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ALISON PARSONS
Psy.D.
New in 2020 – Dr. Parsons is now offering evidenced-based Life Coaching services
Helping you maximize your potential to create the life you want!
Whether you are looking to improve work-life balance, increase productivity and motivation, manage stress, enhance health and fitness, lose weight, or increase self-confidence and well-being, I can help you reach your goals. My coaching process is about empowerment, accountability and psychological flexibility in the service of a vital, rich and meaningful life.
As a clinical psychologist I have extensive education and training in the psychological theories of motivation, learning, personality and behavior change. The theories that guide my work as a psychologist also guide my coaching practice working with healthy populations. By integrating the superior paradigm of psychology with the profession of coaching and over twenty years of clinical experience, I have found a way to bridge these disciplines into a state-of-the-art coaching method.
Areas of Focus
Stress management
Work/Life Balance
Health/Fitness/Weight Management
Burn Out
Life Transition
Procrastination
Organization
What makes evidenced-based life coaching different from other coaching programs?
Would you take a medication that's efficacy hasn't been proven? How about drive a car that hasn’t passed safety testing. Would you hire a contractor with no proven track record? Then why would you invest your time and money into a coaching intervention that has no scientific evidence and only anecdotal support at best? Typical coaching approaches have little to no organizational framework, theoretical underpinning or evidence of their efficacy through randomized, controlled trials. In essence, many coaching programs are a compilation of tools, exercises and worksheets that are mostly reactive, and lacking a foundation that supports a sustained, long-term impact.
As the popularity of coaching grows, evidence-based coaching offers an important distinction between solid and rigorous empirical research, and non-validated personal/professional development programs or self-help literature. Coaching can be seen as a natural extension of long-standing and widely accepted psychological principals applied to healthy individuals wishing to optimize their life. The study of psychology is not just about pathology, diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. It is also the study of human potential and capacity for growth. Starting with the Positive Psychology movement about two decades ago, Dr. Martin P. Seligman revolutionized the field of clinical psychology by applying the scientifically-based foundations of clinical psychology to focus on the strengths that enable individuals to thrive. Since that time Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has emerged as a program that is holistic, strategic, sustainable and based on the latest scientific research. This evidenced-based program has been translated into a highly effective process for use in the coaching arena.
Why ACT?
Evidence Based
ACT has been proven to be effective through rigorous research. If coaching is to be credible and progressive, then the interventions used should be shown to be effective. To date, there have been hundreds of randomized controlled trials that demonstrate ACT’s effectiveness in treating stress, burnout, over-eating, time management, self-esteem, procrastination and increasing psychological flexibility, health behaviors and health efficacy, exercise, self-confidence, and body-image.
Theory Driven
Based on a clear and organized theory of language, thinking and behavior, ACT is clear about mechanisms of change and when using ACT, coaches know THAT it works as well as WHY it works. Thus, ACT coaches can focus on the active ingredients of behavior change. Most other coaching approaches are based on a collection of techniques with no unifying theory as to how they work or why.
Liberating
Just in case ACT is sounding too ‘hard-edged,’ in practice ACT is deeply personal because it puts people in contact with the things they truly care about. The aim is to increase psychological flexibility – the ability to choose one’s behavior - even when experiencing difficult thoughts and painful emotions such as stress and anxiety.
Universal
Act is a therapy, but it is also a life approach. It has been used effectively to address issues from smoking cessation to chronic pain to workplace performance. Therefore, it is a fundamental life skill that applies equally to the therapy room, the boardroom and beyond.
Mindfulness with a Purpose
Yes, ACT is another trendy, mindfulness-based intervention, but in this case it’s mindfulness with a focus on the immediacy and vitality of being present in the moment. ACT uses mindfulness as a call to action, to get people out of their minds and into their lives, rather than a desirable state in and of itself.
Practical and Pragmatic
ACT has strong roots in behaviorism, which means that coaching conversations are primarily about tangible and practical behavior change. In ACT, thoughts and behavior are not viewed as “good” or “bad,” rather they are pragmatically assessed for their “workability,” i.e. weather a given thought or action works over the long-term.
Consistent
Because of ACT’s theoretical model, coaches work with a single coherent and testable model of human behavior. This allows coaches to model and reinforce psychological flexibility which in turn lends coherence and consistency to sessions.
The Dangers of the Unregulated Field of Coaching
Personal, professional and life coaching has become a booming business as clients seek guidance for career transitions, starting a business, getting more organized, improving their sales or marketing skills, and a lot more. One of the key issues facing this industry is untrained or inexperienced business/life coaches in the context of an entirely unregulated field. There are virtually no barriers to entry to the coaching industry and no degree, certification or license is required. While coaches may be certified by a long list of dubious credentialing organizations, many have very limited or cursory experience and decide to go into coaching to deal with their own pain or after having gone through a painful experience themselves. They erroneously believe they can apply what they learned from their personal journey to the lives of others with very little background or formal education. Thus, many life-coaches are underequipped and undertrained for the tasks they are trying to accomplish. Worse — they don’t even realize how undertrained they are.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is coaching different than psychotherapy?
Although psychotherapy and coaching share many similarities, there are significant differences in these services. While both therapy and life coaching assist individuals who want to make changes in their lives, life coaching generally works to assist individuals who are relatively healthy and functional but are struggling to reach their full potential.
People typically see a therapist when they have a diagnosable mental health disorder (i.e. major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, ADHD, etc.). Psychotherapy is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties eliminate or control troubling symptoms so a person can function better and can increase well-being and healing.
Coaching interventions assist individuals in clarifying their goals and identify the obstacles that are preventing them from living the life they want. Like therapy, coaching involves supportive interventions but also places a great deal of emphasis on accountability and the assumption that the individual already has the resources they need but requires guidance to enable them to do more with their resources than they might be able to do on their own. Coaching tends to focus more on the present and future, and almost always addresses an individual’s mindset and attitude by uncovering self-limiting beliefs, behaviors, barriers and negative self-talk.
In addition, there are significant differences in training, certification, scope of practice, location, session format, fees and coverage. Click here for a good article in this regard.
Are you a certified Life Coach?
Dr. Parsons completed her training through the Life Coach Training Institute and is a Certified Life Coach.
How much do your coaching sessions cost?
The cost for services is $235 per session. This includes not only the time we spend face-to-face, but each session includes up to two email check-ins and one fifteen minute scheduled phone call between sessions.
Does my health insurance cover life coaching sessions?
While there may be rare exceptions in this regard (i.e. smoking cessation and weight loss programs, if and when such coaching is prescribed and supervised by a medical doctor), in general coaching session are not covered by health insurance. If you have a mental health condition (such as anxiety or depression), it might be best to see a therapist who has the education, training, licensure, and experience to address your specific issue.
How often do we meet and for how long?
Session are generally delivered in a once weekly or once every other week format with sessions lasting for approximately sixty minutes. The number of sessions you require will depend on the goals you have, how much and the type of support you require and your work between sessions. While, this is highly personal, the average number of sessions is between six and twelve. It can be highly useful to schedule one or two long-range follow up sessions three to six months after you meet your goals to review, adjust and ensure consolidation of your gains.
What it the structure of a coaching session?
At the initial meeting we will establish goals and formulate a plan. Subsequent sessions start with tracking progress towards goals, reviewing what you achieved since the last session and discussing what you struggled with. Based on this, areas of focus will be identified for the session. Together we’ll explore the issue and come up with an action plan. At the end of the session we will create a written plan that summarizes your targets for intervention. This creates accountability and motivation to keep you moving toward your goals.
Do sessions occur in person or virtually?
The majority of coaching session are done virtually through a secure web-based portal. There are no programs to download. All you need is an internet-capable device with a camera and microphone (i.e. computer, tablet, i-pad, etc). Those residing in the Salt Lake City area may opt to come into the office for sessions.
Contact me today to see how evidenced-based acceptance and commitment life coaching can work for you!