Online consultation is increasingly offered by parenting practitioners,
but it is not clear if it is feasible to provide empowerment-oriented
support in a single session email consultation. Based on the empowerment
theory, we developed the Guiding the Empowerment Process
model (GEP model) to evaluate text-based consultation. By content
analysis of the email advice (n = 129; 5997 sentences in total), we
investigated the feasibility of the newly developed model (interobserver
agreement, internal consistency and factor structure) and its
validity. Concurrent validity was evaluated by comparing coding
results using the GEP model and a Social Support model that partially
intersects with empowerment. Results showed good inter-observer
reliability and internal consistency of the GEP model. The results
provided evidence for its concurrent validity by a significant correlation
of the coding results from the GEP model with the Social
Support model, although it was also distinctive. All described techniques
which practitioners may employ to guide the parental process
towards empowerment were observed in the sample. Also, guidance
was provided in all components of the empowerment process. Feasibility
of the GEP model for content analysis of email consultation in
parental support from a theoretical empowerment perspective has
been demonstrated.