Momentum Coaching

Momentum Coaching is open to high school and college students anywhere, with both in-person and remote options available. This is an action-oriented coaching model geared toward students who may be struggling academically, socially, or both.

Momentum Coaching is flexible, personalized, and designed to meet students where they are. Students participate in 45–50 minute coaching sessions focused on practical executive functioning skills they can use right away. Sessions are tailored to each student’s individual needs, goals, strengths, and challenges, with an emphasis on building skills that can make everyday school demands feel more manageable.

Does coaching have to be weekly? Not necessarily. While Momentum Coaching’s curriculum is designed as a 14-week framework to align with a typical academic term, the number and frequency of sessions are flexible and can be adapted to each student’s needs and plan. Weekly sessions are recommended at the beginning to establish a consistent routine, build accountability, and create momentum. As students become more confident and independent, sessions can be adjusted based on their progress and ongoing needs.

Where do sessions take place? Coaching is available in person at The Brookline Center or virtually through Zoom, making it easier to find an approach that works for each student and family. Whether a student needs support getting started, managing a busy academic schedule, staying focused, or building greater independence, coaching can be adapted along the way.

Who can refer? Students and parents can self-refer to Momentum Coaching. Schools, educators, and other providers are also welcome to refer students who may benefit from additional support. The goal is simple: to give each student practical tools, individualized support, and the confidence to keep moving forward—at a pace that works for them.

Cost per session ranges between $55 – $95. Momentum Coaching is committed to keeping support accessible. During your initial intake call, we’ll discuss your financial needs and confirm your per-session rate together.

Valerie Duque (she/her) is a Momentum Coach at The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health, where she supports high schoolers, college students, and young adults as they work toward their personal, academic, and professional goals. She helps students build essential real-world skills—such as organization, time management, planning, and self-advocacy—ensuring they stay on track, manage stress, and build confidence in and out of the classroom.

Valerie takes a warm, collaborative, and strengths-based approach focused on understanding each client as a whole person. Grounded in an understanding of students’ emotional experiences, her coaching is adaptable for all learning styles and structured to support neurodivergent students and those with ADHD alongside the broader student population. She encourages clients to guide their own growth, helping them translate their values and challenges into manageable, realistic steps. Valerie earned her B.A. in Psychological Sciences from the University of Connecticut.

In her free time, Valerie enjoys spending time outdoors, connecting with friends, baking, discovering new cafes, and traveling.

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Juan Parra (he/him) is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Momentum Coach at The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health, bringing 16 years of clinical experience in Boston to support high schoolers, college students, and young adults. He helps students strengthen the essential executive functioning skills needed to feel more organized, capable, and confident as they navigate academic and personal transitions.

Drawing on extensive experience supporting students at Boston University and in community settings, Juan partners with clients to build stress resilience, set practical goals, and develop sustainable habits for planning and follow-through. His coaching is tailored for all learning profiles, helping both neurodivergent youth and the broader student population strengthen academic confidence and manage daily challenges. Additionally, Juan leverages his background as a family therapist to collaborate with parents and caregivers, supporting their child’s growing independence while helping reduce family conflict around academics. Juan earned his B.A. in Education for Secondary Education at Universidad Catolica de Chile and his M.A. degree in Counseling Psychology at Boston College.

Outside of work, Juan enjoys spending time with family, playing soccer, and making music with friends.

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Amanda M. Weber, Ph.D. (they/them) is a licensed psychologist and Director of the Early Psychosis Service Hub at The Brookline Center for Community Mental Health. In this role, Dr. Weber oversees CEDAR, M-PATH, and the Momentum Coaching program, leading the expansion of youth-centered mental health services and skill-building support across Massachusetts. Under their leadership, the Hub has broadened access to early identification, executive functioning coaching, and integrated care for students and young adults of all backgrounds.

Dr. Weber directs multiple state and federal grant initiatives and collaborates with the M3P Learning Health Care System to advance data-informed, equity-centered care. Clinically, they specialize in the assessment and treatment of psychosis-spectrum symptoms and clinical high-risk states, with a focus on how racial identity, racial trauma, and acculturation stress impact care engagement. Dr. Weber earned their B.A. from Alma College, M.A. from Northeastern University, and their Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Boston College, completing training at Massachusetts Mental Health Center and VA Boston Healthcare System.

Outside of their clinical and administrative leadership, Dr. Weber enjoys making furniture, gardening, and playing Dungeons and Dragons!