As a teenager in El Dorado Hills, Ariel Sonenstein faced typical teen issues: self-doubt and uncertainty, academic and social pressures, and challenges with time-management amid high academic expectations. Add to that a medical concern that sent her to the hospital numerous times within a two-year stretch, and she found herself struggling with her mental health. “I carried emotional stress into every corner of my life,” she says. “School, friendships, home.”
She got help, which ignited a spark, which “grew into a passion,” she says. “That passion became my mission. That mission became my career.”
Now 24, a college grad (Point Loma Nazarene University) and a certified life coach, she shares how she overcame her own challenges, and introduces her business, Ariel Jolie Coaching. Her mission: to help teens navigate their complex lives.
How has growing up in this community influenced your approach to coaching teens?
Growing up in El Dorado County has been one of my greatest teachers. Being surrounded by strong family values, high expectations, and a tight-knit environment taught me about emotional resilience and independence. But beneath the polished, high-achieving culture here, many teens quietly struggle with feeling misunderstood or overwhelmed. Because I lived it myself, I coach teens with a blend of empathy, lived experience, and practical strategies. This community shaped me, and it continues to inspire the work I do today.
What guided you to this field?
When I was 16, my mom connected me with a teen life coach. She changed my life. She helped me learn how to process emotions, challenge negative thoughts, build emotional resilience, and, ultimately, coach myself. That experience planted a seed in me, a desire to someday be that same guiding light. As I got older, I saw so many teens struggling with the same things: overwhelm, procrastination, negative self-talk, low motivation, and pressure to perform. What shocked me most was the lack of emotional-health education available. Where were the classes on stress management? Confidence? Time management? Something had to fill that gap.
What makes you especially relatable to the teens you work with?
I’ve spent the past six years working closely with teens growing up in the same generation, online world, and pressure-filled environment that shaped me. I faced the same pressures they face: academic stress, friendship drama, feeling overwhelmed, wanting more freedom but also more support. I speak their language, understand their humor, and make coaching feel like a conversation rather than a lecture. I also share my own experiences with them when it’s helpful, mistakes I made, habits I wish I learned sooner, and tools that genuinely changed my life. I validate their emotions, help them slow down their thoughts, and give them actionable tools they can use the same day. The last thing teens need is more pressure!
How do you build trust with hesitant teens?
I seek to understand versus to fix. I prioritize knowing teens as who they are, not who they aren’t. Through games, icebreakers, and getting to know each other, I mix fun with relatability to build trust, understanding, and space. Fixing isn’t always the solution; holding space is. Holding space for teens to express themselves openly, without judgment or pressure, has served as the foundation for fruitful conversation and long-lasting connection.
What techniques help you create a safe space for them to share?
Teens can sense judgment instantly, so I lead with compassion, neutrality, and genuine curiosity. My approach is simple: validate before advising, listen before coaching, normalize before reframing. I ask open-ended questions and create pauses that allow them to process out loud. This helps them feel respected instead of rushed.
What does a typical coaching session look like?
All sessions take place over Zoom, run 25–60 minutes, and are always one-on-one. Our time is filled with thought-provoking activities—worksheets, guided workbooks, videos, podcasts. Everything we do is designed to help them gain clarity around their next steps, their emotions, their intentions, and the goals they want to move toward. I adapt sessions based on how each teen processes information, what motivates them, and what approach resonates. My goal is to give them tools in a way that clicks. When something clicks, real change sticks.
What challenges do teens usually come to you for?
The most common: self-confidence, stress and overwhelm, negative thinking, time management and procrastination, clarity about their life direction or purpose.
How do you measure progress?
By a student’s growing mastery of study skills, their increasing independence, and their ability to recover from setbacks. Effective coaching also shows up as the student taking ownership of their responsibilities and requiring less intervention from parents or coaches. Academic indicators—improved grades and fewer missing assignments—reflect the practical outcomes. Above all, success is when teens begin to trust themselves.
What’s the most rewarding part of coaching in the community where you grew up?
Witnessing teens from the same streets I grew up on step into their confidence and independence. Coaching here feels like giving back to the community that raised me, helping shape the next generation of strong, confident leaders.
arieljoliecoaching.com
Beneath the polished, high-achieving culture here, many teens quietly struggle with feeling misunderstood or overwhelmed.
Teens can sense judgment instantly, so I lead with compassion, neutrality, and genuine curiosity. My approach is simple: validate before advising, listen before coaching, normalize before reframing.