How will you help me reach my career and life goals?
I will assess your current situation, help you develop specific strategies for change, teach you how to connect with professional resources for support, problem-solve with you when the inevitable obstacles and challenges arise, and co-create new goals once you achieve your original goals.
What is your background specific to career development and coaching?
- Certification as a Personal and Executive Coach through the College of Executive Coaching, the leading coach training program for people with graduate degrees.
- A 15+ year successful track record helping clients to choose, change, or advance their careers.
- A license to practice as a psychologist; while career coaching and consulting are not therapy, my background and knowledge of psychology are helpful in all the work I do.
If I want to find a new job, how will you help me?
I will help you with strategy in these areas:
- Suggestions about how to organize a successful job search.
- Recommendations about how to optimize your resume, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile.
- Information about how to connect with employers and how to respond to interview questions.
- Preparation for a job interview.
- Exploration about professional communities to provide insider support.
- Help with choosing between multiple job offers.
- Assistance with salary negotiations.
Will you create my resume, cover letter, and/or LinkedIn profile?
During our coaching sessions, I will provide suggestions about how to make these materials effective. If you wish to outsource this area completely, I will help you find a professional resume writer.
If I want to change careers, how will you help me?
- Recommend assessments to explore your interests, strengths, values, and personality.
- Teach you how to explore workplace options that are aligned with your career goals.
- Suggest action steps.
- Provide support and problem-solving during the implementation of your career development plan.
If I like my career but I want to advance, how will you help me?
- Evaluate your career history and help you to plan and take action to move to the next career level(s).
- Serve as a sounding board to ensure your career and personal decisions and actions are congruent with your individual goals, values, and preferences.
- Assess your emotional intelligence and provide suggestions for emotional skills development.
- Coach you about interpersonal effectiveness in areas associated with leadership (examples are stress management, work-life integration, managing difficult interactions with bosses / co-workers / employees / customers, job-shaping, etc.).
If I want to launch and/or grow a business, how will you help me?
- Work with you to choose your business direction and strategy.
- Support you in taking action steps and learning new skills to meet your business objectives.
- Help you decide which business tasks to complete yourself and which ones to outsource.
- Suggest sources of emotional support for the challenges of entrepreneurship.
- Coach you about the “people side” of business, work/life integration, and stress management.
What are the logistics of working with you?
I work primarily via telephone for most meetings, and sometimes via Zoom for interview prep. If you prefer another video platform, I have accounts with most major options and I can accommodate most preferences.
I also offer e-coaching to clients who prefer writing-based services.
My coaching style is very similar to that of a consultant because my background is strong in business consulting.
I use inquiry, assessment, reflection, dialogue, and specific assignments to build your level of self-awareness, skill, responsibility, and sustained momentum. I provide structure, focus, feedback, and support as together we develop and implement concrete steps to assist you in attaining your desired vision and accomplishments.
What are your fees for services?
My fee is $225 per 45 minute meeting. I can also arrange 90 minute meetings by request. I reserve a few reduced-fee sessions for clients experiencing financial hardship or employed in professions that serve the public good; please inquire about availability.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Master Card, Visa, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Venmo.
Can we chat before I hire you so that we can decide whether we are a good fit to work together?
Yes. Please contact me to ensure I have the right expertise to help you, and if so, we will arrange a 15-20 minute telephone conversation.
What is your rescheduling/canceling/no show policy?
If you reserve a session time, then other clients do not have access to that time. If you cannot give me 24-hour notice if you need to reschedule or cancel, there is a $50 fee. Clients who find scheduling difficult due to work, family, or other life circumstances may find e-coaching works best for them.
May clients email you?
Yes, certainly. Brief check ins are an important part of coaching, and I will respond without charging you a fee. For in-depth questions, I will read everything and either address the content of the email communication at our next meeting or clarify with you if you prefer I respond between sessions and bill you for the work at the same hourly rate as my normal fee for work with you.
Are career coaching and consulting fees tax-deductible?
Sometimes they are. Please consult with your financial advisor or review the IRS guidelines on topics related to professional development.
Does health insurance cover career coaching services?
Usually, no. To receive mental health insurance benefits, there must be a diagnosis of a mental health disorder and/or there must be a provable “medical necessity,” which is not typically the case for career development and workplace psychology. If career concerns are part of a medical diagnosis such as anxiety or depression, then health insurance may cover therapy sessions. I do not mix my work as a therapist with my work as a coach. If we decide your goals are better suited to therapy than coaching, I will refer you to resources to find a therapist.
Since you are a licensed psychologist, do you provide therapy?
Yes, in a separate line of business from coaching, but I am not currently accepting new therapy clients. If you are seeking a therapist instead of a coach, please ask me for referrals.
How long does the coaching process take?
It depends on what you want to achieve. For a very specific and time-limited goal, such as interview prep, choosing between multiple job offers, or making an urgent career decision, we may meet only one time. For more complex goals such as finding a new job, making a career change, changing long-established patterns of behavior, or getting support in a highly challenging work environment, the coaching process may take 3-12+ months.
If I become your client, how often would we meet?
Clients have access to my calendar and schedule as needed. Meeting regularly creates momentum and increases the productiveness of coaching. Clients may choose weekly, twice monthly, monthly, or “as needed” frequency.
Will you use a bunch of tests to tell me what careers I should choose?
Sometimes. When I believe assessments will be helpful and will accelerate our coaching progress, I will recommend them to you and it will always be clear about the cost and purpose in advance so that you can decide whether to purchase the assessment(s). I am mindful of cost and I choose affordable, high-quality assessments.
If I am looking for a job, will you introduce me to a recruiter or to your network of connections?
No. I am not a recruiter who places individuals with organizations, nor am I a personal agent who markets individuals for job opportunities. Those are different jobs than what I do. I can coach you about how to be marketable to recruiters. Recruiters can be extremely helpful for career advancement within the same career field if you have a very solid track record of achievement with a clear trajectory. Recruiters are not as helpful if you are hoping to make a career change. Most professions don’t use personal agents. Exceptions are sports, the literary world, and entertainment.
Can you provide me with names of hiring managers so that I can contact them?
No. If your primary goal is to get competitive intelligence about organizations, there are research professionals and associations who specialize in providing this type of information.
Are services confidential?
Yes. I will keep your information confidential except for rare circumstances dictated by laws (for example, any threat of harm to self or others). I also encourage you to be careful about what you send via email stored on work computers, as many employers monitor employee communications.
Can you provide references?
Please visit my references page to read samples of what clients have written about me.
Does your business offer a guarantee?
I guarantee the quality of my services to you. The outcome depends on your motivation, effort, persistence, and also circumstances outside of my control (such as the economy or internal changes within an employing organization). Excellent outcomes depend on sustained action on your part. If you do not currently have the time or ability to take sustained action, I recommend waiting until the timing is better for you to start.
Do you work with clients outside the U.S.?
My primary expertise is U.S.-specific, so if your goals require knowledge of another country’s employment norms and culture, please inquire about services and together we will decide if I have the expertise you are seeking.
May I record our meetings?
Let’s agree that neither of us will record the other. If you have questions about why this is my business policy, please ask me.
I have questions that weren’t answered here.
Please send them to me before our first meeting, and I will address them when we talk.
This page was updated on 10/23/21.