FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
⚠️What is personal development coaching?
Personal development coaching is for people who want to change their relationship to a particular area of their life – such as intimate romantic relationships, finances, or mental fitness- and haven’t been able to go from where they are presently in their lives, to a different level of achievement.
⚠️What’s the difference between coaching and counseling/mental health therapy?
Coaching is for people who are stuck in a particular area of their current lives that want to change their behaviors with things like interpersonal relationships, habits, and work. Coaches guide people through changing their mindset by working on unblocking the things that get in their way. Coaching teaches people how to create new mental shifts and behavioral patterns to get you to your goals quicker.
Counseling/mental health therapy is for people who may have experienced past traumas, current anxieties, and other mental health conditions that persist over time and require the techniques of a trained mental health specialist who will develop a plan to work through the challenges you are dealing with slowly over time. The goals may include learning how to decrease anxious thinking, problematic behaviors, or dysfunction in families and interpersonal relationships.
⚠️What types of problems does personal development coaching solve?
Personal development coaching teaches people how to change their relationship to things such as their habits, other people, money, work, and spirituality. Coaches facilitate training in how to make these mental shifts so you can experience the results you want to see in a shorter amount of time. Coaching does not necessarily use therapy terms or techniques, but it is similar in the ways that you will have time to talk out the problem, and work on goals outside of your coaching session that your coach will hold you accountable to. Sometimes, you will be able to use similar therapeutic tools to aid in your independent work, but the focus will be to assist you in actualizing your dreams sooner so you can experience fulfillment earlier in life as opposed to later in life.
⚠️How does someone know if they are an ideal candidate for coaching vs counseling/mental health therapy?
You may not know if you’re an ideal candidate for coaching versus counseling/mental health therapy if you’ve never been in either. This is where research comes in. You may want to look up coaching online and read testimonies from people who’ve talked about their goals, and experiences with coaching, and separately, with counseling. Nowadays, you can also go to social media and vet professionals in these fields to listen to what they talk about and the work that they do.
The general rule of thumb is if you are expressing extensive details about issues from your past that presently affect your mood, mental state, and function you may be an ideal candidate for therapy and not coaching. If you have the motivation and excitement (& possibly nerves, too) about changing how you respond to things at work, or in your personal life, and you are fed up with excuses or patterns that no longer work such as overspending, working too much, or attracting people who are in one-sided relationships with you then coaching may be more ideal for you.
I am a mental health counselor and a certified life coach. I have provided therapy to clients for almost twenty years and coaching for over 10 years. I am highly skilled in diagnosing problems quickly and will make an informed decision based on the client’s consultation as to what may be the best course of action to take – such as starting therapy first or going directly into coaching. It’s also become more common to see people work with both a therapist and a coach. It just depends on where the client is mentally and emotionally for either.
⚠️How much does coaching typically cost?
Coaching can cost anywhere from $100/session to $300,000/session. The range is broad because coaches have different levels of professional and personal training and experience. They also serve an array of clients. On average, if a coach has been coaching between 5-10 years, they will typically charge anywhere from $200-$500 an hour. At this time, coaches do not have to be credentialed in order to provide a service unlike counselors and mental health therapists.
I received my certificate from Life Purpose Institute, an institute that is certified by the International Coaching Federation. I am trained in life and spiritual life coaching and have been a coach for over 10 years. I work with career professionals who’ve dealt with burnout, codependency, unsatisfying work, and wellness business development.
⚠️What do you need to have in place before starting coaching?
Generally, you need to have at least one hour a week of uninterrupted time to meet with your coach- be it in person or online. You also need to have 30 minutes to an hour of time that you dedicate to your action steps- these are the weekly tasks you receive during your coaching hour that you will work on away from coaching. You also need to know what the rules are for coaching with your particular coach.
My coaching is 100% virtual. My requirements for coaching with me include fluency in spoken and written English, a strong WIFI connection, a reliable method of payment, be receptive to feedback, willing to try new things to support you in reaching your goals quickly and take accountability for your growth and development.
⚠️What should a person expect from being in personal development coaching and how long does it take?
Based on a client’s background, they should be able to see things from a new perspective within a few coaching sessions. They may begin to feel more ease with making decisions that are good for them and exhibit behaviors that align with their calling, including how one chooses work, friends, romantic partners, entertainment and more. Clients typically start living with more clarity and intention. Clients usually report things like more self-trust, less over-working, clearer boundaries, better habits, and more values-based living.
Mental and behavioral shifts occur at different times for clients. But, because coaching is more future-focused, clients see a return on their investment usually within a few weeks to a couple of months of coaching, especially if the coach is skillful and able to discern what problems the client struggles with and has a proven plan to help them overcome it quickly.
Take a look at what clients have said about coaching with me!