Therapy and counselling are generally focused on mental health, emotional healing, and helping people work through psychological distress, trauma, or other clinical concerns.

Coaching is different. It is primarily focused on where you are now, where you want to go, and what needs to change to help you get there.

We may talk about your past, because your experiences can shape the beliefs, habits, and patterns you carry today. But the purpose is not to diagnose or treat you. The purpose is to help you understand yourself more clearly, make better choices, take meaningful action, and build a life that feels more aligned with who you want to be.

There can certainly be overlap, and some people benefit from working with both a therapist and a coach at the same time.

A simple way to think about it is this: therapy can help you heal. Coaching helps you move forward.

If you are dealing with significant depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, thoughts of self-harm, or another mental health concern that is interfering with your ability to function, a qualified therapist or other mental health professional is usually the right place to start.

Coaching is better suited to people who are generally functioning in their lives but feel stuck, dissatisfied, disconnected, unmotivated, or uncertain about what comes next.

You may know that something needs to change, but you cannot quite see the path forward. You may want greater clarity, purpose, confidence, accountability, or simply a trusted person to help you think through what is happening in your life.

It does not always have to be one or the other. Some people work with both a therapist and a coach, with each serving a different purpose.

And if I ever believe that what you are dealing with is outside the scope of coaching, I will tell you.

Most of us are perfectly capable of setting goals on our own. The harder part is understanding why we do not always follow through on them.

Coaching goes deeper than making a list of things you want to accomplish. It helps you look at the beliefs, habits, fears, distractions, and patterns that may be keeping you from doing what you already know you need to do.

A coach also gives you something that is difficult to create for yourself: an outside perspective. Someone who can ask the questions you may be avoiding, challenge you when your thinking is getting in your way, and hold you accountable for the commitments you make.

The goal is not simply to help you achieve more.

It is to help you become more intentional about the way you are living, so the goals you pursue actually matter to you.

Yes. What you share with me in coaching is treated as private and confidential.

For coaching to be useful, you need to be able to speak openly and honestly without worrying that what you say will be repeated to other people.

There are limited exceptions, such as situations where disclosure may be required by law or where there is a serious and immediate concern for someone’s safety. I would also explain any relevant limits to confidentiality before we begin working together.

Outside of those circumstances, what we discuss stays between us.

You are always in control of what you choose to share.

Good coaching does require honesty, but that does not mean you have to reveal everything at once or talk about something before you are ready. Trust takes time, and we can work at a pace that feels appropriate for you.

You may also be carrying things you regret, feel embarrassed about, or have never said out loud to anyone. You are not coming to coaching to be judged. You are coming to understand yourself more clearly and decide what you want to do differently moving forward.

If something from your past is affecting the way you are living today, we may eventually need to look at it. But you get to decide when you are ready to have that conversation.

My job is to create a space where you can be honest without having to pretend you have everything figured out.

Most coaching sessions are simply honest, focused conversations.

We start with what is happening in your life right now—what is working, what is bothering you, where you feel stuck, or what has been on your mind since we last spoke.

From there, I will ask questions, listen carefully, challenge you when appropriate, and help you look at the situation from perspectives you may not have considered on your own.

Sometimes we uncover a belief or pattern that has been quietly influencing your choices. Sometimes you already know exactly what the problem is and we need to figure out what you are going to do about it.

By the end of the session, we will usually have greater clarity and, when appropriate, something specific for you to think about, work on, or act upon before we meet again.

There is no performance required. You do not need prepared answers, and you do not need to know exactly where the conversation is going.

You just need to show up willing to be honest and willing to explore what might need to change.

That depends on what you are working through and how ready you are to engage with the process.

Some people notice a shift very early—sometimes simply from finally saying things out loud, seeing a situation differently, or gaining clarity about what has been keeping them stuck.

Deeper change usually takes longer. Old habits, beliefs, and patterns do not disappear because of one good conversation. They change through awareness, repeated action, and a willingness to keep working when things become uncomfortable.

My goal is not to give you a temporary burst of motivation. It is to help you create changes that actually last.

You should expect progress, but not perfection. And over time, that progress should begin to show up not only in how you think, but in the way you make decisions, take action, and live your life.

You can encourage someone to consider coaching, but you cannot make them ready for it.

Coaching works best when the person chooses to participate and is willing to look honestly at what is happening in his life. If he feels pushed, pressured, or sent to coaching by someone else, he is much less likely to get much from the experience.

What you can do is open the door.

You might share something you have read here, send him the website, or simply tell him that you have noticed he does not seem like himself lately and that there is support available if he ever wants it.

Sometimes people need time before they are willing to ask for help. Knowing that the option exists—and that someone cares enough to mention it—may be more valuable than you realize.

Ultimately, though, the decision to reach out has to be his.

Yes. While Vivus Coaching is primarily focused on helping men, I have coached women and am certainly open to doing so.

The women I have worked with have sometimes found a male perspective helpful as they explored their own patterns, relationships, goals, and personal development.

The coaching itself is still centred on you—your life, your challenges, and what you want to change or better understand.

If you feel that my approach resonates with you, I am happy to have a conversation about whether we would be a good fit to work together.

You don't have to have everything figured out before we talk. Book a conversation and we'll see if working together makes sense. It’s the button on the top right of your screen.