Frequently Asked Questions
What is coaching?
Coaching is a creative and collaborative process in which a client and coach work side-by-side to discern the client's personal goals and develop a strategy to achieve them. The coach also provides accountability and encouragement to empower the client throughout their journey. Coaching is comprehensive and may involve different areas of life, including health, relationships, work, education, and recreation. Integrative health coaching further aids the client by incorporating more specific health goals, while accounting for the wellness of the whole person.
How can I start working with you?
Coaching is a ongoing commitment, so the best place to start is with a complementary Meet & Greet. This will give us a chance to meet, discuss your goals and timeline. It will give you a better idea of whether or not the coaching relationship will meet your needs, and will also give me an opportunity to assess if you are a good fit for my coaching focus and style. If we move forward, great! If we decide not to move forward, that's fine too. I am happy to provide recommendations of other coaches or professional that may better meet your needs.
How should I prepare for our first meeting?
Relax and be prepared to have a friendly conversation. All coaching sessions take place via video chat, so they are easier to fit into your schedule and you can take them from anywhere. We will talk about what brings you to coaching and what you hope to accomplish. It's okay if you haven't worked out the details yet - that's something we can discover together. I will take time to get to know you and understand the unique obstacles you face. Be ready to challenge yourself and try new things!
What results can I expect from coaching?
While there will always be a variance in individual results, emerging research suggests that health and wellness coaching provides measurable and meaningful improvements across multiple areas of life that are sustained long after the coaching agreement ends.
Do you offer group coaching, workshops, or speaking engagements?
Group coaching is not available at this time, but please contact me to be put on the waitlist for future sessions.
Workshops and speaking engagements are exclusively developed for each specific event. The cost for such events is based on development time and event requirements (size, duration, travel, etc.). Discounts may be available for non-profits. Please contact me with the details of your request.
Do you provide consulting services to meet with me and my medical or mental health professional?
For established clients who have set clear goals around the interaction, I will consider meeting a joint meeting with willing medical or mental health professionals. I assess this on a case by case basis because this may complicate the coaching relationship and would be an unnecessary expense for most clients. Instead, I would rather focus on helping my clients prepare for upcoming interactions with medical professionals so they feel more empowered to make informed medical decisions and take charge of their wellness!
What is the difference between coaching and therapy?
Traditional therapy is often interested in looking into the past to identify and reframe issues so you can develop a healthier perspective as you move forward in life. Coaching is often focused on the here and now, with more clearly defined objectives and goals. I will ask you questions for context and to help you tap into you deeper motivations, and you may experience moments of clarity as pieces of your puzzle come together for you, but my purpose is not to dig deep to uncover your emotional or historical roots. My purpose is to support you, as you are today, in discovering and achieving your life and wellness goals.
Are you a psychologist? What if I'm already seeing a mental health professional?
While I have a degree in psychology, I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist; I will not diagnose or treat you. If you've previously or are currently working with a mental health professional, that's great! Mental health professionals are very important to supporting our overall health and relationships by diagnosing and treating mental illness, and providing counseling and therapy. As a coach, I often pickup where they leave off in that I focus on supporting you in discerning the things getting in your way of living your best life and help you build and achieve goals to overcome them.
Traumas and triggers
In some cases, physical or emotional trauma and many be related to chronic disorders. While we don't go looking for it, sometimes this past trauma comes up. I am no stranger to trauma, personally or professionally, and I am equipped to handle most things that could arise. In loyalty to providing the best possible support for my clients and in consistency with my ethics, if at any point I believe my client would benefit from medical or mental health services, I will so suggest. If there are any topics that you know to be triggering and would like to keep them off the table, I will respect and support that.
Confidentiality
Honesty and confidentiality go hand-in-hand, and are key to a successful coaching relationship. I agree to keep everything my clients say confidential, and my clients agree to approach our conversations with openness and honesty. The only times I will break confidentiality without the express permission of my client is if there is express and imminent harm to my client or others.
Additionally, I am a coach trained with an International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited program, which is the largest and most respected . I abide and am held to the ICF Code of Ethics.
Supported in research
For more information on the use of coaching in health management, I invite you to consider the following: