The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as: "Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity, and leadership."

Unlike consultants, who are paid to assess, advise and recommend, coaches are impartial thinking and accountability partners. They provide the space and ask the right questions, but together, both coach and client use their collective knowledge, resources, skills, and intuition to explore and clarify what you want and how you’re going to get it. Ultimately, a coach has no agenda other than the client's growth and success.

While there is some overlap, in general terms:

Therapy focuses on your past, working to identify, diagnose, and treat behaviors stemming from past trauma and conditioning. Its goal is to move you toward mental health and healing. Therapists can work with clients at any stage of mental wellness and often include coaching aspects in their practice.

Coaching focuses on your present and future. It involves co-creating a vision of where you want to go, developing a plan to get there, and providing support and accountability along the way. While you may uncover past trauma and conditioning in the course of coaching, and a coach may help you to move beyond those obstacles, coaches work with clients who have taken responsibility for their lives and are ready to focus on their future. It is the ethical responsibility of any coach to tell you when you approach the line where therapy is the recommended next step. While a coach can work alongside a therapist, it’s crucial to maintain clear boundaries between coaching and therapy.

The ICF uses this analogy: “A coach is like an athletic trainer, while a therapist is like a medical doctor specializing in sports medicine. Both draw from a shared body of knowledge, but the trainer works from the assumption that the athlete is essentially sound and focuses on improving fitness and performance. The trainer refers the athlete to the team doctor if an injury is suspected. Similarly, coaches and therapists work with the same material but use different skills and aim for different outcomes.”

Coaching isn't a necessity; people can lead full, happy lives without ever talking to a coach. Like an athlete, you can get very good at the game on your own, but at some point, you may plateau, feel stuck, or hit your own limitations. Great athletes don’t say, "I’m a professional; I don’t need help"—and neither should you. We are all humans under pressure. When you reach the finer movements, higher stakes, and advanced work, a little coaching can go a long way.

Whether you’re an athlete or a professional, a coach provides perspective, motivation, and accountability to help you break through ruts, accelerate growth, and overcome final roadblocks. You might be able to do it alone, but you’ll never know how far you can go until you have someone beside you, making you aware of what you might not see and helping you remove the roadblocks you didn’t even know were there.

Taking a holistic approach to coaching means addressing your entire system—mind, body, and spirit. Often, what seems like "the" issue is just a symptom of a deeper, more complex problem. I use every tool in my toolbox to help uncover and resolve the root causes, and I expect those I work with to be open to exploring all aspects of their life. When you work with me, be ready to follow the clues wherever they lead us! I’ll ask about your job and relationships, but don’t be surprised if I also dig into your diet, physical habits, spiritual practice, and more. My coaching is tailored to your unique needs, informed by Internal Family Systems (IFS), and often draws from Buddhist teachings and my background in theater directing.