Nick Choitz, a former Cheltenham resident, certified Strategic Mindset Coach, and founder/CEO of Flip’n Reality Coaching, LLC, has been working one-on-one with Cheltenham School District students since 2024.
Currently, We R H.O.P.E.—the Vermont-based mental health coaching and crisis intervention service of which Choitz is a member—is active in four schools within the Cheltenham School District. He has also served as the director of Future Stars Day Camp, a summer camp in Wyndmoor, for the past five years and says he noticed that youth campers were struggling with the same mental health issues as his adult clients.
“I saw a need and partnered with We R H.O.P.E to bring them to Cheltenham for our kids. I started coaching in 2020 as a response to my own response to the pandemic. I hit rock bottom and had to pick myself up. I had to find another avenue to recreate myself and be who I wanted to be,” Choitz told Glenside Local.
Students involved in the program typically struggle with anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation. They receive one-on-one life coaching for 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
“We R H.O.P.E typically sees a 50% decrease in anxiety, and we saw significant differences in how students showed up for school. Teachers have also noticed the positive impact of We R H.O.P.E’s coaching in their classrooms,” he said. Samples of testimonials include:
- “I’ve seen students grow in confidence and self-assurance through their interaction with Coach Nick.”
- “He provides a listening ear, positivity, and directed feedback. Students and teachers happily enter his room, which reflects his welcoming personality.”
For parents, the price is free.
“Both the district and insurance are funding these sessions. Parents will never get a bill. My goal is to make life coaching available to everyone,” he said. “It’s deeply important to me that every family has access to this support, no matter their financial circumstances. The program is designed so parents never pay out of pocket and remains extremely affordable for districts to implement.”
“Our caseloads are 12 students for 90 days, then we cycle in the next group of referred kids. We also work closely with teachers when scheduling to make sure students don’t consistently miss the same classes,” he said. “It’s not about where they’ve been, it’s where they want to go. I’m the GPS, and they’re the driver. It’s a judgment-free space. I try to embrace them as people and students, and I try to listen.”
A father of three Cheltenham High School graduates, his youngest son, Nick Jr., is a freshman at Arcadia University on a full scholarship through their church (we featured him in November 2024 when he was a student at ECAT in Willow Grove). During coaching sessions, Nick Sr. says he sometimes borrows a piece of advice from his pastor: “Just because you have a trigger doesn’t mean you have to pull it.”
“I connected with the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent here in Cheltenham, and they immediately saw the value in what We R H.O.P.E brought to the table. This type of mental health support has never been done before in Cheltenham schools, and I’m very proud we were able to make it happen,” he said. “I love helping kids, and seeing the impact firsthand has been amazing. It was important to me to start in Cheltenham since it’s my backyard. We’ve already put feelers out to other districts—Abington, Jenkintown, Philadelphia—to explore expanding.”
Choitz believes this type of programming has a place in every school in the country.
“Our kids deserve this level of consistent, proven support. The mental health crisis won’t go away on its own. We need programs like We R H.O.P.E to address it head-on. I feel blessed to be able to be a blessing to kids in the community that I love,” he said.
Parents are able to hire Choitz for one-on-one coaching, and he’s currently training his dogs to be therapy certified.
“The focus will be on deep pressure therapy (DPT), a calming technique where a dog applies gentle, consistent pressure to reduce anxiety and stress. DPT activates the body’s relaxation response and promotes a sense of safety and calmness, which can be especially helpful for individuals struggling with mental health conditions.,” he said.
Choitz recently published his first book, titled “Farah and Fidget Face Their Fears” and illustrated by his daughter, Tamara.
“It’s a children’s adventure book inspired by my daughter’s mental health journey and my work with kids. The book is designed to empower young readers who struggle with anxiety, offering them hope and practical tools in a fun and relatable way,” he said “It was also important to me to showcase a character and a story kids can truly relate to. My daughter is an art lover, and she brought my words to life with her unique artistic style.”
To purchase a copy, you can click here. For more on Flip’n Reality Coaching, you can visit their website. You can also contact Choitz directly at Nick@werhope.org.
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Photos: Nick Choitz