Yes, we have a trauma-informed and highly health-educated approach, meaning our coaching can also be applied safely to help those with mental health conditions or a trauma history. Every coaching session is unique and different, but below lists the overall structure of coaching applied to mental health or trauma.

Our focus is on functionality and helping you achieve your personalized version of healthy living. We work with clients on exploring their current mental landscape and working through the everyday effects of a condition or trauma. We then assist in a process of exploration that honors client and input, to construct step-by-step changes to environments, behaviors, mindsets at the client's pace. This, along with tools and resources coaches may offer with consent, can significantly improve functioning and health for those with trauma and mental or physical conditions. Coaches may also provide different frameworks and perspectives that assist clients in creating new understandings of their thoughts and emotions, reducing feelings of war or barriers within oneself.

For mental health conditions:

We do not diagnose or prescribe, however, for clients who are interested, we are happy to provide resources to connect you with professionals who do.

Whether coaching is used to enhance the therapy process or as a standalone service, most clients can experience positive changes in symptoms and quality of life from the changes and resilient mindsets that coaching nourishes.

We also understand there can be complex feelings around diagnoses. Sometimes it can feel liberating to have a word for an experience, other times the attached prognoses may feel limiting, or the diagnosis itself may conflict with cultural viewpoints. The beauty in coaching is that we are not tied to one framework. We help you relate to your diagnosis in the ways that you choose, work with you to move past limitations, and also hold space for the challenges that come with your unique situation.

For trauma:

Coaching does not need to dive into the trauma to help you free yourself from it. We do not ask invasive questions, nor do we need them for an effective session. But we do hold space for clients to share these emotionally-intense experiences if they feel called to.

Coaching focuses on the effects the trauma currently has on your body, mind, and emotions. We are able to provide education on the body's safety mechanisms, and assist clients in finding methods to re-regulate physically, emotionally, mentally, as well as creating the environments and adaptations needed to support re-regulation. Our direction is the client's vision of life liberated from these past experiences. At your own pace, we create personalized goal plans that reinforce this freedom and safety. For some this can be a complicated process with many ups and downs, as the brain tries to remember what it needs to keep you safe. Your coach will collaborate with you on an individual basis regarding referrals to therapy if assistance with direct processing of past events may help you move forward.

If you are seeking therapy to help with past processing of trauma, you may consider using the psychologytoday.com "Find a Therapist" directory to search for compatible trauma informed therapists, or therapists trained in trauma specific techniques like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

Mental health coaching and therapy are two different help-methods via talking with a professional. The following comparison and contrast is meant to help you understand the strengths of each. In briefest possible summary, therapy has strengths in deconstructing the old, and coaching in creating the new. But in some situations, just one modality is enough for both. For example, the process of reflecting and creating new behaviors with a coach can in itself unwire old patterns for some individuals. For others, a deep dive with a therapist or specialized therapy modalities are needed. Some therapists may also help create future oriented goals and plans. We encourage you to read the following comparison to learn how to get the most out of each modality, as each can be highly beneficial.

To get the best results in either therapy or coaching, it is also best to research the professionals you are choosing to make sure they practice in ways that are compatible with your needs. See our coaches below. For therapists you can use the Find a Therapist tool atpsychologytoday.com .

Coaching:

Coaching is a non-clinical care service aimed towards assisted exploration and reflection of yourself and situation(s), followed by action. It helps identify and replace dysfunctional or limiting habits, beliefs, and mindsets and builds ones that align with the client's view of direction and self in a step-by-step process. It is a collaborative service, meaning the coach involves the client's input throughout the session and respects their preferred topics of focus. Coaching as a skillset could be focused on many things- mental health is just one topic or subspecialty. Our facility also coaches on physical health, life challenges, and more. It’s a great tool to figure out and implement the “hows”. Honoring the reality of environmental challenges, this process also involves exploring relevant parts of your mental landscape, environments, support systems, strengths, core beliefs, values, and life experiences to assist you in a process of molding the variables towards your favor.

We've had additional training in applying these skills specifically to helping people with mental health conditions or symptoms thrive. We do not diagnose or prescribe. However, by focusing on our client's unique experience of their condition and life variables, our sessions are highly successful at helping clients recognize and maximize their points of power over their mental health in both their internal and external environments. This usually leads to significant improvements in mental wellbeing, and very often symptom reduction as a result.

Therapy:

Therapy is a medical service by a licensed professional. There are many types of therapy, and different types are better aimed at treating different conditions. The structure of a therapy session depends largely on the professional's specialties and the types of therapy they are using. Therapist's are trained to help client's understand the "why's", as well as apply techniques tailored towards diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions. They are capable of applying techniques aimed directly at symptom management. Therapists (or psychologists and psychiatrists) develop and oversee crisis management plans in case of emergency.

Our coaches are happy to collaborate with your therapist, or help connect you with a therapist when preferred. They may also, with your consent, provide education on specific types of therapy that may help you find a good therapist match.

Similarities and differences:

Both coaching and therapy use knowledge of psychology, but they use it differently. Therapy applies medical and clinical applications of many forms of psychology, and if your therapist is also a social worker, they'll apply sociology (understanding social impacts on your life). Coaching uses specific branches of behavioral psychology intermingled with some forms of sociology and philosophy.

Therapy can be generalized as a service that heals past-focused experience, and coaching as a future-focused service. But there may be some overlap depending on the professional and situation. Coaches do not dig into a client's past, but we hold space when it comes up and assist in utilizing the information from it. A coach would listen and reflect, but not untangle that old event. We apply it as a means of understanding that event's effect on your present state and how that contributes to your ability to achieve your vision of wellbeing. Our interventions place power in your ability to mold your current perceptions and future actions. Therapy has strengths in remaining with that event to untangle and process it. For some clients, they may benefit from having a therapist apply tools and questions that allow them to interact more healthily with these past experiences to make room for the new ones. Depending on the therapist's practice style and skillset, they may focus mostly on application of healthcare and re-processing, or they may also assist in future-oriented work.

We've mentioned that therapists have strengths in uncovering "why's" (eg. why do you think or feel a certain way), and coaches in "how's" (eg. how can we change or achieve this), but this too may depend on the professional and situation. Coaching involves an exploration phase of the sessions in which many times a client may emerge with better understanding of a "why", and some forms of therapy also incorporate the "how" in their treatment methods.

Referrals made with your needs in mind:

If you or your coach think that you may benefit from clinical mental health practices such as therapy or psychiatry, we will ask for your permission to refer or connect you with clinical resources.

However, we are also aware of the difficulties that many experience in trusting our medical system. Our coaching services will never force you into clinical intervention, as this is a mutual interaction, and a non-medical service. If the scope of coaching is not sufficient to provide the aid you need, we are also able to support you in exploring alternative therapeutics, culturally relevant therapeutics, or other branches of healthcare if you prefer.

All you need to do is commit to showing up for yourself via attending your sessions. Part of the coach’s skillset is assisting you in gaining momentum building motivation from the ground up, so you do not need to take on the onus of figuring that out alone.

True coaching never involves a coach "telling you what to do".

In our sessions, if we have a tool or background knowledge in a subject that may be helpful, we ask for your consent before sharing that tool. This allows clients to guide their own session while also benefitting from a coach's resources.

With consent, coaches may also offer creative insight, new ideas for generating or modifying goals, or take part in the brainstorming process.

Almost anyone can benefit from good-quality coaching if they would like an assist in life, have encountered an obstacle, or would like to make change in their life or health. But in the case of the following, please seek medical attention and get treatment before seeking coaching:

• You are experiencing psychosis, losing touch with reality, or experiencing hallucinations.

• You are actively using substances. Coaching is a great tool to assist you in overcoming addictions, but please do not attend sessions while you are under the influence.

• You are in active crisis or have a plan to harm yourself or someone else.

Emergency, Urgent, and Crisis Resources:

For Emergency services dial 911 and ask for an ambulance, social worker, or crisis team.

For the Crisis hotline call or text 988.

For Psychiatric Urgent Care (outpatient) options, please google a facility near you. For local residents, you may visit the following clinic:

6501 N. Charles Street • Baltimore, MD 21204

410-938-5302

Or visit their website by clicking here.

Coaching is rooted in behavioral sciences, so we are trained specifically in this issue. Many folks seek out coaching because they've had difficulties making lasting change on their own. That's why we're here to help.

We have also found that clients who have struggled in the past to make change, sometimes even with other coaches, tend to do very well with our coaching methods because of the additional mental health training we apply.

Together we'll analyze what's already been tried, what works and doesn't for you specifically, and explore your relationship with your goals, values, and barriers. Keep in mind, lasting change is a process. We assist clients in breaking down goals into manageable, sustainable steps and finding tailored, creative solutions.

Some individuals choose to try again with methods they've already tried, after re-analyzing with their coach and shifting their mindset. Others opt to generate new methods completely. Some enjoy asking for some input from coaches who may have a background in a relevant field, while others prefer the coach to remain input-free and prompt them to do their own thinking entirely. The coaching dynamic is highly individualized and in your hands. Regardless, we work alongside you in developing out-of-the-box, novel approaches to get where you want to be.

Coaching can be a helpful tool in aiding group dynamics. Depending on the coach's background, they may be equipped to coach multiple parties in one session to help couples, groups, parents/kids, caregivers and their loved ones.

Schedule a Free Consultation with the coach you're interested in for inquiries. Click here to schedule.

Fee schedules: The standard fee is charged per client present in the session. There is no additional fee for a group session.

We can also incorporate tools for interpersonal relationships in standard individual coaching sessions. The above is referring to clients who would like all involved parties to be present and participating in the coaching,