FAQs about Coaching

If we decide we’re a good fit following our free consultation call, we’ll set up your first appointment. Between then and the time we meet, I’ll have you fill out some online paperwork for new clients. Our first session will be a lot of information gathering (your history with drinking, how it’s impacting you, etc.), and you’ll set some goals for our time together. We will work on your goals each week. You’ll get resources following each call to try between session, and we will discuss how you’d like your accountability with me to go (check-ins, reminders, things like that). We can always pivot; nothing is set in stone. If something isn’t working, we work together to figure it out.

In my therapy practice, I primarily support clients dealing with depression and anxiety. Many of my therapy clients also find that they have difficulties with alcohol, and this is something I work with there, too (there is a strong relationship between anxiety, depression, and alcohol).

The biggest differences between coaching and therapy are a) the amount of between-session accountability you have (as frequently as daily, if you want it, for coaching), and b) the structure and goals of the work (coaching being very action-oriented). For more details, check out my blog on this topic here.

This program works best when clients are ready to look at their drinking for real. I ask for a commitment to being alcohol-free for the time we work together (Don’t let that stop you! I will help, and I also get that slip-ups happen). It’s also important that you are open to making lifestyle changes that make a booze-free life easier and are willing to try out different tools and resources.

There are some exceptions, but in general, this program isn’t for you if:

• You haven’t really tried to moderate or quit before, or you are unable to go 30 days without alcohol. 
• You regularly use other substances in addition to (or instead of) alcohol (marijuana, painkillers, benzos, stimulants). 
• You currently have or are in recent remission from an eating disorder.
• You currently have or have a recent history of self-harm and/or chronic suicidal thoughts.

I offer two different coaching packages, one for 30 days and one for 90 days. The cost for 1 month is $850 and the cost for 3 months is $2350. A la carte coaching sessions are also available, if appropriate. Individual coaching sessions are $250 and include one follow-up by e-mail. If you’d like to learn more about the different packages and what’s included in your investment, check out this page. If you’d like to find out how much you can save if you stop drinking, check this out.

This is probably the FAQ I hear most often. We can experiment with what this would look like for you, for sure. But the reality is, you’re here because something about your relationship with alcohol isn’t working. You deserve to see what your life would be like without it, and your body and brain deserve a break. Full disclosure: I don’t believe the pain of failed moderation attempts, over and over again, is worth it. For more, read this.

I mean, almost. Let me see if I can have some of my 100+ brilliant, badass, genuinely glowy alcohol-free friends hop on to answer that. But seriously, I won’t lie. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine. Things will change, and change is hard. But it won’t be for the worst, and I’m here to support you, stretch you, and connect you every step of the way. More on social stuff here.

Yes! My coaching is a great complement to psychotherapy. If you’re already doing therapy with someone else, or if you’ve had loads of therapy in the past, coaching can be a great fit. Coaching is about action, about getting out of our stuck spots, and about having someone by your side as you do so. Most of us “know” what changes we’d like to make in our lives. Coaching bridges the gap between knowing and doing, with action plans and accountability.

I have personal familiarity with the 12 steps and I love them, I really do. I think they’re an incredibly powerful framework that could improve anyone’s life, “addict” or not, and I think there are a lot of misconceptions about 12-step recovery work floating around out there, especially in recent years. That said, I strongly believe that there is no one “right way” to stop drinking alcohol, or to do recovery in general. I’ve seen, in my life and with friends and clients, that a multi-faceted, multidisciplined approach is so helpful. It’s not black and white, and it’s nobody else’s business how you shape your own path.

Either! I’m in my Denver office Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 2:30 to 6:30 PM (with 5:30 PM being my latest appointment), and Thursday from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Please note: if you need a 5:30 PM appointment, these are often already scheduled with recurring clients, so your flexibility is appreciated.

I have availability for remote sessions outside of these hours for coaching. I do not offer sessions on weekends but am available on weekends for check-ins if you are a coaching client.

The first thing to do is to set up a complimentary phone consultation to make sure we’re a good fit! You can do that here. When you schedule, you’ll see a couple quick questions to answer prior to our call. During our call, we’ll chat briefly about what’s been going on, and how I might be able to help. You’ll also be able to ask any questions about coaching that you might have.  If you decide to invest in a coaching package at that time, we’ll set up your first appointment and I’ll then send you an e-mail to sign up for the online scheduler, where you can purchase your package and fill out some new client forms. I ask that you complete the new client forms before our first session so that I have time to review them.