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How do I know if therapy or coaching is best for me?
There are two primary reasons for your initial consultation with the Principal: the first is to assess your suitability for the modality of therapy or coaching, and the second is to match you with the practitioner best suited to meet your needs.
Two decades of experiences in human services have prepared Clare Bowen-Davies well for making these assessments, and she will explain her reasoning to you at the time of the meeting.
These are some of the factors being considered in this determination:
- your own clarity about whether you are looking for a therapist or a coach;
- whether your issues obviously lend themselves to therapy or coaching (in other words, if you're seeking marriage counseling, therapy is appropriate; if you're seeking a job promotion, coaching is appropriate);
- your level of functioning - depression and anxiety lends itself to therapy whereas difficulty communicating at the office lends itself to coaching;
- healing past addiction and trauma lends itself to a specialist in this area, most likely a licensed clinician;
- whether or not you wish to use a therapy low-fee insurance reimbursement slot, and if there is one available;
- whether the bulk of the work can be done on the phone or needs to be done in person (coaching lends itself to the phone, therapy does not).
Another alternative is a highly effective combination of both therapy and coaching. For example, Susan [name changed] presented for what appeared to be an obvious coaching issue - she was having difficulty with the "soft skills" at the office, those touchy feely EQ type (Emotional Quotient per Daniel Goleman) relating skills with her team. As we explored the origin of this challenge, it became clear that the emotionally absent mothering she experienced had a big impact, so we set up a therapy agreement with a strong coaching component address of all her concerns.
How do I choose a therapist or coach?
We recommend you ask your friends and family for recommendations and ask why a particular therapist or coach is being recommended.
Then we suggest you contact the professional and let them know you are interviewing for a therapist or coach, and are they willing to answer questions on the phone, or are they willing to meet with you for a free consultation (probably half an hour). (Generally, coaches offer a free half hour consultation, and therapists tend not to, prefering to conduct an initial full fee assessment session).
The single most important factor is listening to your instinctual response to the professional. How do you feel talking to them? Positive, negative? Any apprehension? Feel welcomed, understood, encouraged? A good solid connection, or a vague disconnect?
Beyond that, ask questions about their training, how long they've been in practice, in what do they specialize, what's their "theoretical orientation" (for therapists) or fundamental belief system about how people change (for coaches).
What distinguishes the different types of therapist available?
PSYCHIATRISTS are medical doctors (M.D.) who can prescribe medication for psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, psychosis, personality disorders and so on. They generally consult for medication rather than conduct psychotherapy, although some do offer both services.
PSYCHOLOGISTS have a (Ph.D.) doctoral degree and do not prescribe medication. They administer and interpret psychological tests, and work in clinical settings such as prisons, hospitals and private practice.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS (MFT's) have a master's degree (M.A. or M.S.) in psychology or related field and are state licensed. The scope of their license is to practice in the domain of relationships, and they often work with individuals, couples and families.
LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKERS (LCSW's) have a master's degree in social work and are also state licensed. They tend to work in the broader context of the social milieu and are often found in county agencies, although many also work with individual, couples and families in private practice.
All licensed professionals are guided by clear legal and ethical standards set out by their governing bodies which promise confidentiality and a professional environment in which the client may feel safe.
Do therapists work differently?
Therapists tend to approach their work based on how they were trained and there are a multitude of different approaches and modalities. The most common ones tend to be:
Cognitive/Behavioral - usually short term and focused on changing your thinking and behavior;
Transpersonal - emphasizing spiritual and transpersonal integration;
Psychodynamic - focusing on early childhood and other life experiences, insight oriented, usually long term;
Family systems - focusing on family of origin dynamics and how they influence present family functioning;
Existential - focusing on the here and now experience rather than the past and future, more "meaning of life" oriented;
Somatic - focusing on bodily sensations, using the body as resource, resolving the past through acknowledgement of the power of the body's resilience then and now.
It's important to both find a therapist who feels like a good fit as a person, and also works from a theory which works for you.
How do the Coaching International practitioners work?
Our practitioners have been thoroughly evaluated and are credentialed in their field. We have licensed psychotherapists and psychologists, certified coaches and somatic coaches. After an initial consultation with the principal, you will be referred to the most appropriate practitioner according to your geographical location and concerns.
What is a "somatic" approach?
Another way to think about "somatic" is "body-oriented." Mainstream psychotherapy and coaching deals almost exclusively with intellectual thoughts and psychological emotions. What's missing with this approach is the integrated neuro-psycho-biology that we all have. We just can't separate our neurology from our psychology or our biology as they are intertwined like the weave of a fabric.
By bringing our attention to the body, noticing sensations, being aware of our breathing, posture, and internal experience, the body becomes a resource rather than simply a vehicle for the head. As such, it becomes a powerful and invaluable resource as the leader of our own lives and the leader of others in organizations.
How long does therapy take?
This is an excellent question but a difficult one to answer. It depends on who you are, how emotionally and psycholgically stable you are, if you need medication or psychological testing, how much support you have, what you want to work on, how complex are the issues, who else is involved in the equation, and so on. As you may imagine, the less complex the issue, the less time is generally required, the more complex, the more time.
Some high functioining and highly motivated clients are able to come for as few as eight to twelve sessions and feel stabilized enough to be complete. Others attend for six months, and others may need a year or two - it really depends on a myriad of factors that cannot be addressed generically here.
How long does coaching take?
This is an excellent question but a difficult one to answer. It depends on who you are, what you want to work on, how complex are the issues, what skills you already have, what skills need to be developed, who else is involved in the equation, and so on. As you may imagine, the less complex the issue, the less time is generally required, the more complex, the more time.
Concerns and habits of a lifetime are not going to change overnight, nor even in a month or two. The more willing you are to take on homework between sessions, the more motivated you are toward change, the quicker the work is likely to go. We generally find that once clients begin the work and see results, they become less concerned with the questions of "how long" and become more concerned with "what else is possible?"
We ask for an initial commitment of three to six months and find that many of our clients continue the work for at least another six months because they are so delighted with the results they are achieving.
Do you accept insurance?
Unfortunately, we no longer accept insurance for reimbursement of therapy.
What's the investment?
Investment of time and money varies according to the goals you set for yourself and the practitioner with whom you work, so this will be determined after your initial consultation with the Principal. Fees are commensurate with usual and customary for therapy and coaching in your geographical location.
Therapy clients pay at the time of the session - please check with your therapist about methods of reimbursement which customarily will include the options of cash, check, Visa/MasterCard, or PayPal.
Coaching clients are billed at the beginning of the month for that month - please check with your coach about methods of reimbursement which customarily will include the options of cash, check, Visa/MasterCard, PayPal or direct deposit to a bank account.
How long is each session or meeting?
A therapy session lasts 50 minutes. There are occasions when you may want to book a double session with your therapist (100 minutes) and the fee will be doubled accordingly.
A coaching session lasts anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes. Telephone sessions last from 30 to 60 minutes and in person sessions last 60 to 90 minutes. You and your coach will agree on the length of session ahead of time to take care of mutual scheduling concerns.
Where are you located?
Our head office is located in Birmingham, U.K.
Our practitioners are located in the U.K., throughout the Bay Area, and on the East Coast of the U.S.A.. However, location is less important than the personal connection you make with your practitioner as much of the work can be done via the telephone and with email; the use of videocams helps bridge any geographical divide.
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