WHAT IS COACHING?
Coaching, therapy and mentorship: how they differ, and where they meet.
From the outside, they can look alike. Each one serves a different purpose, and knowing the difference helps you choose the support you need.
Our coaching draws on the strengths of all three, within clear and ethical boundaries.
HOW THEY DIFFER
Three kinds of support, three different purposes.
COACHING
A partnership for moving forward
- Focus
- Your goals, your growth and what you want next
- Looks at
- The present and the future. At times, touching back on the past creates clarity and meaning for what you want now.
- Who leads
- You do. Your coach asks, reflects and partners with you on the accountability you choose.
- Best when
- You’re ready to move forward and want a partner in the process
THERAPY
Clinical care for healing
- Focus
- Mental health, healing and emotional well-being
- Looks at
- The past and your emotions, to understand the present
- Who leads
- A licensed clinician, who can assess, diagnose and treat
- Best when
- Struggles are affecting your daily life, you’re looking for a diagnosis or you need clinical care
MENTORSHIP
Guidance from experience
- Focus
- Learning from someone who has walked the path
- Looks at
- The mentor’s own experience and lessons learned
- Who leads
- The mentor, who offers advice and direction
- Best when
- You want knowledge and an inside view from someone further along
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Read ICF’s definition
WHERE THEY MEET
Our coaching lives where all three overlap.
Coaching is the foundation of every partnership. It is also shaped by Jenn’s certified grief and trauma-informed coaching, 20+ years of VP and C-suite HR leadership and 12+ years of professional coaching. Here is how the three practices come together in our work with you.
- 1
Coaching + therapy: room for the whole emotional story
Feelings, loss and long-held patterns are welcome here. We explore them with trauma-informed care, so you can understand yourself and move forward.
- 2
Mentorship + therapy: a steady, trusted relationship
Real growth takes time. Our partnerships are built for the long term, with trust that deepens session by session.
- 3
Coaching + mentorship: perspective, only when you ask
You always lead. If you ask for it, Jenn may share her own perspective or experience where appropriate. Then the choice goes back to you, because you know your life best.
- 4
All three: a whole-person partnership
Deep listening, strict confidentiality and genuine care, with you at the center. This is where our coaching lives.
CLEAR, CARING BOUNDARIES
Where coaching stops.
Our coaching does not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. If therapy would serve you better, we will tell you honestly and help you find support. Coaching can also work alongside therapy, so you never have to choose between healing and growth.
Our coaching follows the ICF Code of Ethics, which holds coaches to the strictest level of confidentiality.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Curious whether coaching is the right fit?
A free consultation is a no-pressure conversation about where you are and what you want.