Frequently Asked Questions

Traditional therapy tends to focus on clinical diagnosis, symptom reduction, and examining the past; there is often a formal diagnosis, such as Major Depressive Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In coaching, the focus is not on a clinical diagnosis and, typically, the work is more present and future focused and less emphasis is put on childhood experiences. In coaching, you are working together on a specific issue, while traditional therapy can be more broad in scope. Additionally, coaching is usually time-limited while traditional therapy can last for many years.

In this case, one option is to engage in traditional therapy with a different provider at the same time as you are still doing the coaching program. However, if it is determined that traditional therapy would be a better fit instead of coaching, then a refund will be issued for the unused portion of the program and Dr. Elliott will help you locate resources to find a therapist.

It is best to keep coaching and traditional therapy separate, so you would not be able to see me for both. If we start with coaching and then you become interested in therapy, I will assist you in finding an appropriate provider. If you decide that you want traditional therapy to begin with, and we have not yet established a coaching relationship, you can feel free to reach out to me about that option, however my therapy practice (Growth & Resilience Psychological Services) tends to have an on-going waitlist.

The benefits of individual coaching include a very tailored and customized experience based on your specific needs. The benefits of group coaching include increased social support, relating to others who have gone through something similar, and gaining the perspective of multiple people. You might feel awkward at the very beginning of the group experience, but this is normal and is often something that people bond over at first. Part of the group screening phone call is to help you determine whether or not the group approach or the individual approach would be a better fit. During that phone call, I will provide more details on what to expect and you can ask any additional questions you may have.

An on-line course is cost-effective, you can complete it at your own pace, and you can customize the material to fit your own needs. Also, you can work on the course at any time of day that fits with your schedule rather than showing up at a specific appointment time. One consideration regarding on-line courses is that they do tend to involve a lot of homework, so you have to be prepared to follow through with the assignments in order to get the most out of the material.