Dr. Gregory J. Harms
655 W. Irving Park Rd. Ste. 209
Chicago, IL 60613
773-983-1479
gjh1975@peoplepc.com

Coaching is a distinct service from psychotherapy or assessment and does not address mental health concerns.  Coaching is targeted towards specific concerns and is focused on supporting you to make specific life changes.

Coaching Services

My job as a coach is to ask questions to stimulate creativity and thought so that you can come up with strategies for making these changes and to help identify timeframes for making the changes as planned.  The initial coaching session is done in person, but then, unlike therapy, additional sessions can be done over the phone, by videoconferencing, or in person.  Coaching sessions last approximately 30 minutes.  At this time I only do coaching with adults ages 18+.

Career Coaching:  Career coaching involves looking at ways to make a career change.  Some clients want to find ways to work up the ladder in their current company or profession while others want to change direction and move into a new career field.  Coaching is clients who have a clear idea of where they want to go in their career but are having difficulty getting there.  It involves reviewing resumes/CV's, practicing interviewing skills, identifying networking opportunities, etc.  It is distinct from career counseling (which I also offer), which is for individuals who do not have a good idea of what they want to do and involves assessments and standardized tests to help identify possible career paths.  Coaching tends to be shorter and more targeted.

Job Coaching: Job coaching is differentiated from career coaching in that it helps individuals address problems they are facing in their current job in order to keep that job and hopefully improve their ability to do it.  Job coaching involves identifying the specific problems you are facing, brainstorming new ways to address them, and then trying them out to see what works best. Job coaching is also distinct from career counseling in that it focuses on dealing with external problems while career counseling looks at problems that may be stemming from personality or cognitive issues.

Life Coaching: Life coaching involves identifying changes that you want to make in other areas of your life, which might be financial, relationship, or health related. Clients seeking coaching in these areas tend to have an idea of what is getting in the way, and coaching involves finding specific strategies to overcome the roadblocks.  Life coaching tends to focus on external goals, while therapy/counseling involves focusing on internal goals, such as reducing anxiety or depression.

Coaching clients do not have to be free of mental or emotional problems, but do tend to have the problems well controlled and have the capacity to focus their attention and energy on confronting the external roadblocks that they are encountering as they try to transform their lives into something different.

Fees

The fee for a 30 minute coaching session is $80.  I accept cash, check/money order, or credit/debit cards, subject to the ability of my credit card processor to process them.  I do not accept insurance or HSA (Health Savings Account) payments for coaching as it does not meet the requirement for medical necessity.  Some Employee Assistance Programs (EAP's) may cover the cost of coaching and I am happy to discuss payment arrangements if you have this type of plan available.  I am also happy to provide any documentation you may need to obtain reimbursement from a third party.

Depending on your financial circumstances, I am willing to discuss a temporary sliding scale fee.

Scheduling

An initial session does not obligate you to continue in coaching.  It is important that we feel that I am able to help you and you feel comfortable with me as your coach.  Determining this is one of the most important functions of an initial session.  Please see that FAQs page for answers to common questions about coaching.  If you have any other questions or would like to schedule a session, please give me a call at 773-983-1479 or send me an email at gjh1975@peoplepc.com.  You can also click on the Client Portal button on the left to directly schedule an appointment.  I'm looking forward to hearing from you.