Your Questions, Answered
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No.
This work is coaching (executive, leadership, life), not psychotherapy, counseling, or mental health treatment.While I am a licensed clinical psychologist, the services offered here are non-clinical, non-diagnostic, and non-therapeutic. Executive coaching focuses on leadership effectiveness, decision-making, professional performance, and interpersonal functioning in work-related contexts.
I do not diagnose mental health conditions, provide treatment, or engage in trauma processing within coaching engagements.
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The distinction is important.
Coaching focuses on:
Leadership effectiveness and performance
Decision-making under pressure
Professional identity and authority
Workplace relationships and communication
Strategy, judgment, and execution
Help individuals clarify goals and direction
Improve performance, habits, and decision-making
Support personal or professional growth
Increase accountability and forward movement
Therapy focuses on:
Mental health symptoms
Diagnosis and treatment
Trauma processing
Emotional disorders
Clinical intervention and healing
Coaching is forward-looking, performance-oriented, and applied to professional functioning.
Therapy is healthcare.If therapeutic or mental health needs arise, I will recommend appropriate clinical care outside of the coaching relationship.
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My background as a clinical psychologist allows me to:
Identify patterns that affect leadership behavior under pressure
Understand how stress, authority, and relational dynamics influence decisions
Work with complexity, resistance, and blind spots efficiently
That said, this expertise is applied strictly within a coaching framework, not a clinical one. Psychological insight is used to improve leadership functioning, not to provide treatment.
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Life coaching is designed for individuals who are functioning well overall and want support with growth, direction, and forward movement, rather than treatment for mental health concerns.
Life coaching is appropriate for people who want to:
Clarify personal or professional goals
Improve habits, routines, or accountability
Navigate transitions (career change, new role, lifestyle shifts)
Increase motivation, focus, or follow-through
Develop skills related to performance, communication, or organization
Think strategically about next steps and priorities
Coaching is best suited for people who:
Are emotionally stable and able to self-regulate
Are not seeking diagnosis, treatment, or mental health care
Want a forward-looking, action-oriented process
Prefer practical guidance over emotional processing
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Executive coaching is designed for:
Founders, CEOs, and senior executives
VPs and directors with enterprise-level responsibility
High-performing leaders preparing for increased scope or visibility
It is not appropriate for individuals seeking mental health treatment, crisis support, or emotional stabilization.
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What issues can be addressed in executive coaching?
Common coaching topics include:
Decision-making under uncertainty
Leadership presence and authority
Managing conflict and difficult conversations
Boundary-setting and delegation
Navigating organizational politics
Performance under sustained pressure
Professional identity and leadership transitions
Understanding personal dynamics and how it impacts leadership presence
and more
All work is grounded in real-world leadership demands.
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What issues are not appropriate for coaching?
Executive coaching does not address:
Mental health diagnoses or symptoms
Trauma processing or recovery
Depression, anxiety disorders, or other clinical conditions
Crisis intervention or emotional stabilization
Substance use or addiction treatment
If these concerns arise, I will recommend appropriate clinical or medical support.
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When coaching is organization-sponsored, scope, goals, and boundaries are clarified upfront.
Feedback to organizations, if any, is:
Limited
Pre-agreed
Focused on professional development goals
Never clinical
No psychological diagnoses or personal mental health information are shared.
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Engagements are structured as:
Time-limited packages (3- or 6-month engagements), or
Ongoing retainers (with minimum commitment of 12-months)
All engagements are governed by a written coaching agreement that outlines scope, boundaries, fees, and expectations.