Frequently Asked Questions

According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), “The purpose of coaching is frequently about performance improvement, learning, or development in some area of life while therapy often dives into deep-seated emotional issues to work on personal healing or trauma recovery.”

Here's an analogy used by ICF:

“…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 that includes anatomy, kinesiology, nutrition, and the like. The trainer works from the assumption that the athlete is essentially sound in body and is focused on improving fitness and performance. The trainer will refer the athlete to the team doctor if there is reason to believe he or she has an injury.”

Let's understand this by taking a real issue brought to me by a client. It goes like this:

“I've been in my company for over 7 years and feel I've hit a ceiling. I'm doing well on paper, but the work feels flat and I don't see room for growth. I think I have to pivot to a new job or a new role, mostly in product strategy.”

Using this case, here's how the different modalities may look for the client:

Many people reach out expecting advice or frameworks — and that's totally understandable. What I actually do as a coach is explore the patterns, assumptions, and choices that will help them decide which tools or strategies to apply. Sometimes I might share models or frameworks, but they're always in service of the client's own thinking.

Which is to say, clients often come to me with a problem-solving mindset. My role, when I work with them, is to nudge them to a self-leadership mindset. For this, I make sure that the agency is at all times with them, not me.

We'll look at practical strategies — visibility, positioning, conflict management, whatever's relevant — but before we go there, I find it's powerful to step back and look at what's making those strategies necessary. What patterns or choices are keeping you from being seen the way you want to? That's where the real shift begins.

The number of sessions really depends on how deep you want to go and how much change you want to create. Coaching isn't a one-conversation fix; it's a series of reflections and actions that build on each other.

Most clients start noticing meaningful shifts after three or four sessions, and deeper, sustained change usually takes 6–12 sessions. That's why I offer two packages: (1) a 6-session series for focused goals and (2) a 12-session program for larger transitions. Each gives you space to explore, act, and adjust without feeling rushed.

Sometimes, if the client is unsure, I suggest that we start with 6 sessions and see how the work unfolds. Some clients stop there with strong momentum, others choose to continue for another 6 to consolidate their progress. We'll review together around session 5 or 6 so it's always their choice.

This is a sign that you're already thinking about outcomes. As a coach, my job is to stay with you in this journey.

• If you reach your stated goals earlier, we use the remaining sessions to consolidate what worked and expand your horizon. Often clients find that once they reach one goal, new or deeper goals naturally emerge — for example, how to sustain the change, apply it in new contexts, or stretch further.
• If you truly feel complete before we finish, we can always pause and review together. My priority is that the engagement continues to feel useful and alive for you, not obligatory.

I can't ethically guarantee outcomes, because coaching works through your choices, actions, and learning — not through advice or directives from me (see difference between coaching and mentoring/consulting). What I can guarantee is a structured, reflective process that helps you see patterns clearly, test new actions, and stay accountable to what matters most to you.

When clients bring commitment and openness, meaningful progress almost always happens. Though sometimes it looks different from what they first expected. If at any point we notice you're not getting traction, we'll pause and review together to understand what's missing and adjust our approach.

I usually suggest we meet every two weeks. That gives you time to apply insights, experiment, and notice results before the next conversation. Too soon and it can feel rushed; too far apart and we lose momentum. Of course, we can tweak the rhythm as we go.

Coaching is a meaningful investment. Which is to say, it is an investment, not an expense. How so?

Clients often come to me with issues they have been struggling with for years. These issues have held them back from reaching potential; they have been stuck in a loop. When I ask them to imagine how their life may look without their challenges, and what that is worth, typically the value of that desired life turns out to be ten times greater than the cost of the coaching engagement.

Also, the value of the work comes from the consistency of the process, not the number of sessions or the price per session. What I can offer is flexibility in how you step into the program — such as a deferred payment plan or starting with a shorter package if that feels more comfortable.

It is important to me that you enter the coaching relationship with full commitment, not with hesitations around the value.