At Elevate, we offer social skills and social-emotional coaching services that are designed to help individuals develop essential life skills and strategies.

While coaching and therapy share some similarities, they are distinct practices with different goals and approaches. Understanding these differences can help you determine which service is right for your needs and how they can complement each other.

Coaching is a forward-focused process that emphasizes building skills, strengths, and strategies. It is designed to help individuals reach specific personal or professional goals, develop practical skills, and overcome challenges in real-time. As a coach, we work with individuals to identify areas of growth—such as social skills, emotional regulation, executive functioning, time management, and making and keeping friends—and provide the tools and techniques to help them achieve success in these areas.

In our coaching sessions, we focus on:

• Building skills: Whether it’s learning how to better manage time, stay organized, or navigate social interactions, coaching provides the structure and resources to enhance your abilities.

• Strengthening existing abilities: We help clients recognize and maximize their strengths to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.

• Strategizing for success: Together, we work to create practical strategies that can be applied in real-world situations, ensuring long-term success.

Coaching focuses on practical application and goal-setting, with the goal of helping clients develop tangible skills they can use in everyday life.

What Coaching Does Not Do

While coaching is incredibly effective in skill-building and goal setting, it does not delve into the exploration of past trauma, deep psychological issues, or mental health diagnoses in the same way that therapy does. Coaching is not designed to diagnose or treat mental health conditions. If a client is dealing with a mental health crisis, emotional trauma, or a diagnosed psychological condition (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD), therapy is often the appropriate route.

Coaching is also more structured and action-oriented, as it is focused on creating a path forward, whereas therapy often provides a space to process emotions, explore personal histories, and work through complex mental health challenges.

What is Therapy?

Therapy, also known as counseling or psychotherapy, focuses on healing, emotional processing, and addressing psychological issues. It is typically provided by licensed mental health professionals, such as psychologists, counselors, or therapists, and it can help individuals work through trauma, anxiety, depression, and other emotional or psychological challenges.

Therapy may be more focused on understanding and healing from past experiences, managing mental health symptoms, or exploring complex emotions. It can be deeply reflective and provide a supportive space for emotional expression and self-discovery.

How Coaching and Therapy Can Work Together

Although coaching and therapy are different, they can complement each other beautifully. Here’s how:

• Therapy as the Foundation: If you are working through mental health challenges, therapy can provide the support and healing needed to address emotional pain, trauma, or psychological difficulties. Once you've made progress with therapy, coaching can help you build on your foundation and move forward by providing practical strategies to thrive in day-to-day life.

• Coaching to Enhance Therapy: If you're already seeing a therapist and want to work on specific skills or achieve specific goals, coaching can offer structured support for things like social skills, executive functioning, and emotional regulation. It helps you take what you’re learning in therapy and apply it in real-life situations.

In many cases, individuals may benefit from both coaching and therapy—therapy to address deeper emotional or psychological needs and coaching to develop the skills needed to thrive in everyday situations.

How We Can Help

At Elevate, our coaching services focus on enhancing social skills, improving executive functioning, learning how to make and keep friends, and developing emotional regulation techniques. Whether you're working on time management or improving how you interact in social settings, our coaching will provide you with the tools and strategies you need to succeed.

If you are currently in therapy and seeking additional support for practical skill-building, or if you’re just getting started with coaching and want a goal-oriented approach, we are here to help guide you in building a life full of purpose, organization, and meaningful connections.

Both coaching and therapy can work together to support your personal growth and well-being. Let’s create a plan that works for you!