Frequently asked questions

I see counseling and coaching services referenced on your website, what is the difference between coaching and counseling?

If you were to search the web to try and determine the difference between Counseling and Coaching you will most likely find a variety of different descriptions. The reality is the differences are not so much in how they help, but how they become “qualified” to help.

Counselors must obtain a Masters degree in Counseling, or Social Work from an accredited University. They then must pass a national exam and meet the requirements for licensure set by their individual state boards. Counselors may have specific training in assessing and treating various psychological disorders. They are also recognized by insurance companies as part of the medical model and as a result may accept payment from those companies.

Coaching is another type of helping professional who typically focuses on helping reach your goals. In the state of Idaho there currently isn’t a state licensure or education requirement to become a coach. Coaches receive their training through private organizations that specialize in coaching. Coaching is typically not covered by insurance companies. They will not diagnose psychological disorders nor will they claim they do any form of therapy.

Neither Counselors nor Coaches will prescribe or distribute medications. However they will both work with individuals or couples when they feel something is wrong or not quite right in their lives, and want to change behavior or how they feel about themselves. They may both explore past experiences to help free up current limiting beliefs, or look at current feelings, thoughts, actions and outcomes to help clients achieve personal goals.

At liveFit we offer both, Joal Curtis is a licensed professional counselor and provides counseling services for both individuals and couples. Becky Curtis is a Life Coach and provides coaching services for individuals. 

What types of issues do you specialize in?

We consider ourselves to be relationship experts. This includes not only our interpersonal relationships with others, but also the relationships we have with ourselves. We specialize in resolving conflict whether that conflict is internal causing feelings of worthlessness and depression, or external (spouse, family member, or close friend) resulting in feelings of isolation and loneliness. Our personal happiness is most often a function of the quality of these relationships. It is common for us to see clients complaining about depression, anxiety, suicide, trauma, addiction, self-esteem, eating disorders, loneliness, marital conflict, and infidelity.

If I’m participating in one of your programs and attending the classes is it necessary to also receive one-on-one counseling or coaching?

Program participants are not required to have a counselor or coach, however it is highly encouraged. Many of the principles taught in the programs become more effective in your life when you have help applying them to your specific situation.

If I’m participating in counseling or coaching would I benefit from enrolling in either the Courageous Living or Courageous Loving programs?

Having a counselor or coach work with you on your specific concerns and issues will really shorten the learning curve of life and help guide you to greater personal satisfaction and peace. Often working with a counselor or coach can be a very personal experience where close bonds and trust are built. This time is unique and is focused on you, your feelings and experience. It isn’t meant to be a time for classroom type instruction. However, classroom or group instruction can help you quickly learn the principles proven to promote personal health and couple intimacy. This understanding will give you the context within which change occurs. Having that context can assist the work you and your counselor or coach do together. Because of this, we encourage our clients to both enroll in our programs and participate in one-on-one counseling and coaching. We believe this combination to be the most effective in promoting growth and change.

What can I expect to learn by attending the Courageous Loving Program?

The Courageous Loving program is divided up into three, 3-week courses: Understanding the Problem, Healing Marital Pain and Injury, and Maintaining Healthy Intimacy.
In these series of courses you will discover:

• Relationship rules at the heart of why you love, feel and act the way you do.
• How you avoid the fear of rejection by examining “fear-avoiding behaviors”, which ultimately result in more personal distress, pain and unhappiness.
• How to overcome personal fears that are always whispering skeptical objections and feeding you doubts about anything that might shake up the status quo.
• How to heal pain and injury from past and present relationships that is keeping you from sharing your life more fully.
• How to establish a relationship that provides you a safe haven and a secure base, a soft place to fall when everything else in your life might be in turmoil.
• How to develop the skills of “care seeking” and “care giving” which are the foundational behaviors of all loving relationships.
• How to maintain this new intimacy you have discovered, and recognize warning signals and what to do about them.