Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Schwytzer.
Hi Jen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey has taken a few unexpected turns along the way. As a Master’s Level Social Worker with nearly 20 years in the medical and mental health fields, I hit a point during the COVID-19 pandemic where I realized something was missing. I wasn’t fully happy with my work or my life I had created. So, I decided to pursue a certification in health and life coaching, which led me to launch KINDfulness Coaching. My business supported women in prioritizing their own mental and physical well-being. Learning to put myself first was tough, filled with feelings of guilt and selfishness, and I was able to take what I had learned along the way and pass it on to the amazing women I worked with.
While I love the work I do in the coaching field, something else was brewing for me. In 2021, my husband and I became foster parents which brought a whirlwind of emotions—happiness, sadness, loss, trauma—and highlighted the severe lack of support for foster parents. Becoming a foster parent showed me a new direction as I felt alone in a broken system that often ignored my voice and needs, and I had to learn to advocate for both the children in my care and myself.
This realization led me to start focusing on foster parent coaching. Now, I help foster parents navigate their intense journeys, providing the support they need in an incredibly flawed system. I’m proud of the work I’m doing, both personally and professionally, in the foster care community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wish I could say this process was smooth. When I first became a foster parent, I knew I wanted to leverage my coaching skills to support other foster parents, but the timing wasn’t right. I was completely immersed in a placement that demanded all my time, energy, and support, dealing with very difficult family dynamics with the biological mom. I was living the stress and struggle every single day. I realized that I couldn’t give to others during this period because I was pouring everything I had into my own household—I had nothing left to give.
However, in the back of my mind, I knew I would eventually get there. After that child was no longer with us, the devastation of having a child become a member of our family and then abruptly leave caused trauma for all of us. This experience led me to the point where I knew I was ready to make a bigger difference in the foster care world. I finally had the time and energy to support others in their journeys, knowing how alone I felt in mine.
So when we talk about struggles, yes, there have been many emotional challenges along the way. The emotions of a foster parent are often overlooked—“we signed up for this,” right? We’re not the real parents. But the truth is, I did all the parenting for a very long time, and it took everything out of me. Then, one day, it was gone. I was expected to just pick up the pieces and prepare for the next child. This process is hard, emotionally and physically draining. The saying “it takes a village” is true, and there needs to be more emphasis on a foster care village. That’s what I’m here for.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a foster parent coach. I help foster parents navigate their intense journeys, providing the support they need in an incredibly flawed system.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
My goal is to create a supportive and enriching community where foster parents can come together to learn, grow, and support one another on this incredibly challenging yet rewarding journey. I offer individual and group coaching, as well as workshops and retreats, to ensure that foster parents never feel alone in the vital work they do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kindfulnesscoaching.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindfulness_coaching
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kindfulnesscoaching
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlschwytzer
Image Credits
Meg Tyo – Sweet Home Photography