Coaching empowers the client to move forward in their life by determining the client’s purpose in life, including their goals, and discovering the obstacles and challenges that stand in the way of implementing a course of action that serves to address what is most important to the client. Therapy is designed to help the client address mental health concerns that may require looking back in their life to determine from where their core principles developed to enable them to change how they react to life issues in the future. However, coaching and therapy can occur concurrently and can easily work synergistically with each other. If I feel that a client’s needs go beyond the scope of my coaching practice, I will be upfront about saying so and will encourage the client to seek mental health services.

I only work with clients who are inspiring or have an inspiring mission. They need to have made or be ready to make a big impact in the world. The coaching relationship has to be fun for both of us. The client has to bring with them a challenge on which they want to work. They must understand the power of commitment. These are the clients who will gain the most out of a coaching relationship, and thankfully, this describes almost every physician who I know.

Any issue that is of concern to the client, with the exception of mental and health-related issues, are acceptable for the coach-client relationship. Clients frequently discuss challenges that they are having at work, in relationships, in family issues, in personal challenges, and regarding goals that clients want to achieve to feel fulfilled in their lives. Issues can range from burnout and moral injury to communication issues with family members to wanting to lose weight or run a marathon, among many others.

Friction and chaos in their practices, changes in their roles or responsibilities, dissatisfaction with their careers, leadership, communication among peers, administration, and staff, changes in management on a personal and financial level, and career development and planning. Coaching empowers clients to make better or faster decisions, gain clarity on goals and roles, facilitate improvement on competencies, explore a more successful and fulfilling life, heighten engagement and productivity, improve individual performance, and motivate and retain good staff.

Yes. Any issues that are of concern to the client are “fair game” during coaching, the exception being those that may fall into the mental or physical health arenas. Personal, family, and community concerns are all appropriate for, and allow for major gains, in those areas as well.

Although the coaching relationship is designed to assist the client in finding answers to their questions themselves by asking evocative questions, there may be an occasion when advice-giving may be appropriate. However, this occurs very infrequently and is not the goal of coaching. I generally ask for permission to give advice before doing so in a coaching session for this reason.

Yes. The coaching relationship is completely confidential. Only the people that you tell that you are receiving coaching services will know that you are seeking coaching, and everything that is discussed in a coaching session is completely confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone.

I request 24 hours advance notice before a session is canceled in order to credit that session back to the client.

While I certainly strive to make every coaching session of value to the client, there may be rare occasions when the client and I simply do not “click.” If that is found to be the case, a refund will be provided back to the client for any unused sessions. That is also the benefit of the “discovery session” that I have with clients before we agree to work together, as we can see if our styles mesh at that time.

I am currently providing all coaching services via Zoom secondary to the coronavirus pandemic. However, I will be happy to provide these services in person when it is felt to be safe for both the client and myself to meet in person.

Although some insurance companies are starting to recognize the value of coaching services as separate from medical and mental health services, most medical insurance companies do not currently reimburse for coaching services. I remain hopeful that this may change in the future.