Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I invest in coaching?
How many times have you had a thought about your life that started with “if only?” As in, if only I’d chased that dream… gone back to school… pursued that person I loved…
We live life on autopilot, doing the same things day after day, getting stuck our own little comfort zones. We wish our lives would change, but we feel helpless about where to start.
That’s where I come in. To believe in you before you believe in yourself. To help you face fears that are holding you back. To remind you of how creative, resourceful, and capable you are.
Most importantly, I’m here to give you all the insight, tools and support to achieve YOUR vision of success.
How is coaching different from therapy?
While it’s true that I’m also a psychotherapist, I want to emphasize that coaching isn’t therapy. Coaching sessions are highly structured, and they don’t focus on your problems or dig into your past.
What I will do is support you fully in moving forward and overcoming barriers, and taking the necessary action to create what you desire.
If you don’t currently work with a therapist and I believe therapy services are needed, I’ll request you get the help you need prior to (or concurrently with) our coaching.
What should I expect in a coaching meeting?
Coaching sessions last 45-55 minutes and (generally) consist of the following elements: 1) check-in; 2) exploration and visualization; 3) setting your agenda; 4) creating options; and 5) determining actions.
I’ll always let you know when there are 10 minutes left of the session, so we can summarize and finish up before bringing our meeting to an end.
How are you different from other coaches?
I think I can say (with confidence!) that I bring a ton of energy, warmth, and insight to every coaching relationship I build. I’m all about self-expression, which works great in coaching, since it’s such a creative process.
I’m also a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in helping my clients adopt a healthy, happy, and fulfilling lifestyle in recovery from addiction.
Even though we’re not doing therapy in coaching, we’ll probably be digging into your outdated beliefs about yourself and your capabilities. So it never hurts to have a therapist around to help with that!
(And did I mention I LOVE coaching? 😍😍😍)
Is coaching right for everyone?
I had a great coach myself once, who’d always say, everyone is coachable until proven otherwise. The more people I coach, the more I agree that’s true.
The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter where you’re starting from; it just matters how much you want to change your life for the better.
All I ask for is willingness, a sense of humor, and trust in the coaching process.
How do we meet for our sessions?
It’s up to you. We can meet by telephone, by secure video chat, or we can have an in-person session at my office in South Bend.
However you work or communicate best is fine with me.
Do we communicate between sessions?
I hope so! I let my coaching clients know that they can feel free to email or text me between our sessions to let me know when they’ve had a success, or if they’re encountering a problem with their action steps or goals.
Do you offer a free consultation?
I’m happy to speak with potential clients over the phone for a few minutes to determine if we might be a good fit.
During the consult, I can answer your questions about coaching, you can let me know what you want out of coaching, and we’ll take it from there.
Do you have any formal coaching training or credentials?
Yes, I’ve completed foundational and speciality coaching training through the Institute for Life Coach Training, and I’m currently in the process of obtaining my Board Certified (BCC) coaching credential.
How do you know I’ll be successful at reaching my goals?
The short answer is that I don’t know… that’s entirely up to you!
What I do know is that you’re only as limited in your potential as you believe yourself to be.
To me, success means living out the full and beautiful lives we desire. It’s less about achieving any one particular goal, especially when life throws us curveballs and we have to be flexible.
And who’s say we can’t have fun at every step along the way, no matter what?
Burning Desire Coaching 