Are you wondering why a coaching approach might be the best route for you, as opposed to traditional counseling? There are so many compelling reasons to consider:
- Increased access to therapists that provide services outside of state lines- Did you know therapists are bound by a whole lot of legal red tape that prevents them from providing services to those outside of the states in which they are licensed? In many ways, this makes so much sense. However, most states make it incredibly hard for a therapist to even get licensed in additional states! And, with the national shortage of therapists, this can make it increasingly hard for many families to receive the services and support they need. Coaching avoids all that red tape. This means therapists can provide coaching services as long as they are NOT identical to the services they provide in their home state. But coaching is also unfortunately an unregulated service. When you work with a therapist, you know they ARE licensed, qualified and insured to provide professional services. Coaching requires none of that and as a result, many coaches lack formal training or experience. It is actually quite concerning and there is growing initiative within the coaching industry to establish regulations. However, we expect it will take quite some time before that occurs.
- Coaching gets to the point and looks towards the future, while therapy oftentimes explores the past- Therapy is very much focused on exploring ‘the whys and looking back towards your childhood to find those magic solutions or answers to today’s problems and challenges. But most people don’t have time to work through decades of pain just to get to a solution. That is what is great about coaching. Coaching goes straight to the goal. No need to look backwards at all the ‘what ifs’. Coaching recognizes that you have something that needs to be solved today and that is why it is typically more expensive and shorter term.
- When is a coach your best option? Coaching is ideally suited for those who are highly functioning and just need some tweaking to reach their full potential. It builds on an existing foundation of self-awareness and propels you to the next level much like a soccer coach provides soccer players an intensive workshop to help them hit that next level of competitiveness. Coaching focuses on how to overcome specific current challenges and will oftentimes focus specifically on 1-2 plans. That is why many coaches offer ‘packages’ consisting of a pre-determined number of sessions, which we generally find effective in achieving clients’ goals.
- But what about parenting support? Parenting is a bit different because we parents rarely think we are nailing it. Parent coaching is all about providing ‘parent behavior management training’ for those parents that in other areas of their lives are actually doing quite well. Parenting might feel like a train wreck, but most other areas of your life might feel ‘fine or good enough.’
- Where else can coaching help? We help adults with executive function skills (how do I get all the shit done), and support parents in learning how to help their children reach their full potentials. Additionally, we provide support for individuals seeking to navigate their relationships with ADHD partners (stopping the coddling process), become more efficient ADHD parents, and reduce the self-imposed pressure of being ‘almost there’ and yet falling short of their personal expectations. Remember, coaching is designed to be goal-oriented and task-focused and emphasizes effective solutions in order to cut off months (or years) of the process of creating improvements both at home and work.
- So when might a therapist actually be the best fit? Individuals should seek a licensed therapist if their goals are related to mental illness or a diagnosis that is impacting their life in a significant way. A therapist is going to focus on past experiences and emotional traumas to uncover the relationship between past events and current challenges. Counseling is for those who need deeper support, are having significant feelings of overwhelm or their daily lives are being impacted. And counseling is 100% the only recommendation for anyone experiencing thoughts of hopelessness, despair or self-harm.
- But why Michelle? Michelle brings a wealth of experience, with over a decade dedicated to helping ADHD families reach their full potential. Her expertise is now accessible outside of state boundaries and she is able to provide effective support and rapid results this way. Individuals in North Carolina or South Carolina who are interested in a more therapeutic approach can also connect with Michelle here (link to dandelion website). But remember, counseling services are quite different and are designed for a much longer time of suppor