Before We Start

What to Expect When Working With Me

If you've worked with a coach before, you probably have some idea of what to expect. But coaching isn't one-size-fits-all, and working with me may look a little different.

If you've never worked with a coach, you may have a lot of questions. Either way, this page will walk you through what to expect, plainly and without the jargon.

It won't cover everything, of course. If you still have questions, an intro call is a great place to ask them.

What Coaching Is

A conversation, not a consultation

Coaching is a partnership — a series of conversations that help you understand yourself better: what you actually want, what's been getting in the way, and how you want to move forward. I'm not there to hand you answers or tell you what to do. I'm there to walk beside you, ask questions that matter, and help you hear yourself more clearly.

How I Coach

I coach the person, not just the problem

Whatever you bring to a session, I'm paying attention to more than the surface issue. A few things that shape how I show up:

I trust that you already have what you need inside you — my job is to help you find it, not supply it
I care about the whole person in front of me, not just the problem they walked in with
I pay attention to what's happening right now in the conversation, not just what you're describing
Sometimes the shift isn't "solving" something — it's seeing yourself or your situation differently
You stay the authority on your own life. I won't tell you what's right for you

A Session

What a coaching session looks like

You bring something you'd like help working through. It doesn't have to be a problem, and it doesn't need to be fully formed. It might be:

“I'm ready to move up in my career, but I'm not sure where to start.”
“I want to get even better at something I'm already good at.”
“Something's zapping my energy, and I want to get away from it.”
“Something feels off.”
“I know what I should do, but I'm not doing it.”
“I don't know what I want next.”

From there, the shape of a session is loose, not a formula:

Topic

Bring a topic you'd like to explore
Get clear on why it matters to you
Have a rough idea of where you'd like to get by the end of the session — not a guarantee, more of a north star
Sometimes the topic you bring isn't actually the one you want to talk about. Totally fine — you're always allowed to change your mind

Exploration

We explore your relationship with the topic — how you show up in relation to it, not just the facts of it
What patterns, emotions, or beliefs are underneath it?

Integration & Action

Sit with what you learned about yourself — in this session, or in general
Talk through any goals you'd like to set in service of that learning, not as a performance measure

We follow what's actually emerging, not a script. If the conversation goes somewhere more useful than where we started, we go there.

Things We Might Try

Sometimes we talk. Sometimes we experiment.

Depending on where the conversation goes, we might:

Explore your values, and where your life does or doesn't line up with them
Look at where you feel genuinely fulfilled, and where you don't
Not sure where to start? We can use the wheel of life
Try on a different perspective, just to see how it fits
Notice a limiting belief or an inner critic that's been running the show
Picture a future version of yourself, or imagine what a wiser part of you would say
Use a metaphor or image that captures something words alone can't
Notice what's happening in your body, not just your head
Change positions — literally get up and move if it helps something shift
Brainstorm possibilities without judging them yet
Design a small experiment to try before we talk again
Just sit with a question, instead of rushing to answer it

What Coaching Isn't

How this is different from other kinds of support

Therapy. Coaching isn't therapy. We may talk about the past, emotions, or hard experiences, but we're generally exploring them in service of the present and where you're headed, not diagnosing or treating something. If deeper therapeutic work would serve you better, I'll say so.
Consulting. I'm not here to diagnose your situation and hand you a prescription. I don't have your answer — you do.
Mentoring. My own experience won't come into it. The goal isn't to teach you to follow the path I took. Yours will look different.
Advice. I may offer an observation, a challenge, or a perspective — but coaching isn't me telling you what to do. You stay responsible for your own choices.

Between Sessions

The work doesn't always end when the call does

This is often where the real learning happens. A session might end with an action, a small experiment, something to notice, a conversation to have, a question to sit with, or a commitment — or sometimes nothing formal at all. It's not about tasks to complete. It's about giving what came up in the conversation room to show up in your actual life, and paying attention to the "aha" moments that come from that.

What I Ask From You

Bring yourself, and something you're willing to explore

You don't need a polished goal or a life plan already worked out. Openness, curiosity, and honesty matter more than having the right words. You're responsible for your own decisions — I'm just here to help you think them through.

“I don't know, but something needs to change” is a perfectly good place to start.

FAQ

A few things people usually want to know

Is coaching confidential?

Yes. I always honor confidentiality. What we talk about stays between us — you're welcome to tell anyone about anything you'd like, but that's your call to make, not mine.

What should I talk about?

Bring a topic that feels important to you. If you can't think of one, we can work on that together, or you can use the wheel of life ahead of time if it helps.

Will you give me advice?

Typically, no. The goal is to help you find your own answer, not hand you mine. But there are exceptions to every rule, and I might offer an observation or a perspective if it seems genuinely useful.

How is this different from therapy?

Therapy often looks at healing and mental health, sometimes rooted in the past. Coaching is generally more forward-looking — focused on where you want to go and what's in the way, with someone who assumes you're not broken, just stuck or unclear.

How often should we meet, and how many sessions will I need?

There's no prescribed number. Growth takes time and effort — you can't rush it. That said, 6 to 7 sessions is typically a good place to start, meeting every two to three weeks.

What if an exercise or technique doesn't feel right for me?

I'll always ask permission before we try anything, and "no" is always a valid answer.