About me:

I’ve been working with children since I was 14 years old. I started out as a mom’s helper in an in-home day care center and then began running my own after school program by the age of 16. I became a lifeguard and a Water Safety Instructor and taught swim lessons every summer. I went to school to become a teacher and received my Elementary Education degree from BGSU. I studied Marriage and Family Therapy at Pepperdine University in California, and graduated with a Masters Degree in Psychology and Education.

I lived in Los Angeles most of my adult life and worked in the classroom for 15 years, teaching elementary and middle school students. I also ran a tutoring business during that time and worked one-on-one with children who needed extra help.

After I got married, my husband and I moved to Germany for his Post Doctorate and I began teaching English and American culture to German students. We moved to St Louis in 2015 and I became a mom to two. During this time, I developed a parent coaching business while continuing to teach private swim lessons in the summers. During Covid, I ran a home school “pandemic pod” that consisted of 8 students in three grade levels. This was challenging, but one of my favorite experiences to date. Working with children in many different capacities has given me opportunities to fine tune my parenting style and be able to help other moms and dads orchestrate the demands of parenting.

I currently reside in St. Louis, MO with my husband Tony, and our two children, Delilah and Rio. I am busy working with families doing the year and teaching swim lessons during the summers. As a family, we enjoy entertaining and traveling, especially to see our families in Cleveland, Ohio and Noosa, Australia.

How did I get into family coaching?

I started babysitting at a young age and have spent most of my years working with children and their parents. I have also been there for my friends who were having difficulties with their children. Sometimes they were on the right track and just needed some reassurance, but other times they were struggling with their children, husband, and overall family dynamics. I felt like I was making a difference and decided to use my experience working with kids and my education to delve deeper into the area of family coaching.

Family coaching deals with the whole enchilada, not just the parents, not just the children. It encompasses the relationship between partners, their own beliefs on child rearing and how those children are responding to their family dynamics.

How did I get into teaching swimming lessons?

I started lifeguarding during the summers as a teenager, and fell in love with teaching swimming lessons. I was amazed how fast I could teach a child to go from being scared in the water to swimming confidently by themselves! As a school teacher, I’ve always had my summers free, so I began teaching private lessons for families during my free time. I have developed my own swim program and teach all ages (2-99) how to swim quickly and effectively while enjoying the process the entire way!

Rachelle Dell, Family Coach and Educator