Looking for a life coach or mentor in Sherman Oaks or Encino? Blackburn Mentoring pairs each client with one dedicated mentor who meets in person in Los Angeles or by video. Together you set clear goals, break them into weekly steps and stay in touch by text and phone so the plan keeps moving between sessions.
Life along Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks and Encino sit along Ventura Boulevard in the southern San Fernando Valley, with family homes in the hills south of the boulevard and flat neighborhoods and apartments to the north. A lot of people here work in entertainment and media, run small businesses or commute over the Sepulveda Pass to the Westside. Days are full, and family time is easy to lose.
Who calls us from the Valley
- Parents of high school students who want help with motivation, homework follow-through and screen time, with the parent involved from the intro call on
- Families whose son or daughter finished high school and is unsure about college, work or a gap year
- Young adults living at home who want to move out and need a real plan to get there (moving out of your parents’ house)
- People in creative or freelance work who need structure for irregular weeks
When the work is freelance
Entertainment and gig work bring busy stretches and long gaps between them. Without a boss or a set schedule, the gaps can turn into weeks of drift. A mentor helps build a routine that holds in both seasons: a daily start time, a short list of outreach tasks, money set aside during the busy months and goals for skills or side projects. The same approach helps young adults who feel stuck between jobs.
The 405 and the 101
If you have driven through the 405 and 101 interchange at rush hour, you know why many Valley clients choose video sessions for most weeks. In-person meetings in Los Angeles are available too, for example a walk or a coffee, and many clients mix both. Video also makes it easy to keep the same mentor when a student leaves for college.
Where a mentor helps
Mentors help with practical goals: school, work, money, health and family communication. They are not tutors, therapists or admissions counselors, and with permission they coordinate with professionals already involved. If stress, low mood, anxiety or drinking and drug use are part of the picture, a licensed professional is the right step, and a mentor can work alongside one with your permission. In a crisis, call or text 988.
How to start
- Take a short assessment. Tell us about yourself or your son or daughter and the goals. It takes about five minutes.
- Have a free intro call. Our team reviews every assessment personally, then sets up a short call to talk through fit, schedule and rates.
- Meet the mentor. We match each person with one mentor whose experience and style fit.
- Start the plan. 30 or 60 minute sessions, weekly or several times a week, in person in Los Angeles or by video.
Related
- Life coaching in Los Angeles
- Life coach in Calabasas
- Life coach in West Hollywood
- Mentoring for high school students
- Life Coach and Mentor in Studio City
- Life Coach and Mentor in Woodland Hills and Tarzana
Common questions
Do you work with freelancers and people in entertainment?
Yes. Building structure for irregular schedules, money planning between jobs and career next steps are common goals.
Can my teenager keep the same mentor through the move to college?
Yes. Video sessions mean the mentor can stay with your son or daughter through senior year and into the first year of college.
Where do in-person sessions happen?
Our mentors meet in person in Los Angeles, for example on a walk, at a coffee shop or at home, and where works best is set on the intro call.
How involved are parents?
For high school students, a parent or guardian joins the intro call, agrees the goals and gets regular progress updates. For adults, updates are shared only with permission.
Get started
Looking for a mentor or life coach in Sherman Oaks or Encino? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.