Coaching is different from psychotherapy — it neither is, nor purports to be, a substitute for psychotherapy.

In addition to being a coach, I am also a registered associate professional clinical counselor in

California, with training and experience in diagnosing and treating emotional problems. While

there are some similarities between coaching and psychotherapy, they are very different

endeavors and it is important that you understand the differences between them.

Psychotherapy is a healthcare service and is usually reimbursable through health insurance

policies. This is not true for coaching. Both coaching and psychotherapy utilize knowledge of

human behavior, motivation, behavioral change and interactive counseling techniques. The

major differences are in the focus, goals and level of professional responsibility.

Focus & Goals

The focus of coaching is development and implementation of strategies to reach Clientidentified

goals which will enhance performance and personal satisfaction. Coaching may

address specific personal projects, life balance, job performance and satisfaction, or general

conditions in the client's life, business, or profession. Coaching utilizes personal strategic

planning, values clarification, brainstorming, motivational counseling and other counseling

techniques. Deciding how to handle these issues and incorporate coaching into those areas is

exclusively your responsibility.

The primary focus of psychotherapy are identification, diagnosis and treatment of mental and

nervous disorders. The goals of psychotherapy include: alleviating symptoms; understanding

the underlying dynamics which create symptoms; changing dysfunctional behaviors which are

the result of these disorders; and developing new strategies for successfully coping with the

psychological challenges which we all face.

The Therapist/Patient Relationship

Most research on psychotherapy outcomes indicates that the quality of the relationship is most

closely correlated with therapeutic progress. Psychotherapy patients are often emotionally

vulnerable. This vulnerability is increased by the expectation that they will discuss very intimate

personal data and expose feelings about themselves about which they are understandably

sensitive. The life experiences of psychotherapy patients often make trust difficult to achieve.

These factors give psychotherapists greatly‐disproportionate power that creates a fiduciary

responsibility to protect the safety of their clients and to “above all else, do no harm.”

The Coach/Patient Relationship

The relationship between the coach and client is specifically designed to avoid the power

differentials that occur in the psychotherapy relationship. The client sets the agenda and the

success of the enterprise depends on the client's willingness to take risks and try new

approaches. The relationship is designed to be more direct and challenging. You can count on

your coach to be honest and straightforward, asking powerful questions and using challenging

techniques to move you forward. You are expected to evaluate progress and, when coaching is

not working as you wish, you should immediately inform me so we can both take steps to

correct the problem.

It is very important to understand that coaching is a professional relationship. While it may

often feel like a close personal relationship, it is not one that can extend beyond professional

boundaries both during and after our work together. Considerable experience shows that when

boundaries blur, the hard‐won benefits gained from the coaching relationship are endangered.

Pricing is based on hourly rates

Teens (15-18): $50

College young adults (19-22): $75

Individuals: $100

More than one individual: $150

I am ethically and legally bound to protect the confidentiality of our communications and

records. I will release information about our work to others only with your written permission.

Exceptions

There are specific situations in which I am legally obligated to breach confidentiality in order to

protect you or others from harm. If I have information that indicates that a child or elderly or

disabled person is being abused, I must report that to the appropriate State agency. If a Client is

an imminent risk to him/herself or makes threats of imminent violence against another, I am

required to take protective actions. I must also take steps to prevent you from committing a

criminal or fraudulent act. These situations are quite rare in coaching practices. If such a

situation occurs in our relationship, I will make every effort to discuss it with you before taking

any action. I must also respond to any court order and be able to secure legal advice about my

compliance with this Agreement.

As you are no doubt aware, some means of communication, such as wireless telephones and email

may be not secure from eavesdropping. It is impossible to guarantee the protection of

confidential information in certain circumstances involving computers. This is particularly true

of email and information stored on computers that are connected to the Internet. In my

practice (both business and home offices), I take measures to prevent unauthorized access to

information by utilizing encryption and other forms of security protection. You acknowledge

that I cannot be held responsible for instances of loss of confidentiality through wireless

telephone or computer hacking.

All meetings are conducted via a secured video conference that maintains your confidentiality.