Sessions then run by video anywhere in the United States or in person in Los Angeles.
How much does Blackburn Mentoring cost?
Mentoring is arranged in 30 day cycles, and cost depends mainly on how often you meet and how much contact you want between sessions. Pricing is explained on the free 20 minute intro call after the assessment, once there is a clear picture of what will help.
How long has Blackburn Mentoring been around?
The founders, Robby Patrick and Nathan James, began mentoring together in Los Angeles in 2014. Blackburn Mentoring is part of The Blackburn Group and works with clients by video across the United States and in person in Los Angeles.
Does Blackburn Mentoring offer executive function coaching for college students online?
Yes. Blackburn Mentoring offers one-on-one executive function coaching for college students by video anywhere in the United States, and in person in Los Angeles: weekly planning, deadlines, starting assignments, study routines and check-ins between sessions. It is not tutoring or therapy. See executive function coaching for college students.
Can a mentor help a college student who is failing classes?
Yes. A Blackburn mentor meets a struggling college student by video every week, works through missed work and deadlines, builds a weekly plan, checks in between sessions and helps the student use campus advising and tutoring. It starts with a free 20 minute intro call, and new clients are matched with a mentor within 2 business days. See help for a college student failing classes.
Can Blackburn Mentoring help a young adult who is stuck at home or failing to launch?
Yes. For a young adult who is safe but stuck (not working, not in school, gaming all day or living at home with no plan), Blackburn Mentoring is a live-at-home, one-on-one alternative to wilderness and residential programs: sessions by video anywhere in the United States or in person in Los Angeles, with check-ins between them. See failure to launch help for parents and programs for struggling young adults compared.
Do you have mentors in my city?
Blackburn mentors are based in Los Angeles and meet clients by video in every US city, scheduled in the client’s time zone, including New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, Denver, Miami, and the San Francisco Bay Area. In person sessions are available in Los Angeles. See virtual mentoring by city.
How do I get started?
Fill out a short assessment. Our team reviews it personally and reaches out to schedule a free intro call.
Does Blackburn Mentoring have an app?
Yes. The Blackburn Mentoring app (free for iPhone and Android) is where clients see their sessions, book times, get recaps and next steps, check in and message their mentor. Get it on the App Store or Google Play, or see what is in the app.
Start with a short assessment.
A free intro call after a short assessment. By video anywhere in the US, or in person in Los Angeles. Call (888) 305-5422.