When you need more than coaching
Coaching is powerful, but it is not the right tool for everything. When a client’s needs sit outside my scope, I refer – that is what ethical practice looks like. Below are professionals across psychology, psychotherapy, psychiatry and mind-body work whom I know and trust.
Knowing the difference is part of my job
Coaching focuses on goals, choices, behaviour, performance and future development. It does not diagnose or treat mental-health conditions. Therapy, psychotherapy, clinical psychology and psychiatry may be more appropriate when someone is experiencing significant emotional distress, trauma, mental-health conditions, safety concerns or difficulties that require clinical assessment or treatment.
The boundary is not about whether someone is “functional”. People may benefit from therapy while functioning well in many areas of life, and people may use coaching alongside therapy when each professional is working within an appropriate scope.
If, during our work together, I notice signs that call for clinical support, I will say so directly and refer you well – as set out in my ethical code. Reaching out to any of these professionals yourself needs no permission and no explanation.
See a therapist or psychologist for persistent anxiety or low mood, trauma, grief that will not settle, or patterns that talking and effort have not shifted.
See a psychiatrist when symptoms significantly disrupt sleep, appetite, safety or daily functioning – or when medication may need to be assessed.
See a child psychologist for concerns about a child’s behaviour, learning, emotions or development – children need specialists, not adult approaches scaled down.
Mind-body work such as yoga complements both coaching and therapy – useful for stress regulation, but not a substitute for clinical care.
The referral directory
Practitioners and established practices across the three countries where I work. Contact them directly – no introduction needed.
Not sure who to see?
If you are unsure whether your situation calls for coaching, therapy or something else, write to me. I will tell you honestly – even if the answer is that coaching is not what you need right now.
Please note: the professionals listed on this page practise independently. I receive no fee or commission for referrals, and I am not responsible for the services they provide. Inclusion here reflects my professional confidence in them, not a clinical endorsement. If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services first.