Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I work with a life coach?
Like everything in life, coaching requires commitment and time to experience lasting, sustainable change. There are no quick fixes here, as we’re working to build deep self-awareness and form new habits. What I’ve found, both through working with clients and my own coaches, is that the ideal time period is 6 months or more.
What CAN I EXPECT FROM coaching SESSIONS?
When we first meet, we spend some time discussing your values, needs, motivation style and desired outcomes. Then I design a coaching journey that’s unique to you, blending tried-and-true coaching approaches, practical tools, helpful information & fun experiences - all with the aim of growing your self-awareness, building your personal agency and creating more freedom.
Coaching sessions focus on noticing thoughts & feelings that come up around a topic, exploring underlying beliefs & needs, supporting you in choosing a response, and growing new skills. My job is primarily to be curious. I listen, ask questions, and may offer things to see how they land with you. Our sessions can include dialogue, grounding exercises, guided meditation, movement and play. We move with intention and in consent, so that your inherent wisdom leads the way.
How is coaching different from therapy?
Since there is some overlap between the two professions, this question can be hard to answer definitively.
Key similarities:
Both therapy and coaching can offer support in recognizing and replacing the stories and beliefs getting in the way of experiencing wellbeing and success. And both professions may explore the early childhood events that forged these.
The most powerful therapy and coaching also supports clients in exploring their emotional landscapes and cultivating emotional resilience skills.
Key differences:
Traditionally, individual therapy is focused on helping people who are struggling to function in one or more areas of their lives return to a baseline level. Meanwhile, coaching is meant for those who are functioning at a baseline level or higher to expand and grow areas of their life.
In a therapist-client relationship, the therapist assumes the role as an expert who may offer advice. In a coaching-client relationship, the coach does not offer advice and uses their expertise in approaches and tools to help draw out the client's own expertise of who they are.
Therapists do not typically share many personal details with their clients, while coaches tend to be more transparent in sharing personal experience.
Life coaching is a complementary support and not a replacement for clinical therapy, particularly for people who are in crisis or working with complex PTSD. Unfortunately at this time, my services are not covered by most insurance policies.
It is possible for individuals to work with a coach to grow other areas of their lives while receiving therapeutic support to function better in a specific area. The two processes can complement each other nicely and can build an individual’s overall confidence.
Want to find out more?
Booking a free 30-minute Exploratory Call with me will let you get an idea of what coaching with me feels like and give you the opportunity to ask any further questions you might have.
It’s important that we’re the right fit because a strong coaching relationship allows for powerful work. If we aren’t the right fit, I’ll do my best to match you with a more appropriate practitioner.
