who I work with

 
 
 
 

Therapist or Executive Coach? My Take.

Why not both? But if you’re choosing one…

The title matters less than the training and perspective behind it. I’ve met exceptional professionals across the board—therapists, coaches, clergy, psychiatrists, even energy healers—and I’ve met some I wouldn’t recommend. What truly matters is how someone is trained to see and solve problems.

I chose systemic therapy because it treats the whole person. Trauma isn’t always a sudden event—it can also be the result of things we weren’t taught by very healthy, well-meaning parents, or simply the pain that comes as a byproduct of the culture we live in. What we do with that pain and those experiences is shaped by everything around us: family, culture, workplace, biology, beliefs, and more. At some point, most of us hit a wall. Systemic therapy helps us step back, see the full picture, and move forward with insight and clarity. Without that lens, healing can feel like whack-a-mole—solve one issue, and another pops up.

Given my background—global executive, Billboard Power Player, and Nashville Business Journal 40 Under 40—people often asked why I didn’t go into executive coaching. The truth? It didn’t sit right. I read a Harvard Business Review piece** that captured what I’d seen firsthand: professionals who excel outwardly while silently struggling. Breakthrough years at work followed by burnout. Promotions alongside private panic. Coaching can be powerful—but it often stops at the surface.

Therapy, on the other hand, helps you understand what’s underneath. If you’re successful in business, chances are you’re great at powering through. But when that strategy stops working—when you're stuck, unfulfilled, or exhausted—it’s not a failure. It’s a signal. You don’t need to push harder. You need to go deeper.

As I often tell my clients: If you could’ve solved it by now, you would have. That doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It means it’s time for therapy. Frankly, I believe we all need it at certain points in our lives.

**Link to HBR Piece mentioned above: https://hbr.org/2002/06/the-very-real-dangers-of-executive-coaching

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”

— Prince