Frequently Asked Questions

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We will  work together to define goals, agree on the right cadence and length of engagement. The typical coaching engagement is six months although some clients prefer to work with a coach for 12 months or more.  

Our first coaching session focuses on developing an understanding of your personality, strengths, motivators, development areas and saboteurs.  In following coaching sessions, the coaching topic is driven by you. Coaching sessions are typically conducted in person or via voice or video conferencing. 

There is a strict cap on the number of ongoing clients to accommodate any time-sensitive situations that you want to discuss outside of our regular schedule as well as scheduling conflicts. 

When working with corporate sponsored executives, the engagement may require us to work together as a trio (company sponsor, executive, coach). As a trio, we can align on goals of the coaching engagement and establish metrics to measure our progress. Often, a corporate sponsored engagement will start with a 360 review and report which provides the executive with greater insight on how they are perceived by others and an opportunity to identify areas that they may want to incorporate into the coaching engagement.  Regardless of whether the coaching engagement is initiated by an individual or a business, the content of coaching discussions are confidential between the executive and the coach as per the professional coaching ethics and standards set out by the International Coaching Federation.   

This is a common question of clients and the simple answer is that coaching is forward looking whereas therapy looks at the past.  As per the ICF, "Coaching focuses on visioning, success, the present and moving toward the future. Therapy emphasizes psychopathology, emotions and the past to understand the present, and it works more with developing skills for managing emotions or past issues than does coaching."

Some clients work with both a therapist and a coach.  Some therapists can incorporate coaching methodologies into their practices. A coach, unless they have professional standing as a therapist, will not incorporate therapy into coaching. Coaches are trained to identify when their clients may be better served by a therapist.   

Ensuring you have trust and have confidence in your coach is paramount not only for you but also for your coach. Coaching will push you to think in different ways that may feel uncomfortable and unnatural. If you aren't comfortable with being open and transparent with your coach, the impact of the coaching will be limited. Any coach should offer potential clients a chemistry or sample session to ensure both the coach and client are confident they will work well together. Ask your coach to share testimonials from past clients (keep in mind, they may not be able to share names of past clients unless their clients have given them authorization to do so). Coaches who are are members of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) must follow strict ethical guidelines that both protect and serve coaching clients. Coaches that have an ICF credential  are those who have met stringent education and experience requirements, and have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the standard professional coaching competencies. You can verify a coach's credentials and membership status on the ICF website here.