Coaching and Speaking
I speak and run workshops and seminars for organizations focused on the ideas I explore in Resilient and on Being Well. I’m also available for media interviews as a guest expert, and work with a small number of individual clients through my private coaching practice.
Common Topics:
Developing inner strengths like mindfulness, courage, and compassion.
Combining acceptance and agency to create the life you want.
Identifying, understanding, and meeting our needs.
Improving self-awareness and ego strength.
Understanding our history, and using that knowledge to figure out what you truly want.
Increasing resilience, discipline, and mental toughness.
Healthy ways to understand masculinity.
Working with cognitive bypassing, and understanding the structure of psychological defenses.
Why You Shouldn’t Work With Me
The foundation of my work rests in the Western psychological tradition as opposed to modern executive coaching approaches. Because I use concepts from psychology in my work, and have had hundreds of public conversations with doctors and therapists, there are occasionally misunderstandings about my training, qualifications, and the nature of the work that I do.
Coaching is not therapy, it is an unlicensed and largely unregulated profession. “Coach” is not a protected term, which means that there are no standardized qualifications for earning that title. Anyone can call themselves a coach.
I am not a therapist or doctor, I do not have an advanced degree in a related field, and I’ve received minimal formal training. I work with a small number of clients, almost all of whom are already familiar with my writing and teaching. They appreciate that body of work, and accept it as my qualification.
Because I am not a doctor or therapist, I do not diagnose or treat mental disorders. I cannot prescribe or take insurance. If you are experiencing clinical levels of dysfunction or disorder, I am not the right person for you.
Some clients choose to work with me alongside or following a formal course of therapy, and the combination of coaching and therapy can be both effective and rewarding.
If You’ve Made It This Far…
Therapy exists inside of a medical model focused on the treatment of pathology. It’s great at moving people from dysfunctional to functional, but typically has less of an emphasis on exploring how we can truly excel in our minds and out in the world. That’s where coaching comes in.
While some of the people I work with are interested in fine-tuning an already fantastic life, most face a core issue they feel is holding them back in their work or relationships. Our work together often starts there, but rarely ends there. Common goals include:
Finding purpose.
Identifying key wants and needs.
Developing self-acceptance, self-worth, and self-confidence.
Getting “unstuck,” and moving on from an old version of yourself.
Becoming more self-aware, getting in touch with your interior, and dealing with the emotional pain that can come during that process.
I strongly recommend prospective clients read Resilient or listen to several episodes of Being Well prior to working with me. Those resources will give you a sense of my overall style and approach while being helpful in their own right.
I charge $225/hour, and require a commitment to four sessions.
If you’re interested in working with me, use the form below and include “coaching” in the subject line.
