Know The Basics (FAQs)

• We understand that there is some confusion out there about what “life coaching” or “executive coaching” is. That’s because there is no professional organization or board that certifies credentials in the practice of life coaching yet. And THAT makes it hard to know who to trust and what you should be getting for your money.

• Coaching is meant to be a short-term, shared process between coach and client. Clients should come with specific goals and coaches should respond with research-based information, targeted skills-building, and practical problem-solving strategies based on the real processes of change. Both parties should have a solutions-orientation, a willingness to develop self-awareness, and a tolerance for a bit of trial and error.

• Coaching should not: be mostly personal advice or grounded only in a coach’s “life experiences,” be a vague or mysterious process, or create a long-term dependence of the client on the coach.

• At Compass, coaching is designed around your goals. You’re the one who knows what you want and how you want yourself or your team to improve. If you’re willing to go out and find the training and resources you need (which you are, if you’re reading this!), that’s where our coaches come in. We collaborate with you on your goals, giving you reliable information, tailored assessments, skills development practice opportunities, goal-oriented behavioral strategies, and help in applying these skills to your specific situation. We offer both topic-specific, empirically-based programs as well as individualized coaching, all built on the latest research and solution-focused principles.

• Coaching is NOT counseling or psychotherapy (though the coaches at Compass are licensed mental health professionals). Psychotherapy is a form of treatment aimed at relieving emotional distress and mental health disorders. It typically involves examining and gaining insight into one’s past emotional learning and trauma, family systems, and history of intrapersonal dynamics, while coaching is focused on the present and future. While you may see some therapy techniques in coaching, such as building self awareness, skills development, and changing patterns of thought and behavior, you won’t see others such as memory reconsolidation or family of origin work. Counseling and psychotherapy may have open timeframes and evolving goals, while coaching is typically time-limited and has one or a few well-defined goals. What coaching and counseling have in common is the use of science-backed change processes in the service of client wellbeing and success. 

• Other life coaches often want to tell you what you need to work on. At Compass coaching, you are the expert on your life and what you need. Our goal is to help you reach the goals you choose.

• Other life coaches are often well-intentioned people with good life experience to share. At Compass, we are experts (literally, licensed experts with doctoral degrees who you can vet) on the empirically-supported processes of change. That means our help will never just be “personal advice.” You will always be able to ask us to explain the scientific grounding or research evidence for anything we do or recommend. We offer a high-quality experience that you can trust (and verify).

• Other coaches might be willing to give you advice on anything, whether they’re qualified or not. As professionals, we’ll never give you advice outside our areas of competence. (For example, while we can help you with the cognitive and behavioral underpinnings of managing your finances, we won’t give you advice about the stock market. And while we can help you and your team build motivation, adjust group dynamics, or maximize their cognitive performance, we’ll never tell you what goals your company should pursue or who should be in charge.)

• Other life coaches may offer you some very enticing options, like “texting anytime!” While it might feel nice to be able to receive “coaching” right in a stressful or confusing moment, those life coaches know that being available 24/7 leads you to develop a dependence on them, and they’re counting on it - so you keep paying them longer! At Compass, we want to give you convenient help and support that leads to your independence. Our goal is to help you achieve your goals in at time-limited way, with a focus on skills that will transfer to other healthy and effective problem-solving. If, after that, you had such a good experience that you want to work on something else, you’re welcome to do that!

Team executive or organizational coaching is focused on improving how leaders and teams function together to drive stronger results across an organization. It goes beyond individual development, addressing communication, alignment, decision-making, and overall team dynamics. Through guided conversations, feedback, and strategic support, coaching helps leaders clarify vision, strengthen trust, and create a culture of accountability and collaboration.

At the organizational level, coaching also looks at systems, structures, and behaviors that impact performance. It helps identify gaps, align teams with company goals, and build the leadership capacity needed to navigate change effectively. The outcome is a more cohesive, adaptable organization where people are empowered, engaged, and working together toward shared success.

We offer a wide range of motivational and educational topics designed to meet the unique needs of any audience. Whether the focus is on leadership development, team building, mental health awareness, resilience, communication skills, or personal growth, our presentations are adaptable, engaging, and impactful.

Coaching prices range between $150 per session to $250 per session based on the need and length of the session. Coaching cannot be paid for through insurance. Group executive coaching is based on a needs assessment that includes number of participants and sessions.

Motivational or educational speaking presentation costs are based on duration of time and distance traveled.

• Individual coaching typically lasts between 8 and 12 sessions depending on the coaching topic and clients’ needs. Sessions are typically 50 minutes long.

• Group/team coaching is designed based on the needs of the organization or company and can be scheduled as a 3-hour workshop, a 6-hour workshop, or multi-session trainings as desired by the client (e.g., 2 hours on Fridays for 5 weeks).

While coaching is available in the office, most coaching is provided remotely through a secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth service. Coaching sessions are specifically designed to work well in the virtual environment, for your convenience. As long as you find a private place with a good internet connection to attend your coaching sessions, you can do coaching anywhere!

We can “supercharge” your progress with the following services that support your thriving, and don’t foster your dependence, which you can request at an additional fee if you think they’d be helpful to you:

• Consultation meetings with your support team – this is a session with whomever you invite (e.g., spouse, kids, coworker, best friend) to explain what they can do to help surround you with support and make changes easier and last longer.

• Support documents – these are anything from a progress summary that you may want to show your spouse to a letter supporting your leave from work to a “cheat sheet” that you can keep in your wallet or on your mirror to help you remember important points from the session.

• Personalized homework – your coach can create journal prompts, worksheets, and other interactive resources for you to increase progress week over week .

• And some of our coaches offer Skills Boot Camps – a multi-hour training-and-practice session to maximize the development of important skills for faster progress.

We are a team made up of two experienced educators and mental health professionals who have been teaching, training, counseling, and presenting for over 20 years. Basically, we know the brain and how to formulate information and make it stick. Oh, and we are not boring.