COMMON QUESTIONS

Life coaching invovles action-or-einted interventions deployed by you and your coach. During the time between sessions have an analyze and process what you've learned and take actions that benefit you. For life coaching to work, you are not just an active participant, but you are a fellow traveler, in a partnership, an alliance to better your life.

How can you be reached?

I can be reached by clicking here.

Who are you?

My name is Jayson Blair and I have bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed in 2003 after career troubles that made national headlines. I rebuilt my life in subsequent years through medical and theraputic interventions, and peer-to-peer support.

In 2005, I started the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance of Northern Virginia, which started several support groups, reated outreach and educational programs and grew, in a few years, to become one of the largest peer-to-peer support groups in the Washington, D.C. area.

In 2007, I began working as a certified life coach, providing individual peer-to-peer support and coaching to people with bipolar disorder, depression, attention deficit disorder, career problems and those facing a variety of other issues. I also provide case management and crisis intervention services.

In 2009, I began seeing clients across the United States and consulting for several organizations.

What benefits can I expect from working with a life coach?

A number of benefits are available from participating in life coaching. Often it's helpful to have someone you can trust, who is supportive and who understands. Often you have a chance to gain a fresh perspective about yourself, both the challenges and the things that really are working. The benefits you obtain from life coaching depend on how well you and the life coach use the process, the alliance you are able to develop, patience, willingness to turn talk into action and a number of other factors. Some of the benefits include:

• Gaining a better understanding of yourself
• Translating things that you talk with friends, family, therapists and others into action
• Finding new ways to cope with the things unique about your personality that can make life hard
• At the same time, preserving and enhancing the beautiful things that are unique to you
• Discovering new techniques tailored-made to the way you process, learn and feel
• Improving communication of your feelings and ideas
• Turning ideas into action
• Getting unstuck from indecision and problems in school, life and work
• A good laugh, more than every now and then

What if I don't know my goals?

This is not uncommon. Many times people just walk into their first session simply knowing that something isn't working or, perhaps, that something just feels wrong. The initial evaluation is designed for you to air those thoughts and feelings and get some advice from the life coach, then affirmed or not affirmed by you, about what your goals might be and the best order, structure and timeline to accomplish them.

Do you accept insurance? How does insurance work?

Insurance companies do not generally cover life coaching, but there are some exceptions among the major insurance providers and the health savings account and flexible benefits plans offered by many employers. I offered reduced fees based on need in order to guarantee clients get the best possible service, to the extent that can be done, regardless of their means. I provide receipts and other information to help you receive whatever type of reimbursement you seek.

Is life coaching confidential?

Life coaching is not regulated in any state other than Colorado, but my policy is to treat all information in life coaching sessions as if it is protected by state and federal health privacy laws. This means that no information about you will be disclosed without written permission or a court order (a legal subpoena is not enough to get release of information), with the following exceptions: (1) Suspected child abuse, dependant adult abuse or elder abuse; (2) If a client is threatening serious bodily harm to another person and (3) If a plan has come combination of a suicidal plan, suicidal intent or other thoughts and feelings that suggest they intend to harm himself or herself. In each of these three instances, every attempt will be made to get your consent for the release of information or for intervention before an exception to confidentiality is taken.

How is life coaching different than counseling or psychiatry?

Life coaching is an action-oriented, and in my case, peer specialist service. Life coaching is not governed by the regulations and rules of psychology, counseling, social work, psychiatry and other medical and allied health professions. Psychiatry is the medical treatment of mental illnesses. Therapy is primary meant for looking back to establish the root cause of problems. Coaching concerns itself with personal evaluation. A therapist focuses on helping clients understand their past to overcome their present. A coach helps a client see their patterns, their skills, their strengths and weakness and play supporting role in helping you reach your goals. These goals can be related to health, career, business or any other goal.

Psychiatrist's attend medical school and often obtain board certifications in psychiatry and sub-specialties. They are often both trained in medicine and therapy. Therapists also, like psychiatrists, have licenses to practice that are based on practical experience counseling and understanding of theoretical practice. A coach can have all those things, including being licensed as a mental health practitioner, but is not required to have one because of the nature of their work. In the event that I feel a client needs the help of a psychiatrist, a therapist or another health professional, I do not hesitate to hand out referrals -- in fact, I see that as an important part of my job.

A life coach is more like a partner in life and has broad flexibility to do things like visit homes, visit work and actively become involved in your life in ways that therapists and psychiatrists cannot do so. A client most often goes to a therapist because of unresolved problems. A client most likely goes to a life coach because they want to get something -- or many things -- done.