Question 1

What is a life coach, and should I have one?

Accepted Answer

I wrote a post to discuss what a life coach is and if you should have one. You can view it here! (https://www.jackie-howard.com/post/what-is-a-life-coach-and-why-you-might-need-one)

Question 2

What kind of life coach are you? What's your approach?

Accepted Answer

I use a mix of positive psychology, mindfulness and visualization, client-centered and cognitive behavioral techniques, faith based strategies, and other common coaching approaches.

I'm all about getting to the heart of the matter, so I take a close look at your current situation or goals/desires, specify them, dive deep into what matters most to you, and help you uncover obstacles and opportunities for lasting impact and transformation. I look at a person holistically, so I take their whole health picture into consideration: physical, mental, and spiritual.

I'm a certified life coach who helps women, teens, and young adults with their mental health. I can help you with:

🔍 Discovering your purpose, finding next steps, or guiding you through indecision
😌 Relief from anxiety/stress and perfectionistic tendencies and other negative thinking patterns
⚖️ Setting and maintaining healthy boundaries & balance so you have more time, less stress, and more fulfilling relationships
🧠 Enhancing your overall mental and emotional wellbeing and teaching soul care tactics that actually fill you up
💪 Cultivating confidence and assertiveness
💭 Clarity of thought and helping you understand what kind of thoughts and beliefs might be keeping you from reaching your goals
🤝 Building more meaningful relationships 
✝️ Applying God-centered solutions
🗣️ Communicating more effectively and conflict resolution skills
📈 Accountability
🌱 Lasting habit change
🚧 Identifying and overcoming barriers
❤️‍🩹 Encouraging the healing process regarding grief and loss
✨ And more​​​

Question 3

How long is a typical session?

Accepted Answer

Sessions are up to 50 minutes.

Question 4

How many sessions do I need?

Accepted Answer

I know a lot of us take comfort in those good ol' cookie-cutter answers, but for this one it really depends. Everyone is different, so several factors determine the number of sessions.
 
However, coaching is usually pretty brief and ranges from 5-25 sessions. You're the one who sets the pace of our sessions and ultimately chooses how many sessions you want, whether that's just a couple, or many.

Once I know more about your needs and what you're specifically looking for, I'll have a better idea. Book a free 20 minute consult with me here! (https://paperbell.me/jackie)

Question 5

How much does coaching cost?

Accepted Answer

I value transparency, and I'll tell you what: I can't stand it when I go to a website that provides a service, and they don't list their prices until after you've scheduled (like ma'am, I just want to know how much it'll be for a haircut). You can view my prices on the booking calendar on my coaching page. (https://www.jackie-howard.com/faith-based-mental-health-coaching)

Question 6

Do you have a refund policy?

Accepted Answer

I do! The details are outlined in your contract when you become my client. In short, I don't offer refunds on products or services, but you might be eligible to reschedule.

Question 7

What are your credentials? Do you treat mental illness?

Accepted Answer

Here are a few of my credentials, but you can read about more of them on the bottom of my about page found here.(https://www.jackie-howard.com/about-christian-life-coaching)

✨BS in Psychology from an accredited Christian University including a 125+ hour internship focused on life coaching and mental health
✨AAS in Human Services from an accredited college including 130+ hours with a focus on mental health resources and life coaching
✨Life Coach: 2 Certifications from different institutions that included mandatory small-group leading with supervision
✨MHRT/c certified

...and lots of other non-traditional experience.

✅ As a certified life coach, I bring over five years of experience walking alongside others in their growth journeys. I've also completed over 300+ hours of biblically-rooted, clinically sound training which equipped me to offer compassionate, effective support that honors both your faith and your mental wellness.

✅ Since I was mentored for years by a physician, and due to my formal education, I am familiar with disorders such as anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders. I've also gained familiarity with suicide and its prevention, abuse, traumas, and more.

✅ You'll find that I emphasize active listening and both non-directive and directive questioning. My coaching work is imbued with cognitive-behavioral techniques, Adlerian techniques (positive psychology), and other common approaches.

✅I support you achieving your goals by looking at you holistically (that is, taking into account the whole picture of your health from the physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual elements of it). I cannot diagnose or treat mental illness like a licensed provider can. While you may already have a diagnosis of anxiety or depression, I can't give medical advice, but we can talk and work on goals that might bring you additional relief in those areas. I support you to make changes and move forward with action-oriented steps. I think both counseling and coaching have their places!

Question 8

Do I have to be a Christian to work with you?

Accepted Answer

Nope! I've had plenty of clients who weren't, but you probably will get the most out of our time if you are a Christian.

Question 9

Do you take insurance, or can I use my HSA or FSA funds?

Accepted Answer

I don't take or do anything with insurance. In fact, I've never encountered insurance companies who cover coaching services, so you can expect "cash pay" with me. The reason for that is most insurance companies don't deem coaching as "medically necessary" even though it may include life-changing help for you.

If you want to use your HSA/FSA account for covering the costs, make sure you ask them ahead of time if your funds can be used for coaching, or if you'll get reimbursed for it. Again, most of the time, you cannot use it for coaching because I'm not treating any diagnoses or providing any kind of medical treatment or therapy, so it's rarely covered. However, I have heard that some people obtain a letter of medical necessity from their primary care physician, and they submit that letter with their coaching receipts for reimbursement. It sometimes can become a qualified medical expense because the doctor is stating that they are the ones treating their patient, and part of the plan is that they receive life coaching services from the coach that their doctor is telling them to go see. So, if a person is already dealing with an issue or disease (or if they're likely to develop one), it may be that the coaching services function as adjunct help, and therefore may qualify for reimbursement. However, I've not personally encountered it in my work.

I would operate under the premise that HSA/FSA will not cover coaching services unless they've told you something different.
 ​

FAQ

Christian Mental Health Coaching

Coaching vs. Counseling

I get asked all the time about the difference between the two, so I wrote a longer post that explains it.
You can view that here.

Get Encouragement & Mental Health Tips

FAQ

Christian Mental Health Coaching

Coaching vs. Counseling

I get asked all the time about the difference between the two, so I wrote a longer post that explains it. You can view that here.

Get Encouragement & Mental Health Tips

I get asked all the time about the difference between the two, so I wrote a longer post that explains it.
You can view that here.