Life Coaching FAQs

What are the advantages of coaching over just reading a self-help book?

While a good book can get you thinking and help you to change, personal coaching is tailored to help you navigate your unique challenges, strengths and situations. Within the coaching relationship, there is also greater accountability. When something got uncomfortable or you just get too busy, you can put the book away but with coaching, you know there will be someone there talking with you about your progress. As a coach, I would also be there to help you figure out where and how you might be getting stuck and how to get back on to a positive path.

Is coaching like psychotherapy and is it reimbursable by insurance?

While coaching and psychotherapy both involve looking at one's life in order to make changes through powerful conversations, they are distinctly different processes. Much of the time, in psychotherapy, you and the therapist will reflect on your past and delve into your feelings about that past and how it is affecting you today. In coaching, the focus tends to be more upon defining and attaining goals and dreams. It is action-oriented on what you can do now, to get to where you really want to be in your life's path.

In psychotherapy, clients often receive a diagnosis, especially if the services are being paid for by health insurance. Assessing and treating pathology is not part of the coaching process. As such, coaching is not a medically based service nor considered health care and, is not covered by insurance.

What can I expect to have happen in a coaching session?

The focus for each session is always up to the client. It is common for coaching sessions to start out with a review of your personal victories since your last coaching session. From there, the conversation often moves into areas such as helping you better understand what you want. Specifically, discussion is held to explore your values, priorities, inspirations, as well as energy-drainers, frustrations and beliefs about yourself. I as the coach will assist your forward movement by teaching principles, offering other perspectives, strengthening your existing skills and challenging your negative beliefs that keep you from your goals. The results of assessments can also be utilized to further understanding. Plans of action are then developed to help you move towards your more desirable place, one step at a time.

How often do we meet?

Depending on the situation, most coaching sessions are scheduled weekly or every other week. Since effective use of the coaching means following a plan of action, it is important to actually have the time in between sessions to try out the new strategies.

Where do we meet?

Individual coaching sessions usually take place in person at Full Spectrum Wellness or on the phone. Some clients prefer to have a combination of both. Currently, group coaching sessions also take place Full Spectrum Wellness.

When working with companies, I will visit onsite to facilitate a comprehensive model of coaching and consultation that often involves relevant trainings, assessments and face-to-face coaching sessions. Coaching sessions can also take place on the phone with individual employees and executives as well.