ZR Coaching
Journey to the Ultimate You

Build confidence, character, and direction.

Personalized life coaching for teenage boys and young adults, rooted in real connection, practical tools, and timeless Jewish values.

Teenage boys and young adults
One-on-one coaching
In person or on Zoom

Helping young people become who they are meant to be

ZR Coaching combines meaningful personal connection, emotional understanding, accountability, practical tools, and timeless Jewish values, drawing on nearly two decades of experience working with young people.

Whether a young person is struggling with motivation, confidence, emotional challenges, relationships, or finding direction, the goal is to help him move forward with greater self-understanding, independence, purpose, and responsibility.

What starts to change

Not overnight, and not by force. Step by step, with someone in his corner.

StuckMoving
ConfusedClear
UnheardUnderstood
Doubting himselfConfident
ReactiveResponsible
DriftingDirected

How every journey moves

Progress follows a simple path. We meet him where he is and keep moving, one step at a time.

1

Confusion

Start with what is actually going on, without judgment.

2

Language

Find words for thoughts and feelings that were hard to name.

3

Responsibility

Own his part and his choices, without shame.

4

Next step

Leave every session with one practical move forward.

Our core areas of focus

Eight areas that shape how a young person sees himself and moves through life.

To empower young people to discover who they are, recognize their strengths, and overcome internal obstacles, so they live with purpose.

Clarity. Direction. Growth.

A coach who has walked beside young people for nearly two decades

Zalmy Raksin is a life coach for teenage boys and young adults, a co-founder of TAG Academy, and a certified Grief Recovery Method specialist. He listens first, then helps each young man find his words, own his part, and take his next step.

Zalmy Raksin seated at his desk in a library, smiling at the camera

For parents

What coaching looks like, how to bring it up with your son, and what happens when you reach out.

Read more

Programs

A single session, a focused six-session start, or the full twelve-session journey.

See programs

Nearly two decades beside young people

ZR Coaching is led by Zalmy Raksin, a life coach who believes every young person has strengths waiting to be recognized.

Zalmy Raksin seated at his desk in a library, smiling at the camera

Meet Zalmy Raksin

Zalmy is a life coach for teenage boys and young adults and a co-founder of TAG Academy, a school for boys who struggle in conventional settings. He is also a certified Grief Recovery Method specialist.

His coaching is relationship first and safety first. He listens and reflects before offering insight, and he balances empathy with responsibility, without shame.

The work is built on understanding the individual, identifying underlying challenges, building self-awareness, strengthening communication, developing healthy habits, and creating real, sustainable progress.

Turn inspiration into structure, emotion into language, language into responsibility, and responsibility into action.

What guides the work

Connection first

Nothing changes until a young person feels understood and safe.

Accountability with care

High expectations, delivered with warmth and without shame.

Timeless values

Jewish values and Yiddishkeit as a living foundation, not a lecture.

Let’s talk about where he is right now

A short conversation is the best way to see if this is the right fit.

Get in touch

An approach built around the whole person


Understanding the individual, identifying underlying challenges, and building progress that lasts.

The SHIN Formula: four dimensions of one person

Every session draws on all four, in an order that fits the young person in front of us.

Spiritual

Purpose, values, and a connection to something bigger than the moment.

Mental

How he thinks about himself, his story, and his options. Clearer thinking, fewer labels.

Emotional

Naming feelings, handling pressure, and communicating without blowing up or shutting down.

Physical

Habits, energy, and daily action that back up what matters to him.

Soul + Story + Step = Growth

What a session looks like

Each meeting runs 50 to 60 minutes, in person or on Zoom.

Inside a session

  1. Listen and reflect on what is really happening
  2. Offer insight and language for it
  3. Identify his part and what he can own
  4. Choose one practical next step

Over the journey

  1. Build trust and self-awareness
  2. Strengthen communication and emotional skills
  3. Develop habits and discipline
  4. Grow independence, purpose, and responsibility

Our core areas of focus

See how it could work for your family

Reach out and we will talk through what you are seeing and what you hope for.

Get in touch

Programs that fit the journey

Begin with a single session, a focused six, or the full twelve. Every option is personalized to the young person in front of us.

Single session

Try it out

  • One session of 50 to 60 minutes
  • In person or on Zoom
  • Focused on what he is facing right now
Ask about this program

Six sessions

A focused start

  • Get clear on what is really going on
  • Build language for thoughts and feelings
  • Choose one area to change and begin
Ask about this program

Twelve sessions

The full journey

  • Work through all four SHIN dimensions
  • Build habits, boundaries, and accountability
  • Leave with a plan he can keep using
Ask about this program

Who it’s for

Teenage boys

For boys who feel stuck, unmotivated, or misunderstood, and for parents who want a trusted guide alongside them.

Young adults

For the years of big decisions: direction, confidence, relationships, and building a life that is his own.

Times of loss or change

For young people carrying grief or facing a transition, including Grief Recovery Method work.

Questions

Who is this coaching for?

Teenage boys and young adults who want more clarity, confidence, and direction, or who are working through emotional challenges, relationships, or motivation.

What happens in a session?

Each session runs 50 to 60 minutes. We listen first, name what is going on, look at his part, and finish with one practical next step.

Is it in person or online?

Both. Sessions can be held in person or on Zoom, whichever works best for the family.

How do we get started?

Send a note through the contact page. We will set up a conversation to talk through what you are seeing and which program fits.

For parents who want to help, and aren’t sure how

You know your son better than anyone. Sometimes a trusted voice outside the family helps him open up in ways he can’t at home.

What you might be noticing

Coaching can help when your son or young adult is working through things like these.

  • Low motivation or feeling stuck
  • Doubting himself or his worth
  • Pulling away, or shutting down in conversations
  • Anger, stress, or emotional ups and downs
  • Struggles with friends, family, or relationships
  • Not knowing what he wants or where he is headed
  • Carrying a loss that he hasn’t had space to process
  • Feeling disconnected from Yiddishkeit or his values

What coaching gives him

Someone in his corner

A relationship built on trust and safety, where he is heard before he is guided.

Words for what he feels

Language for thoughts and emotions that have been hard to explain.

Practical next steps

Tools, habits, and accountability that turn insight into real progress.

What happens when you reach out

1

A conversation

Send a note and we will set up a call to hear what you are seeing and what you hope for.

2

Finding the fit

Together we decide whether coaching is right now and which program suits your son.

3

Getting started

Sessions begin in person or on Zoom, with a focus on connection first.

How to bring it up with him

  • Present it as support, not a fix for something wrong with him.
  • Let him know it is a conversation with someone who listens first.
  • Give him a say in the decision, and a chance to ask questions.
  • Keep it low pressure. A first call can simply be an introduction.

Parent questions

What if he doesn’t want to come?

That is common. Reach out anyway, and we can talk through ways to introduce the idea so it feels like his choice.

Is coaching the same as therapy?

No. Life coaching focuses on clarity, skills, habits, and growth. It does not replace therapy or medical care, and if there are serious concerns we encourage working with a qualified professional as well.

Can young adults reach out on their own?

Yes. Young adults are welcome to contact us directly.

If you believe your son is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services or a crisis line right away.

Start with a conversation

No pressure and no commitment. Just a chance to talk.

Get in touch

Start with a conversation

Tell us a little about who the coaching is for. We will reach out to talk it through, with no pressure.

info@zrcoaching.com

Your message goes straight to our inbox. We will reply by phone or email, whichever you prefer.