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DR. LYN's PRACTICE BUILDING TIPS FOR COACHES & THERAPISTS

DR. LYN's PRACTICE BUILDING TIPS FOR COACHES & THERAPISTS

Volume 253 May 2026 GROW Training Institute, Inc.
Email feedback and questions to growpublications@yahoo.com


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Dear Colleagues,

       I hope your practices and flowers are in full bloom!  This month’s newsletter is about how Coaching can supplement a therapy/counseling practice.  Once your clients hare past their upset, you can help them focus on moving toward success and goal achievement!

          I wish you a happy, healthy, and abundant practice,

        Lyn

     P.S.   If you haven’t already become a Certified Coach with GROW, this year would be the time to do so!   This month we're offering $200 OFF your CPC fees!  See details HERE.

     "Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother."
— Oprah Winfrey
Happy Mother's Day!!

 FOLLOW Dr. Lyn

Item Title

"I help my colleagues increase their practice growth and success."
Lyn Kelley, Ph.D, MFT, CPC Certified Professional Coach

                THANK YOU for your business! It’s customers like YOU who make our business successful!  We want to give you the BEST, HIGHEST QUALITY courses, services, and customer service so let us know if there’s anything you think we can improve on!

All Courses FREE Shipping!
May 2026 Special Offer:
All C.E. Courses -- Buy One - Get One FREE!
This offer is NOT on our website -- see our full course listing HERE and email me the courses you would like and I'll send you an invoice for the discount!
growpublications@yahoo.com
*Not valid with any other offers

      

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Feature Article

How Coaching Can Compliment Clinical Work
(without crossing ethical lines)
By Lyn Kelley, Ph.D., CPC

         What is a Coach?
 How is therapy different from coaching?    It’s not, really.   Coaching is a therapeutic model.  However, there is a difference in the way psychotherapists and coaches typically approach the issue of motivation and change with their clients.  The therapist's job is to assist the client therapeutically in setting and achieving goals, helping the client to develop insight into internal blocks and overcome them along the way.   The coach's job is to assist the client motivationally in overcoming blocks and setting and achieving goals.  Therapy is generally more concerned with the client’s past -- working through trauma, blocks, earlier experiences, grief, emotional upsets, etc., whereas coaching is generally more concerned with the present and future -- setting clear goals and going about attaining them.  John Whitmore, author of Coaching for Performance, sums up the difference in terms of focus: “The boundary between coaching and counseling is only that coaching is mainly proactive and counseling is generally reactive.“  Therapist/coaches can be both psychotherapists and motivational coaches--the practices are not mutually exclusive, but rather, complementary.  Moreover, psychotherapy and motivational coaching are interdependent parts of a two-step process of change: the therapeutic work must be done first if the motivational work is to be successful, but the therapeutic work alone, without the subsequent motivational work, is often not enough for clients to actually move forward and achieve goals.  During this process, the focus of the therapy changes from insight and commitment to movement and change.
 This being said, it is okay to use coaching as a part of therapy, but not okay to use psychotherapy as a part of coaching.  Once your client is no longer feeling emotionally upset, you can assist them in moving forward toward their hopes, dreams, and goals.
        Be sure to read Michael White's essay below under "New GROW CPC's."  He explains this beautifully!!

Primary Functions of a Coach
 The coaching relationship is egalitarian, collegial and balanced.  The first and most important thing a coach can do is to give the client structure.   Most people have an idea about what they want to do but do not know how to go about pursuing it.  If a person in New York City wanted to drive to San Francisco, she would need a road map. Many people will have tried numerous times to set out on their journeys without a map, which is why they did not get very far.   Or, alternatively, maybe they got quite far on their journey but then got lost, became frustrated, and finally had to stop to ask for directions.  As a coach, you are the one who helps the client determine where he/she wants to go, helps them create a map with the directions that enable them to begin their journey and head in the right direction.  But, to continue the metaphor, maps often become outdated as roads are rebuilt.  Sometimes drivers have to take shortcuts on smaller roads (substeps).  Maps also help clients get back on track when they veer off their path.  Or, if the driver's destination changes, new maps are needed.  It is important to communicate to your clients that while an action plan is needed, the plan is never fixed.   Part of the coaching process is to help clients revise their action plans, or maps, as their journeys progress.
 You will note that I have chosen here to use the term client rather than patient.   This is because most people who request the services of a coach do not consider themselves in need of therapy.   However, never assume that clients do not want or need therapeutic intervention, just because they do not come in with a presenting problem but rather a life enhancement desire.  Even when this is the case, it is still highly probable (and hopeful) that the client will be open to therapy and that therapeutic change and insight will take place.  Rather than using the terms "therapy" and "counseling," however, when advertising yourself as a coach, you will refer to a basic "program."  This program does not include therapy, but may include thought transformation, may include larger issues of psychological change, and may include psychological techniques as well. The inclusion of some elements from the therapeutic process is necessary for the client to become effectively motivated. 
 The primary functions of a coach are:
• Assist in defining goals
• Provide structure
• Provide a map and directions
• Provide support
• Give encouragement
• Accountability
• Monitor and validate progress
  Because the focus of coaching is on personal achievement, the goal of a good coach is to assist clients in utilizing their skills to the height of their potential.   Most clients seek coaching in search of guidance and support.  Often, you will have a client who can transition from therapy to coaching.  A successful coach will give them much more, by helping them to articulate and realize their goals and ambitions, and to learn skills that will endure long after the coaching ends.
          You can find out more about how to add Coaching to your toolbox competently and ethically in our C.E. Course "Ethical Issues for Coaches and Therapists."  See ordering information below.
          I'm committed to the survival and success of our profession.

"Ethical Issues for Coaches and Therapists"
See info and ordering HERE.
Includes Manualand Quiz for 10 CE Contact Hours (and Certificate of Completion) 
      
“"A good coach can change a game.
A great coach can change a life."
– John Wooden

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May 2026 SPECIAL
All C.E. Courses -- Buy One Get One FREE!

See full course listing on our website HERE
 ***This offer is not on our website!  Email me the courses you would like and I'll send you an invoice for the discount.  growpublications@yahoo.com

GROW is an Approved Continuing Education Provider for most State Licensing Boards 
GROW is an Approved Coach Training Organization for the CCE:
BCC (Board Certified Coaches), and NCC (National Certified Counselors)
HURRY -- Offer only good through May 2026! 
 Questions?  Contact Lyn Kelley, Ph.D., MFT, CPC growpublications@yahoo.com 
or call 858-837-1412 

LYN'S MARKETING CONSULTATION

Dear Colleagues,
        Let me help you make 2026 your SIX-FIGURE INCOME YEAR!!! I am available to you for telephone and e-mail consultation on any area of practice building.  You own a BUSINESS.  If you want to be successful, you have to do what other successful people do. They KNOW "it takes money to make money."  
        Become a member of GPCCA (GROW Professional Coach & Counselor Association.)  I'm certain I will save you MUCH MORE than the membership fee by helping you NOT DO what I know DOESN'T work, and DO what I know DOES WORK! Contact me at growpublications@yahoo.com
        Thanks!
        Lyn

See more info about Lyn's practice building consultations HERE

INSPIRATIONAL TIP OF THE MONTH

         You can be confident in achieving your goals, even in the face of uncertainty.

        You can remain calm and grounded, even in the midst of life’s toughest storms.

        Whether it’s your confidence or your calm, it comes from within; it’s not dependent on external circumstances.

        Whenever fear arises or you find yourself in uncertain or chaotic situations, remind yourself of your inherent strength.

        It’s already a part of who you are.

        Let it ground you.

        Take your next step with unwavering trust.

Hire a Virtual Assistant!

         Karisse Lyka Valdez-Chua is a Registered Psychometrician and Mental Health Care Virtual Assistant who specializes in supporting mental health professionals and clinics with administrative operations, psychometric testing coordination, and client management. She has experience assisting private mental health practices with scheduling, client intake processes, inquiry handling, and coordination of psychological assessments such as ADHD and other psychometric testing.

         In addition to administrative support, Karisse also assists with content creation and digital support, helping clinics maintain organized systems and a professional online presence while ensuring a smooth experience for both clinicians and clients.

          Her goal is to help therapists and mental health professionals focus more on their clients by providing reliable, organized, and compassionate virtual administrative support.

         Thank you again for this opportunity. Please feel free to let me know if you need any additional information.

         Warm Regards,

         Karisse Lyka Valdez-Chua

Mental Health Care Virtual Assistant | Client Care & Psychometric Testing Coordinator | Social Media Manager | Administrative Officer | Social Welfare Assistant

Email: karisselykavaldez29@gmail.com

Mobile/WhatsApp no.: +639-128-549-167

Address: Victoria, Tarlac City, 2313, Philippines

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BECOME A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL COACH!

Click HERE for full information and application for GROW’s CPC Program -- the fastest, easiest, least expensive, highest quality Certified Coach Program available!  Call me for your FREE 20 minute phone consult if you'd like to know more about it.  Lyn: 858-837-1412 growpublications@yahoo.com

 See details HERE

See Dr. Lyn's YouTube Video:
"THERAPIST to COACH:  My Story"

FREE C.E. Course!

Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Life, Wellness, Career, or Business Coach
By Lyn Kelley, Ph.D., MFT, CPC
5 C.E. Contact Hours -- Includes 53-page manual, quiz, and
Certificate of Completion

See details and ordering HERE

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Congratulate our New GROW CPC's!

Michael A. White, CPC #2357

Surprise, AZ

info@anosurrenderedmindset.com

623-866-9717

www.aNoSurrenderedMindset.com

Specialties:  Life Coaching

Mission Statement:  "I coach groups, couples, and individuals who are ready to move forward and willing to do the work required for growth."

Essay:     
        "For the past seven years as a Licensed Professional Counselor, my work has centered on helping individuals navigate mental and emotional struggles.  While stabilization is a critical part of that process, I’ve found that my deeper passion lies in what comes after.  Once clients reach a place of stability, I naturally shift into guiding them through life decisions, goal setting, and the practical steps required to move forward.  This is where I see the most meaningful change—when individuals begin to take ownership of their lives, build internal motivation, and follow through with consistent action.  In those moments, the work becomes less about maintaining balance and more about creating growth.

        Coaching, for me, is about collaboration.  It’s not just offering direction, but walking alongside someone as they clarify what they want and push past the internal barriers that have kept them stuck.  I provide structure, accountability, and support, but the transformation belongs to them.  What I’ve consistently observed is that many people are capable of far more than they believe—they just need the right environment and guidance to unlock it.  Being part of that process, seeing someone move from hesitation to confidence, from inaction to execution, is what drives me.  It’s the difference between surviving and actually building something meaningful in their life.

        Over time, I’ve realized that while counseling addresses immediate needs, coaching aligns more with where I want to focus my energy long-term.  I don’t want my work to revolve solely around keeping individuals stable; I want to be part of helping them expand, evolve, and reach goals they may not have pursued on their own.  My goal is to transition further into coaching along with my wife of thirty years, working with group coaching, couple coaching, and with individuals who are ready to move forward and are willing to do the work required for growth.  I see coaching not just as a service, but as a space where transformation is intentional, structured, and sustainable."

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