Coaching is forward-looking, based on where you are NOW and where you want to be. It is a positive experience of creating a powerful vision for yourself, which will be informed by assessments I offer, which you may find helpful and envisioning what comes next. My clients find it energizing to take steps to move forward by designing actions at the end of each session, and to have a coach’s accountability as they achieve each step.

Coaching and therapy are both caring professions, in the sense that your self awareness and inner wisdom will emerge in the sessions through powerful questions. However, coaching does not look backward (in terms of “what happened” to get where you are now) and does not provide diagnosis or mental health focus.

While life coaching and therapy share similarities, such as a focus on personal growth and behavioral change, they differ in approach and purpose. Therapy primarily addresses past experiences, emotional healing, and mental health conditions, often using clinically validated techniques to resolve trauma, anxiety, depression, and other psychological concerns. In contrast, life coaching is future-focused, emphasizing action-oriented strategies to help clients break through limiting beliefs, set and achieve goals, and optimize their overall well-being.

Coaches do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions but instead concentrate on mindset shifts, accountability, and envisioning / achieving their vision for their lives. Many of my clients have a therapist and life coach during pivotal times in their lives, as they complement each other in fostering healing, growth, and achieving a new approach or structure to their life. I’ll be happy to talk with you about the best approach, or refer you to a therapist who may be able to help talk you through it as well.

Beginning in August, an exciting new approach to coaching… CONNECT workshops… will be offered each month at our Davidson location behind Summit coffee and the Davidson bookstore. Connecting is more powerful with like-minded people who are seeking similar results! Kristi has led groups for 15 years, and is excited to offer a discounted rate for groups of 3-5 people.

i. Untangling the mess

ii. Planning the way forward

iii. Fine-tuning the finish line

Connect workshops help you “connect the dots” between some of your best ideas, so you can take action. For many people, the power of these workshops is CLARITY. Simplifying and efficiently moving forward is possible when brainstorming with like-minded people and the help of an experienced coach. For others, NEW IDEAS are the most powerful part of a Connect workshop.

Each 1:1 session is one hour long.

We will complete each session with “designing actions,” in which you will create steps forward and the timing/structure which works best for you to achieve them.

My career coaching approach is to spend the first meeting understanding your vision for change, and whether it includes a simple role change within your company or a change of companies within the same type of job. Also, many of my clients start broad and desire a complete change of pace. They may say, “I just feel stuck and don’t know how to get started.”

I have worked with dozens of people in this situation, and love the opportunity to jump in with passionate, motivated people who just need a reset. Please give me a call if you’d like to hear about the steps to define your passion, values, and skills… which lead to your purpose.

Next, we will create your personal branding tools. In my experience, figuring out the WHAT you want is the hardest part, then the HOW is easier… communicating it clearly to the RIGHT people, in the most effective ways to secure those offers you’re seeking.

This is a great question, and I’d love to talk with you specifically about this, with your objective in mind. Here is the short answer – if you put in the work, you will get better results. Coaching is a huge first step though. It will give you the space and time to FOCUS on the things you truly desire. Each session will result in NEXT STEPS that you will take to move forward. Setting an intention and following up with action is the key to your success for almost anything you want to achieve. I believe you will have an increase in confidence after your first two sessions, if you do the work from out “designing actions” part of the coaching conversation.

My style is encouraging, warm, and positive. I ask open-ended questions, listen well, and seek to understand your biggest challenges to working toward your personal goals.

As a coach certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), I adhere to the ICF Code of Ethics, which includes strict guidelines on confidentiality. This means that anything you share during our coaching sessions remains completely private. I will not disclose any personal information without your explicit consent, except in cases where:

-I am required by law to report concerns such as harm to yourself or others.

-You provide written permission to share specific details for a mutually agreed purpose.

My role is to create a safe, supportive, and judgment-free space where you can openly explore your goals and challenges with full trust and confidence.