Mindset refers to the way you interpret and make sense of your world and experiences. It influences how you think, feel and behave, and how you respond (or don’t!) to opportunities, setbacks, and personal goals.

Mindset Coaching focuses on developing a positive, and growth-oriented mindset to identify and shift limiting beliefs, self-doubt, fears, attitudes, and patterns that hold you back from pursuing opportunities and goals, and builds your resilience in the face of obstacles along the way.

Mindset coaching can address challenges so many of us struggle with and often don’t even realize they are things we can change. Things like: self-doubt, fear of failure, procrastination, negative self-talk, understanding our motivations and resistance to change, and handling stress or setbacks.

Self-discovery, homing in on your values, discovering more meaning in your days, and generally living your life in a way that is purposeful for you are also topics that can be relished in Coaching.

If you are seeking personal or professional growth, improved self-confidence, deeper self-awareness, making a life pivot, building your life around meaning and purpose, more resilience, or accountability and support in achieving your goals, Mindset Coaching can absolutely benefit you.

If you notice that you have a strong inner critic, or that doubts and fear keep you from doing the things you want to do (or even believing new things are possible), Mindset Coaching will definitely be your friend!

Mindset Coaching is focused on your personal growth and development, achieving your goals, boosting confidence, improving self-awareness and problem-solving skills. Therapy and counseling practices are more focused on understanding your past and how it affects mental health, diagnosing mental illness and treating it, past traumas, and emotional healing.

More simply, therapy is focused on mental illness, the past, and healing, whereas coaching is focused on the future, going from surviving to thriving, and helping you reach your goals.

I am so glad you asked this question! Unfortunately, anyone can go online and call themselves a coach, there is no license required. Look for a coach who is a Certified Coach. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) provides gold standard accreditation for coaches. “ICF-credentialed coaches are professionals who have met stringent education and experience requirements, and have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the coaching competencies that set the standard in the profession. Additionally, they adhere to strict ethical guidelines as part of ICF’s mission to protect and serve coaching consumers.”

Although Coaching is not therapy, a certified coach who also has a psychology background can increase the expertise and tools they can pull from to support you in coaching.

Curious about me? I received my Masters in Psychology and have worked in research and as a clinician for 17+ years before I started coaching. I am an ICF Associate Certified Coach, and Coach Training World Whole Person Certified Coach.

It depends. Ha. I bet you knew that was coming. Some people may only need a session or two to get focused and back on track. But because so much of our mindset that keeps us stuck and holds us back is a pattern of thinking and behaving that we have been practicing most of our lives, it tends to be deep seated and it takes time to practice and implement a new way of thinking and responding over a number of weeks or months.

However, what I love so much about coaching is that it is a way for you to learn the tools and deep knowledge about yourself so that you will be able to continue using them and coaching yourself long after you have finished your coaching sessions. As much as I’m sure I will adore each of my clients, my goal is not to grow old together! I love it when my client tells me, “I don’t think I need you anymore… but I’m glad you’re always there.”

No. If you have unhealed trauma, or mental health concerns that are getting in your way, therapy is the way to go. In fact, if you sign up to work with a coach and they are concerned that you may benefit from working with a therapist, they should gently suggest you may be better served working with a therapist instead, and support you in finding someone who can help if you choose. If you are already in therapy, or have been in the past, coaching can absolutely be the next step in supporting your ability to thrive, but it does not replace therapy.

I get it! Signing up for Mindset Coaching should be a commitment to yourself and you should be all in to really get the most out of it. I applaud you for being honest and making the right choice for you right now.

And, I really do remember the pain of feeling stuck, not knowing what steps to take next, so I am writing down my favorite tips and strategies for you. Be sure to check out past blogs for these and sign up for my newsletter to follow along! I sincerely hope you find some tools to support you, and if you do, drop me a line to let me know; I would love to hear from you and hear what’s helpful!