Frequently Asked Questions

What is coaching?

Coaching is a professional relationship that helps people achieve amazing results and improve their life. Coaching illuminates possibilities and clarifies goals before moving onto mapping out a pathway to achieve them. It also fosters a dynamic and exciting mindset change that helps clients move with positive intention toward the goals they have set. Coaching provides accountability, greater awareness and clarity where before none existed.

Why should a coach be credentialed?

Technically, anyone can call themselves a coach without any official training, so it’s good to understand the background of a coach and what they can offer you or your organization. When a coach is credentialed by a reputable organisation such as the Coaches Training Institute or the International Coaches Federation you can be assured that the coach has gone through rigorous training. This training ensures that a credentialed coach is steeped in the knowledge and skills that a good coach brings to each client. A credentialed coach knows how to handle the confidentiality of a session, has undergone extensive supervision and is clear on the code of conduct and ethics.

How do I pick which coach to work with?

When picking a coach, you should understand the skill set that a coach is offering and you should take a little time to get to know the coach before deciding to work with them. Most coaches offer ‘sample sessions’ that are at minimal cost or free. They are basically short sessions where you can chat with the coach and then be coached for a short period of time. These sessions are invaluable and during the process of selecting a coach, you should remember that you are the consumer. As such you should feel empowered to shop around to find the right fit for you or your organization.

What’s the difference between coaching and therapy?

Coaching: Coaching with a professional coach is a relationship in which the client is encouraged to create positive action towards a self-selected goal. Coaching is about experiencing the now as well as moving forward with intention. Coaching is also about creating personal change, improving self-awareness and developing self-management skills.

Therapy: “Therapy deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or in relationships. The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past that hamper an individual’s emotional functioning in the present, improving overall psychological functioning, and dealing with the present in more emotionally healthy ways. Coaching, on the other hand, supports personal and professional growth based on self-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes. These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success. Coaching is future focused. While positive feelings/emotions may be a natural outcome of coaching, the primary focus is on creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals in one’s work or personal life. The emphasis in a coaching relationship is on action, accountability and follow through”.

Reference – International Coaches Federation FAQ Page

Should I get coached?

Would you like to have a clear idea of your career path? Would you like to communicate better with your peers, both at work and at home? Would you like to advance further at work, but find yourself holding back? Are you someone who would like to have intention about your life? Are you someone that would like to set goals and achieve them? Coaching is for anyone that would like to intentionally develop their entire array of skills.

Where can my coaching sessions take place?

Coaching can take place over the phone, via Zoom or via any other internet conferencing system. We can also meet in person if you are in the Orange County, CA area.

What can I expect?

Before our first coaching session, I might ask you to complete a couple of forms. They are relatively brief, but they have some questions that require a more detailed response. These initial forms give me an idea of the issues that you might like to address in our first session and they give me an idea of what’s important to you as an individual. We might schedule a first intake session which is normally at least an hour long. This gives us time to create a good alliance and forms a basis on which we can move forward in future sessions. Subsequent sessions will be as long as you would like them to be. I usually hold 25 minute appointment or 50 minute appointments but longer appointments can be arranged.
During the sessions, you can expect me to be super supportive and incredibly inquisitive. It is my job to ask challenging questions and to question the status quo in your life. We will work together to find the best path forward for you to achieve the goals that you set.

How confidential is my coaching session?

The content of our coaching sessions is COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL and will not be discussed outside of our session unless by prior agreement.
The only exception to this is if you report suicidal or homicidal ideation, I am ethically bound to report this to the appropriate authorities. In addition, if you report any type of child or elder abuse, I am also ethically bound to report this to the appropriate authorities

Is coaching for individuals or groups of people?

Coaching can be for either individuals or groups and it can be conducted as part of a training session within an organization.

Can I be coached by you if I am not in the USA?

Absolutely! We can set up Zoom sessions so that the communication is free. In addition, we will communicate very clearly about time zones and ensure that appointments are scheduled at a time that works for both of us. I use an online scheduling software that allows for different time zones and can accommodate many different currencies for payment.

What should I do if I have other questions?

You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram by clicking on the appropriate buttons at the bottom of this page. On these sites you will find various articles and blog posts that are relevant to coaching and personal/corporate development.
In addition, if you have specific questions, feel free to call me at 949-300-3418 or contact me via email by completing the information below. I try to respond very quickly and hope to get back to you within a couple of hours. Note that I take privacy very seriously and never share your email address with anyone outside of my own business.