Unlock Your Potential: Introducing Life Coaching at Evoke Counseling Center
Unlock Your Potential: Introducing Life Coaching at Evoke Counseling Center
Feeling stuck, but not necessarily struggling? Wondering how to turn “I wish” into “I will”? At Evoke Counseling Center, we’re excited to add Life Coaching to our menu of services—giving you another way to grow, thrive, and reach goals that matter most to you. Below, you’ll learn what life coaching is, how it differs from therapy, and whether you’re an ideal candidate for coaching sessions.
What Exactly Is Life Coaching?
Life coaching is a future‑focused, goal‑oriented partnership designed to help you:
Clarify what you want—whether that’s a career pivot, stronger relationships, or a more balanced lifestyle
Break big dreams into concrete, doable action steps
Stay motivated and accountable between sessions
Overcome self‑limiting beliefs through practical strategies rather than deep clinical processing
Think of a life coach as your personal strategist + cheerleader—someone who challenges you, celebrates wins, and keeps you moving forward.
Life Coaching vs. Therapy: Same Spectrum, Different Spotlight
Life Coaching
Primary focus
Future goals & action plans
Typical topics
Career changes, time management, personal growth
Approach
Skills training, accountability, motivational techniques
Session style
Forward‑looking, solution‑focused, homework‑heavy
Provider
Certified life coach
Best for…
High‑functioning individuals seeking direction
Therapy
Primary focus
Emotional healing & mental health
Typical topics
Trauma, anxiety, depression relationship distress
Approach
Evidence‑based clinical interventions
(e.g., CBT, EMDR, Trauma-Focuses, EFT)
Session style
Past‑integrated, insight‑oriented, symptom‑relief
Provider
Licensed mental‑health professional
Best for…
Individuals needing diagnosis, treatment, or deeper emotional work
Bottom line: If you need to heal, therapy is your lane. If you want to level‑up, coaching can fast‑track progress.
Who Is an Ideal Life Coaching Client?
You’ll likely thrive in coaching if you:
Feel mentally stable (no unmanaged depression, PTSD, or active crisis).
Crave clarity around a specific goal—e.g., launching a side business, improving leadership skills, or creating a healthier routine.
Enjoy homework and are willing to take consistent action between sessions.
Value accountability—having someone check in on your progress keeps you motivated.
Prefer practical tools over digging into childhood wounds.
Want measurable results within weeks to months.
Quick self‑check: If you catch yourself saying, “I know I’m capable, but I’m stuck on how to get there,” coaching is probably for you.
Signs You May Be a Better Fit for Therapy
Persistent sadness, anxiety, or trauma symptoms disrupting daily life
Recent loss, crisis, or major life transition causing emotional distress
Desire to process past experiences or deep‑seated patterns
Need for a formal diagnosis, medication referral, or insurance billing
(At Evoke, our clinicians can help you decide which path makes sense and transition you seamlessly between services if needed.)
Why Choose Life Coaching at Evoke?
Integrated care: Our coaches collaborate with our therapists, so you get continuity if you ever need both services.
Evidence‑informed methods: Although coaching isn’t therapy, we draw on proven goal‑setting frameworks (SMART goals, Motivational Interviewing, Positive Psychology).
Tailored sessions: 30‑ or 60‑minute virtual or in‑office appointments to fit your schedule.
Clear metrics: Each coaching plan includes milestone check‑ins and progress reviews, so you see your growth.
What to Expect in Your First Coaching Session
Discovery & vision‑casting: We explore where you are now and where you’d love to be six months from today.
Goal mapping: Together we define up to three high‑impact goals and break them into weekly action steps.
Accountability system: You’ll leave with a personalized roadmap, check‑in schedule, and simple tracking tools.
Mindset tune‑up: Expect practical strategies to silence that overactive amygdala of self‑doubt and boost confidence.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re eager to move from thinking to doing, life coaching at Evoke Counseling Center can provide the structure, motivation, and expertise you need. Book a complimentary 15‑minute consultation by calling our Glen Ellyn office or visiting www.evokecounseling.com. Let’s turn your potential into progress—one actionable step at a time.
EMDR THERAPY
Written by Brianna Sanborn, LPC
Trauma and other distressing experiences come in all different shapes and sizes, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all process when it comes to emotional healing. Trauma can stem from one or more events like sexual assault or witnessing a terrible incident, or even a long period of repeated events, like being bullied or neglected. According to the American Psychological Association (2023), some long-term reactions to trauma include, but are not limited to, strong and unpredictable emotions, anxiety and panic attacks, flashbacks, strained relationships, and physical symptoms like an upset stomach, heart palpitations, or headaches.
It can be difficult to process and cope with difficult life experiences, especially without being given the space, tools, and guidance in doing so. Although there are many methods in healing from the emotional and physical effects of trauma, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy (Shapiro, 2001) has been shown to be an effective approach. EMDR therapy was originally founded in 1987 as a treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to effectively process memories associated with individuals’ experiences with trauma. It can also be useful for other mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), addiction, eating disorders, and phobias.
How it Works
According to The Journal of Neuroscience (2023), rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may provide conditions that allow for the processing and consolidation of emotional memories. In other words, when our eyes are naturally moving quickly from left-to-right while we are sleeping, our brains are able to process and store emotional memories. When one has experienced trauma or other distressing events, these emotional memories may not be stored adequately, which can result in Posttraumatic Stress (PTS) symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, or panic attacks. EMDR is designed to simulate the REM sleep process in therapy to help store memories in the brain properly.
Phases of EMDR Therapy
There are eight phases of EMDR that the therapist will follow with the client during treatment. Each phase may differ in how long it takes to get through and move onto the next. The duration of each phase also might vary among client to client. So, for one client, a given phase might take one session, while for others it might take a few. The phases of EMDR and brief explanations and examples of each phase is as follows:
Phase 1: Case Formulation
The first phase is called “case formulation” where the therapist will gather information on the client’s history and what brings the client into therapy for EMDR. This phase also includes learning and practicing grounding and calming techniques in preparation for EMDR. The therapist and client will develop a plan on what events will be focused on, and explore “negative” and “adaptive” beliefs associated with the difficult event(s) being processed.
Phase 2: Preparation
The therapist will explain what will happen during EMDR sessions and what the client can expect throughout the process. A “stop signal” will be identified among the therapist and client in case reprocessing (phase 4) becomes too overwhelming.
Phase 3: Assessment
The client and therapist will review the plan made in phase one, including the event being processed and the associated negative and adaptive beliefs established in phase one. The client will rate the level of disturbance (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most disturbing) when thinking about the event and the negative belief associated with it, and then will rate the level of trueness (on a scale of 1-7, with 7 being the most true) when thinking about the adaptive belief. The client will also explain what negative emotions are associated with the incident, and what sensations they are experiencing in their body. An example of what this might look like is as follows:
Problem: Getting bullied
Event: Bully pushed me to the ground
Negative belief: “People don’t like me”
Adaptive belief: “I am likable regardless of how some people treat me”
Negative emotion: Anxiety
Body Sensation/Location: Tightness in chest
Phase 4: Desensitization and Reprocessing
This is when the therapist will either use eye movements or body tapping to simulate REM sleep when thinking about or discussing the difficult event or negative thoughts and emotions associated with the event. The therapist will either use their fingers to dart back and forth for the client to follow with their eyes, or the client can use body tapping to get a similar effect. For body tapping, the client would cross their arms over their chest, tapping each shoulder or bicep back and forth rapidly. The therapist will ask the client to take breaks between the eye movements or body tapping to see how the process is unfolding for the client.
Phase 5: Installation
During the installation phase, the therapist will check in with the client regarding the adaptive belief, also known as the “positive” belief, previously established. The therapist and client will continue eye movements or body tapping when thinking about the positive belief until the level of trueness increases for the client.
Phase 6: Body Scan
The therapist will prompt the client to scan their body and report any sensations experienced. This may be repeated until the body feels more calm, if and as needed.
Phase 7: Closure
The therapist will ask how the process went for the client, and may even visit some grounding and calming techniques to end the session with. It’s important to be aware that processing may continue after a processing session, and self-care and additional grounding methods can be a good protocol for the client to engage in after the session has ended.
Phase 8: Revaluation
This phase occurs the next session, and aims to evaluate what happened for the client after the session, any triggers experienced, any new insights, responses, or attitudes regarding the event or negative/adaptive beliefs, and the level of disturbance since the last session.
Benefits of EMDR
The goal of EMDR therapy is to decrease symptoms resulting from distressing life events, and to process the memories associated with the events so they can be stored in the brain properly. The process and benefits of EMDR will be different for everyone. During EMDR processing, some people might see images or memories, have different thoughts come up, experience body sensations, go through various emotions, etc., and the process may differ from person to person. EMDR can be a quicker treatment to one’s symptoms resulting from a traumatic event(s) compared to alternate types of therapy, like CBT, and doesn’t involve much work on the client’s part outside of sessions. It can also be a less distressing way to process trauma, as there is not as much focus on the actual event(s) as there is with other treatments. If you are interested in seeking EMDR as a treatment for you, please contact us and we will pair you with an EMDR trained therapist to explore your options.
- Brianna Sanborn, LPC
References
American Psychological Association. (2023). Trauma. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/trauma
Rho, Y.-A., Sherfey, J., & Vijayan, S. (2022). Emotional memory processing during REM sleep with implications for post-traumatic stress disorder. The Journal of Neuroscience, 43(3), 433–446. https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.1020-22.2022