Life Coaching
in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky
Life coaching for people who are not in crisis but are not where they want to be — professionals navigating a career turn, leaders who have plateaued, and anyone building health habits that finally hold. Sessions are virtual, so you can work with us from Cincinnati, Fort Thomas, or anywhere else.
This is coaching, not therapy. The difference is not a technicality, and this page explains it before you book anything.
What is life coaching, and how is it different from therapy?
Life coaching is a forward-looking partnership built on goal-setting, inquiry, and accountability. It addresses where you are now and where you want to go. Therapy is a licensed clinical service that assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental health conditions, drawing on your history. Coaching does none of that, carries no diagnosis, and creates no clinical record.
Who coaching is for
Coaching fits when you are functioning and want to function better. Common starting points:
You are facing a career decision and keep circling it without landing
You were promoted into leadership and nobody taught you how to lead
You know what healthy habits you want and cannot make them stick
You are burning out but not breaking down
You have done therapy, resolved what you came for, and now want momentum
Coaching does not fit when symptoms are interfering with your daily functioning. If that is where you are, start with our therapy services instead.
Our two coaching tracks
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Career transitions and professional development
Leadership and communication skills
Work-life balance and time management
Motivation, accountability, and performance enhancement
Navigating professional decisions and growth
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Focused on sustainable health behavior change:
Stress management and burnout prevention
Nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits
Chronic disease self-management
Building motivation and confidence around health goals
Lasting lifestyle changes
Health and wellness coaching draws on evidence-based behavior change models, including motivational interviewing and positive psychology.
What coaching is not
Being blunt about the boundaries protects you.
Coaching is not psychotherapy, counseling, or medical treatment
Coaching does not assess, diagnose, or treat mental health or substance use conditions
Coaching produces no diagnosis, treatment plan, or clinical record
Coaching is not a licensed health service and is not covered by insurance
Coaching does not carry the legal confidentiality protections that apply to therapy
If you are in crisis or seeking treatment for a diagnosable condition, therapy is the appropriate starting point, not coaching.
How psychotherapy differs
Psychotherapy is a clinical service provided by a licensed mental health professional to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions. Therapy may be appropriate if you are experiencing depression, anxiety or other mood disorders, trauma, relationship conflict rooted in deeper psychological patterns, grief and loss, substance use concerns, or symptoms that interfere with daily functioning.
Psychotherapy is governed by licensing, ethical standards, and legal protections including confidentiality. See our therapy services and rates for that side of the practice.
Hide the comparison Compare coaching and psychotherapy side by side
| Category | Professional Coaching | Health & Wellness Coaching | Psychotherapy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus | Career growth and performance | Health behavior change and lifestyle goals | Mental health symptoms and diagnoses |
| Time orientation | Present and future | Present and future | Past, present, and future |
| Structure | Action-oriented partnership | Behavior change partnership | Clinical assessment and treatment |
| Provided by | A trained coach | A trained coach | A licensed mental health professional |
| Diagnosis | None | None | Yes, when clinically indicated |
| Record kept | Coaching notes, not a medical record | Coaching notes, not a medical record | Protected clinical record |
| Confidentiality | Private, but not legally protected | Private, but not legally protected | Legally protected under state and federal law |
| Insurance | Not covered | Not covered | Often covered |
| Delivery | Virtual | Virtual | In person and virtual |
Choose your coach
Carl Lathon
LPCC — John Maxwell Certified Coach, Trainer, and Speaker
As a coach, I bring leadership, service, and professional counseling experience to the table. I combine insight, proven leadership-development principles, and practical tools to help clients clarify their priorities, build confidence, and take purposeful action.
My journey began as a U.S. Naval Officer and then spent 28 years at DuPont, where I held various domestic and international management roles. This experience taught me how to lead through change, set meaningful goals, and help people perform at their best.
I help clients identify their strengths and put them to work.
Best fit for: leadership development, workplace performance, professional and personal transitions.
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As the oldest of five brothers, I developed early skills in responsibility, communication, and supporting others. I have also served as board president of a nonprofit and in several volunteer roles, reflecting a long-standing commitment to service and the growth of others.
My experience leading through change — in the Navy, across international management roles, and in the nonprofit world — shapes how I coach. I am interested in what you are capable of and in the specific obstacles standing between you and that.
Married for 16 years and having traveled to five continents, I bring a grounded, globally informed perspective to helping clients navigate personal and professional transitions and make meaningful progress toward the life they want.
Carl coaches virtually and is not limited by state. For his counseling work, see Carl's counseling profile.
Dr. Sarah Boettner
PhD, LPCC-S, LSW, CSAT — Founder, Total Wellness 365
Over the past twenty-five years, I’ve had the privilege of working in clinical settings, supervising others, and teaching graduate students. This experience has honed my ability to listen for the underlying question and then ask it directly.
My coaching approach is warm and direct. I take your goals seriously enough to be honest with you, and I’m committed to supporting you as you navigate the challenges ahead.
I work with professionals facing career transitions, leaders carrying more responsibilities than they were prepared for, and individuals experiencing high-functioning burnout that stays invisible to everyone else, including the people who could help.
Best fit for: career transitions, leadership demands, burnout and health habits that haven’t stuck.
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I have a doctorate, a clinical license, and I teach graduate counseling students at Northern Kentucky University. My clinical career has been mostly in high-pressure settings, and I work well with people who are working hard and facing challenges.
That background influences how I coach, but coaching is a different kind of thing. There’s no assessment, no diagnosis, no medical record. What stays with me is the focus and the willingness to acknowledge what I see.
Here’s what I ask of you: come with something you genuinely want to work on, and be open to moving forward between sessions. And here’s what you can expect from me: my full attention, honest reflection, and no wasted time.
Sarah coaches virtually and is not bound by state.
Please note: When providing coaching, neither coach is acting in a licensed clinical capacity. No clinical or treatment relationship is created, no diagnosis is made, and no clinical record is kept. Licensure is listed here as background and qualification, not as a description of the service you are purchasing.
What to Expect
Consultation. A free 30-minute virtual consultation to discuss your goals and determine whether coaching is the right fit. If it is not, we will say so and point you toward what is.
Agreement. Before the first session you will review and sign a coaching agreement covering scope, confidentiality, financial responsibility, and the boundaries between coaching and clinical care. It is a separate document from any clinical paperwork. See information for new clients.
Framework. Coaching sessions follow the GROW model — Goal, Reality, Options, Will — a structured coaching framework outlined in Whitmore's Coaching for Performance. In practice, it means each session starts with what you want from it, looks honestly at where things stand, explores what is actually available to you, and ends with something specific you have chosen to do.
Sessions. Sixty minutes, virtual. Most people start weekly or biweekly and adjust.
Investment
Coaching is priced the same across both service lines and all coaches.
| Service | Format | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation | Virtual, 30 minutes | No charge |
| Individual coaching session | Virtual, 60 minutes | $175 |
| Six-session package | Virtual, 60 minutes each | $900 |
Package terms. Packages are paid in full at purchase and expire six months from the date of purchase. Extensions are considered case by case.
Payment. Coaching is self-pay only. Payment is due at the time of service. We do not bill insurance for coaching, do not provide superbills or diagnostic codes for coaching, and cannot support reimbursement claims of any kind.
Cancellation. Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice are charged a $95 late cancellation fee. Missed sessions without notice are charged at the full session rate. A late cancellation or no-show on a package session counts as a session used.
Common Questions
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No. Coaching is self-pay only. Insurance reimburses medically necessary treatment for a diagnosed condition, and coaching is neither, by design. There is no diagnosis, no clinical record, and no billable service, so there is nothing to submit. We do not provide superbills or diagnostic codes for coaching under any circumstances.
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Coaching is private and handled professionally, but it does not carry the legal confidentiality protections that apply to psychotherapy. Coaching records are maintained separately from any clinical record and are not clinical documentation. Certain mandatory reporting obligations still apply. Your coaching agreement explains all of this in full before you begin.
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No. Coaching and therapy are separate services with separate clients. We do not provide coaching to anyone who is a current or former therapy client of this practice, and we do not move anyone from therapy into coaching. This boundary is set by professional regulation and by our own standards. It is not waived by request.
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That is a different situation, and life coaching may still be appropriate. We will talk it through during your free consultation and will ask that your therapist know you are pursuing coaching. Coaching is not a substitute for treatment already underway, and we will not work at cross-purposes with your clinician.
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No. Coaching is delivered virtually and is not restricted by state licensure the way therapy is. Most of our coaching clients are in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region, but we work with people anywhere. Therapy services, by contrast, are limited to the states where each clinician is licensed.
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We will tell you directly, end the coaching engagement, and help you find a therapist. Because coaching and therapy are kept fully separate here, that referral goes to a provider outside this practice. Ending coaching in favor of appropriate care is not a failure; it is the system working.
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The Becoming Method is a structured program with its own framework and materials. Coaching described on this page is individual, one-to-one, and built around your specific goals rather than a set curriculum.
Our commitment to ethical practice
Coaching and psychotherapy can look similar from the outside. They are not the same, and blurring them causes real harm.
We maintain structural separation between the two: separate agreements, separate records, separate fee schedules, separate roles.
That separation extends to who we serve. Coaching is not offered to current or former therapy clients of this practice, and no one moves between the two services in either direction. A client who needs clinical care receives clinical care. A client who wants coaching, with no treatment history here, receives coaching.
If at any point during coaching it becomes apparent that clinical care would be more appropriate, coaching ends and we help you find the right provider.
Start with a Consultation
Thirty minutes, no charge, no obligation. Bring what you are working toward and we will tell you honestly whether coaching is the right fit — and which coach.
