FAQs

Yes, and this will be a no-pressure call. After all, pressuring is one of the ‘pink flags of abuse’ that my research discovered and that I teach; it’s destructive to relationships. This call will be about me answering your questions, and asking you some of my own. I only take on clients whom I am confident I can help. Please contact me for your complimentary consult.

Life coaching is about having even more of what you want in your life. Take an athlete for example: coaching is not about fixing his game, it’s about him becoming even better. What coaching provides specifically for each client is different. The bottom line is, we’ll be after specific results that will make a real difference in your life, and have fun in the process! Read More

Yes. My expertise is relationship challenges—how to prevent them, the earliest warning signs of them, how to nip them in bud, and how, when they are longer term established challenges, to turn them around. Along the way, I’ve become quite the expert on ‘secrets of happiness’. (I believe abuse emanates from not knowing how to be joyful, in an ongoing way. Abuse and the tolerating of abuse, comes from a desperate hunger for joy, respect, love, connection, peace, and calm in one’s life.) I enjoy and I ‘rock’ at helping people figure out how to be happier, and more peaceful, and more confident in their lives overall :-).

Yes, I greatly enjoy working with teenagers, and they seem to equally enjoy working with me. I’m usually able to quickly establish with them that I ‘get’ them. They seem to appreciate my buoyant yet matter-of-fact personality. With a teen, we’ll set up the ground rules so that both the teen and his/her parents understand and agree to the roles and the guidelines around confidentiality, and so forth. If you’d like to know more about my seeing your teen please inquire today.

Yes, and I’ve found that couples really appreciate how neutral I am regarding each partner’s role, and that I help each of them to become more neutral too. For couples, I will see each of you individually first. Then I will see you together. And sometimes we’ll break into individual sessions again.

Sometimes, I am asked, “I know my partner and I need couple’s coaching, but what if my partner won’t come?” Well, I’ve found that because a coupleship (and a family) is a system, it often takes helping only one of the individuals, and the entire system will shift.

If you’d like to know more about my seeing you as a couple please inquire.

The typical coaching is by telephone and is a 60-minute session once a week. This is supplemented by e-mail coaching at no extra charge, and ‘power coaching’ (brief) calls as needed. You take on as much homeworkplay as you choose, and much of the learning, growth, and action happens between our coaching calls.

If you want in-person coaching, let’s discuss that. Similarly, contact me to discuss it if you would like coaching on an atypical schedule. Client service is my top priority.

You might be interested in the option of receiving help in-person in an intensive—for instance, we might spend 2-3 days in a row together, instead of one hour a week. Many clients prefer this option, because we can accomplish a lot, very quickly.

Yes. One of the things that make me the elite coach that I am is that I absolutely customize for you, to best meet your needs. So if you believe you have a need for an atypical session length or structure, please tell me and let’s talk about it. I am definitely available to you, for a variety of time-frames and structures. You might be interested to know that the question I receive even more frequently than this one is:

Please inform me of this desire as soon as you know, and I will rearrange my schedule, if that is possible, to accommodate.

We’ll start with the amount of time you’d like to commit to. Some people achieve what they wanted to in a month of sessions. Some want to make sporadic calls as needed. Others are looking for the sort of growth that comes from having an ongoing or long-term relationship. I simply suggest my clients stay with me as long as they are loving the coaching and the results.

I do not accept insurance. I will provide you with a receipt, which some companies will reimburse you for, as they recognize the vast benefits that life coaching and business coaching provide. Check with your company first.

Also, in many cases coaching is tax deductible, because in the U.S.A., all expenses of continuing education undertaken to maintain and improve business and professional skills are tax deductible (Treas. Reg.1-162-5, Coughlin vs. Commissioner, 203F 2d 307). Contact your tax professional to be sure.

Actually, yes, sometimes I do. I occasionally have an open slot for pro-bono coaching for a person who wants to change his or her pattern of unhealthy relationships. You would need to demonstrate financial need, comment on why you want me as your coach, and show a serious commitment to making changes.

I also sometimes have opportunities for people to participate in my ongoing research, which would involve your receiving complimentary coaching and education along the way. You would agree to have your interviews and sessions recorded, and so forth (laid out in the Voluntary Informed Consent form). If you’re interested in one of these options, please contact me.

Yes, I love to travel. With enough notice, I can fly to meet you just about anywhere, worldwide. There are many benefits for you, for my coming to your location (as there are different benefits for you traveling to me). Please connect with me regarding my travel requirements. I look forward to traveling to you.

Doing coaching as needed—unless we’ve established a long-term relationship first (then it’s simply receiving ‘tune-ups’)—can easily turn into what I call “emergency coaching”. And that (just like with health care) is not my preferred way to help. Because it is not as effective and helpful for you as: first doing regular-ongoing or else intensive coaching to establish a healthy solid base, and then receiving regular preventative care and tune-ups.

Another reason to have coaching on a regular basis is that our society is not set up for regular time out to ask ourselves, “Am I going for what I really want?”, “Am I going about it the smartest way possible?”, and “Am I doing what I really need to do to keep myself my happiest and living my best life possible?” People really need these regular time-outs and this is what a coaching structure provides. Thus, in addition to the innumerable benefits that having your own expert working with you provides, a coaching structure is also simply a regular time out of your busy life to take the snapshot of “How is it going?” and increase the chances that you are heading where you want to be heading, and having the most fun along the way.

To understand the value of coaching even more, please read: What is Coaching? What does coaching provide?

Clients often want to bring me a gift, whether for a holiday or simply to express their gratitude. I follow the ethical code for counselors in the United States, which says not to accept a gift that is over $50 in monetary value. An exception is something that you make for me yourself, such that it would be difficult to place a dollar value on it.

While I request you keep gift giving to a minimum, your referring me to others is a wonderful gift. I also very much appreciate heart-felt letters or feedback (which could be in audio or video format too) with permission to post or share.

I’m a life coach, passionate about personal development, and in awe of the courage my clients continually draw upon to step beyond their comfort zone. (A Vlog on how important stepping beyond your comfort zone is to happiness: “The Confidence Paradox“.)

I have been coaching clients since 2005. For more on my education and training, please read About.

As many as I can do well. It’s important to me to be at my best mentally, physically, emotionally, so that I can best help you. So I intentionally limit my daily load so that each client receives my most thorough preparation, after care, and my highest quality attention in the moment.

You never have to discuss something before you are ready. Sometimes we address an issue in individual coaching for a while to help the person let go of a lot of the shame s/he has around it, before s/he feels ready to talk with the group about it. Also, I’m not one who believes everything has to “come out” about everybody, so you won’t necessarily ever talk about the issue in group, if e.g., after working on it in individual you decide you just don’t need to work on it anymore, or neither of us see much potential value to you from you bringing it up in group. Know that what you reveal to me in our private sessions is strictly confidential, unless I have reason to believe that you or another person is in imminent and serious danger, then my ethics may guide me to break confidentiality only as much as needed to protect you or the other (this is spelled out in more detail in the informed consent you’ll sign for coaching).

Also, know that I will have met with you privately before recommending a group to you. This ensures that I place you in the group I feel is a good fit for you. Many people are afraid the others in their group will be too different from them, and they are pleasantly surprised to find many deep commonalities with those in their group.

Please ask me any more questions you have about the group experience. I look forward to having you take part in group coaching. Group is captivating and engaging and provides an unparalleled growth experience.