What is coaching?

The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

In practice, coaching is a thought partnership. Coach and client work side by side to create a life that feels true to the client. Through powerful questions, inquiry, and metacognition tools, clients understand themselves more deeply and a path forward begins to reveal itself. We reconnect with the essential self, notice the synchronicities that life offers, and translate insight into meaningful action.

Many clients arrive feeling lost “in Dante’s dark woods.” The coach’s role is to walk beside them, not ahead of them. We hold a compassionate, judgment-free space, point out obstacles and options, and let the client choose the direction. The client leads. The coach supports clarity, courage, and follow-through.

Coaching engages the right hemisphere of the brain, growing creative capacity. It can quiet the noise of anxiety long enough for moments of insight to break through. Above all, coaching is unconditional positive regard for the beautiful messiness of being human, and a practical way to turn self-knowledge into results the client truly desires.

How is coaching different than therapy?

Coaching and therapy can look similar, but they serve different purposes. Therapy is delivered by licensed clinicians to diagnose and treat mental health conditions, heal past wounds, and restore baseline functioning using evidence-based modalities and often involving insurance. Coaching partners with psychologically stable clients to clarify goals, grow skills, and create desired future outcomes; it’s an unlicensed field guided by training standards (e.g., ICF) and focuses on the present and future through values work, strategy, and accountability rather than diagnosis. In short, therapy tends to work from below/at baseline toward stability and relief, while coaching works from stable to thriving and performance. They can overlap—both are confidential, client-centered, and many people benefit from both: therapy for healing, coaching for momentum. A simple rule of thumb: if symptoms like persistent low mood, panic, or impairment are present, start with therapy; if you’re generally well but stuck on decisions, leadership, boundaries, or career design, coaching is a great fit.

What does the coaching process look like?

A 1:1 coaching relationship means meeting privately over secure video for one hour, twice a month, for six months. In our first session we complete a “Life Wheel,” a simple diagnostic to map your current satisfaction across key areas and identify where you want growth. Each subsequent session you bring one real issue—an area of suffering, friction, or dissatisfaction—and we work it from all angles using coaching tools and powerful questions. Together we clarify the outcome you want, reverse-engineer the steps to get there, and align your actions with the thoughts and habits that support that change. Over six months, small course corrections—like turning a ship a few degrees at a time—accumulate into meaningful change. Because how you do one thing is how you do everything, progress in one area reliably shows up across the rest of your life. As part of the package of 1:1 coaching, you get access to all programs I’ve created and that I create during our relationship, including Empowered Surgeons Group.

How do I decide between 1:1 and Empowered Surgeons Group?

Empowered Surgeons Group is my flagship program designed to move surgeons from confusion, unconscious incompetence, and a victim mindset to clarity, confidence, unconscious competence, and a creator mindset. You’ll get on-demand learning modules, a written playbook, and a live 60-minute group call every Wednesday. It’s an excellent fit for surgeons at any stage who want practical tools, a supportive community, and steady momentum.

What’s included

• On-demand modules you can watch anytime

• A written playbook to translate concepts into action

• Weekly 1-hour group coaching on Wednesdays

• A community of like-minded peers from all specialities who support one another

1:1 Coaching for Surgeons

For surgeons who want personalized, high-touch support, my 1:1 coaching is a premium option that puts my full attention on your life and practice. It’s especially helpful if you are:

• Navigating a job transition or contract decision

• Moving from trainee to attending and want to lead with confidence

• Recovering from a complication or tough review that rattled your self-trust

• Managing multiple life events at once and need focused, expert support

If you want structure and community, start with Empowered Surgeons Group. If you want deep, tailored work on your specific challenges and goals, choose 1:1 coaching.