Frequently Asked Questions

What is coaching, and what isn't it?

Coaching is an individualized, forward-looking process, grounded in evidence, where we work together to find real pathways through the problems you've been facing: charting and inbox management, work-life integration, division of labor at home, family concerns, goals, stress and conflict. It isn't therapy or psychiatry, and it isn't another set of hacks or a quick fix. It draws on self-determination theory, decades of research showing that people sustain change best when they choose it themselves, feel capable, and have support along the way.

Is this just life coaching?

No. I'm a physician who coaches physicians. I've practiced medicine for more than 20 years, so you won't have to explain what your inbox looks like at 10 p.m. I'm a Certified Physician Coach through Empowering Women Physicians, and a certified life coach through The Life Coach School.

I don't have time for one more thing.

That's often the best reason to start. Sessions are 50 minutes on Zoom, scheduled around your clinical work, and much of what we work on is how you spend the rest of your week.

How is this different from therapy?

Therapy typically looks backward: understanding where a pattern came from, processing past experience, and treating diagnosable conditions. Coaching looks forward. We start from where you are now and explore pathways toward the life and career you want, with accountability along the way. If something comes up that's better suited to therapy, I'll say so directly.

What happens in a session?

Each session is a focused, 50-minute conversation on Zoom, not a lecture, not a checklist. We work on whatever is most pressing for you that week, whether that's a specific decision, a recurring pattern, or a bigger question about your next steps. You'll leave with clarity and something concrete to try, not just a good conversation.

How many sessions before I notice a difference?

In my experience, many physicians feel a shift by the second or third session. Coaching is cumulative: early sessions build the foundation (naming what's really going on, getting specific about goals), and momentum builds from there.

Why not just talk to a friend?

A friend listens and usually agrees with you. A coach listens closely, but won't simply agree with you, and won't just tell you what to do. Coaching is grounded in research, psychological principles and tested practices. If the problem you're bringing were easy to solve, you'd probably have solved it already. Together, we look at it from angles you haven't tried yet, and find next steps that feel right to you.

Is coaching only for physicians who are struggling or burned out?

No. Coaching is a powerful way to grow your career, your health and your life overall: to step into leadership, set ambitious goals, strengthen your relationships, or shape a career that looks different from the one you trained for.

Do we only talk about medicine?

No. Many physicians come to coaching to focus on their work or career, then find that much of what weighs on them comes from the rest of life: relationships, aging parents, kids, personal goals. It's all intertwined, so we work on whatever matters most to you. And you're talking with another physician who understands that complexity. Even across specialties and across the country, it can feel like we already know each other.

Do you work with both men and women?

Yes. The work is tailored to you, not a one-size-fits-all approach.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you share in coaching stays between us, except in the rare cases where the law requires disclosure. Coaching is not medical care, and though I am a medical doctor, I am not serving as your physician in this setting. Our sessions are not part of any medical record.

Can I use CME or professional development funds?

Some employers allow CME or professional development funds to be used for coaching; it depends on your contract and your organization's policies. I'm happy to provide a receipt, along with references showing that physician coaching reduces burnout and improves well-being. See the research.

If you've read this far

Something here probably sounds familiar. You may not be sure you're ready for coaching, and that's okay. It took me years to try it myself.

If you're tired, buried in your inbox, or wondering whether this is what all those years of training were for, please know that you are not the problem. The healthcare system we work in wasn't built to protect us.

Putting your head down and pushing through is a decision too, and it has a cost: your health, your happiness, your time with the people you love. Make one change, whatever it is. I'll be here if and when you're ready.

Ready to start? See how to work with me →