Coaching lets me work with people who want structured, goal-focused and desire-based support around sex, desire, and intimacy without needing to use the medical model and a clinical diagnosis or a more open-ended therapeutic process. Some people are doing well overall and want a defined and carved out outcome with a specific number of sessions. Some of these coaching goals can be better communication with a partner for example, or more comfort with their own desire, or an increased sense of erotic aliveness in their lives and bodies. Coaching is built for that. My doctoral training and clinical background can shape how I listen, how I understand what's happening beneath the surface, and how I structure our work together, but the container we're working in is coaching, not therapy.

Therapy is a licensed clinical service that can diagnose and treat mental health conditions within the medical model. Therapy often works with the deeper roots of longstanding patterns, and operates under specific legal protections and regulatory oversight tied to my psychology license. Coaching is unlicensed (so it can be practiced across state and international lines), it’s short- to medium-term, and focused on a specific goal or outcome you've identified. I'm not diagnosing anything, I'm not treating a mental health condition, and we're not doing open-ended depth work on your full history or coordinating care with other member of your treatment team. If something surfaces in coaching that looks like it rises to the level of needing clinical attention, I'll say so directly and help you find the right referral.

No. That credential reflects my training and licensure as a clinician, and it's part of why I have the background and deep context I do, but it doesn't change what coaching is. When we work together as coach and client, we're not in a clinical relationship, regardless of my other credentials. I'll be transparent with you about which hat I'm wearing, and our agreement at the start of our work together will spell this out clearly in writing.

I hold coaching conversations privately and professionally, but it's important you understand that coaching doesn't carry the same legal confidentiality protections that licensed psychotherapy does (things like therapist-patient privilege or HIPAA-covered status). I'll explain exactly what confidentiality does and doesn't mean in a coaching relationship before we begin, so you can make an informed decision.

No. To avoid a conflict of roles, I don't provide coaching to current or former therapy clients, and I don't provide therapy to current or former coaching clients. If you're looking for psychotherapy, I'm happy to refer you to a colleague if that's a better fit for your needs.

A rough guide: if you're managing a mental health condition or active substance abuse, working through significant trauma that’s impacting multiple aspects of your life, or want in-depth clinical treatment, therapy is the right container. If you're generally stable and want focused, practical support around a specific goal related to desire, intimacy, or your relationship, coaching may be a better fit. If you're not sure, we can talk it through on a consult call and if therapy looks like the better path, I'll tell you that honestly, and that would likely mean offering you referrals to see a mental health provider.

I'll name it directly and we'll talk about next steps together, which may include pausing coaching and referring you to a licensed therapist. Your well-being comes before any specific service model, and part of my job as a coach is knowing when coaching isn't the right tool for what you're dealing with.

Coaching is not a licensed profession the way psychotherapy is, so I'm able to work with clients more broadly than I could in my capacity as a licensed psychologist. That said, I stay mindful of how state regulations around coaching and therapy-adjacent services continue to evolve, and I'll let you know directly if there's ever a reason I can't work with you in a coaching capacity.