How do therapy and coaching work?
The decision to see a therapist or coach is a very personal one. People realize that therapy or coaching can involve looking closely at yourself, your situation and the people around you. For some people, this can be very difficult at first, but the rewards are immeasurable. Having an expert psychologist to work with you in this process is an invaluable asset. This work helps people to enhance and maintain their physical and mental health, and promote honesty, intimacy and fulfillment in their lives.
It is important to understand that counseling and coaching differ from friendship. As a highly trained clinical psychologist, I work to guide you to find insight and solutions to problems that are keeping you from reaching your full potential. During a session you and I together will do the hard work that will lead you to the answers that are already inside of you. My clinical training enables me to challenge and support you in ways that your friends cannot. Often just telling someone who is not otherwise involved in your life about your goals and the pain or challenges you have can be very liberating, especially in the context of a supportive and therapeutic relationship.
Everything you say in our sessions will be kept confidential. The only exceptions are when there is a danger that you may harm yourself or someone else, or in active cases of abuse. If you are involved in the abuse of someone in your care or if you are being abused, I am obligated by law to disclose that information to the appropriate authorities. However, those types of situations are rare. Most people find it a great relief to have a safe space where they are able to share whatever they like without being judged and rest assured that it will remain confidential.
What Happens in a Typical Therapy or Coaching Session?
What happens in your session will be shaped by your particular needs. There are two main ways to approach: structured or open-ended. Dr. Chloe will work with you to determine the best approach for your situation. The structured approach below generally is best for coaching, and some combination of the two approaches often works best for therapy.Open-ended Sessions: Some people work towards the solutions best by having a weekly appointment and sharing whatever is on their mind in an open-ended way. This facilitates awareness and personal growth. Dr. Chloe will provide space to explore whatever you are experiencing in the moment, and provide guidance to consider your thoughts and feelings in ways that foster insight.Structured Sessions: Some people find the solution lies in highly structured sessions. In structured sessions, a clear plan is always in place and you will know exactly what is going to happen at every session. You might be guided to practice particular skills or review certain types of interactions with specific, targeted goals for improvement.Dr. Chloe has training and experience in both open-ended and structured approaches. She is also skilled at combining them or toggling back and forth between them as well in TheraCoaching. In your initial sessions, Dr. Chloe will work with you to determine the best approach for your needs. Not all clients are good candidates for therapy of course, nor for coaching. The appropriate approach for your particular situation will require a personalized evaluation.
When, Where and How Often Do Visits Happen?
When: Dr. Chloe and her team are able to see you at a variety of times, including evenings and weekends. Because sessions are a manageable amount of time (45-50 minutes), she is usually able to find a time that works in your schedule.Where: In August 2020, after eight wonderful years seeing clients at her office on Park Avenue and through video, Dr. Chloe’s office went 100% virtual. We recognizes that many clients lead busy lives and are not always able to come to the office due to travel or other issues, and virtual visits offer the most flexibility for a variety of situations.How Often: The frequency of your sessions will depend on your particular needs. Some clients prefer to come more frequently while they are addressing a problem in the early stages and then schedule less frequent appointments to maintain gains or even just have occasional “booster” sessions. Dr. Chloe supports clients who want to work best in this way. Dr. Chloe is also happy to accommodate clients who can benefit from short-term therapy which is generally about 8-10 sessions, as well as clients who benefit from ongoing standing appointments on a weekly basis. There are also some clients who occasionally want to be seen more often when they want additional support. Dr. Chloe will offer you her professional opinion about what frequency is best for you, and she will always respect your right to decide about how often feels best for you.
What Types of Issues Are Helped with Therapy and Coaching?
Dr. Chloe works successfully with issues related to relationships, stress management, anxiety, self esteem, depression, and goal attainment for personal, professional, and academic goals. Often times, these issues overlap- for example, a person might want therapy to learn stress management techniques but then need coaching to help them stay on-track with using those techniques regularly; or a person might be have goals to attain in terms of academic or relationship issues. For this reason, Dr. Chloe’s combination of therapy and coaching tends to work well in helping people to gain clarity about what will help them to feel better and then supporting them as they work towards it. To learn more, hover your cursor over the “Specialties” tab at the top of this page or simply contact Dr. Chloe for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation.
Contact Dr. Carmichael
To learn more about coaching with Dr. Carmichael, call or schedule a consultation.