Frequently Asked Questions
What coaching is, and isn’t
It’s not therapy. We’re not working through your past to heal it, even though what surfaces in coaching sometimes touches on it.
It’s not consulting. I won’t hand you a strategy deck and tell you what to do.
It’s not mentorship either, where you’re learning what worked for one person’s path and trying to follow it.
Coaching opens the space for you to find what’s truly important to you, and to trust it enough to act on it.
I have a good mentor. Isn’t that enough?
If you already have a good mentor, hold on to them. A good mentor is worth having because they are usually further down a path you might also want and their advice is important. Coaching is a different relationship. It helps you figure out what’s true for you, even when that’s different from what might be true for your mentor.
Does something need to be wrong for coaching to help?
No. You don’t have to be unhappy to start asking harder questions. Most of the women I work with are doing well by every visible measure. What brings them in isn’t crisis, it’s a decision that doesn’t have an obvious answer, or a quiet sense that they’re building a career on autopilot instead of on purpose.
I’m not sure I’m ready. How do I know if it’s the right time?
You don’t need to know that before we talk. That’s what the first conversation is for. If it’s not the right time, we’ll both know quickly, and there’s no cost to finding that out.
Who is Centerline for?
Women roughly in the first decade of their career who are doing well by most visible measures and want to be intentional about deciding what comes next. Centerline is not for someone who is looking for resume help or a job search strategy.
How is Individual Coaching different from Centerline?
Centerline is a five-month program done in a small group of 6-8 women. Individual Coaching is one on one and built around whatever is on your mind, with no set curriculum.
What’s the actual time commitment for Centerline?
Ten group sessions, 90 minutes every other week, over five months. Two individual sessions you use whenever a specific decision or conversation needs more time. Real work happens between sessions too: reflection, small experiments, decisions you’re already facing brought into the room.
What’s the between-session work like?
Not homework in the school sense. You’ll notice patterns in your own decisions, try something different in a real situation, and come back to talk about what actually happened, not what you planned to happen.
Is the cohort confidential?
Yes. What’s shared in the group stays in the group. That’s part of what makes it possible to be honest instead of polished.
What if I can’t make a session?
Life happens. We’ll figure out how to keep you connected to the group’s progress without derailing either your experience or theirs.
Do you work with organizations directly?
Yes. Corporate cohorts, standalone Sightline Assessments, and custom engagements are all available for organizations investing in early-career women. More on the Organizations page.
Why five months?
Because meaningful change needs time to show up in real life. Five months gives you time to notice patterns, try something different, and see what happens. That’s the difference between talking about what you might do and finding out what happens when you actually do it.
Who is Centerline for?
Centerline is for women in the first decade of their careers who are ready to be more intentional about what comes next. You don’t need to have a specific problem to solve or your career figured out, but you need to be willing to look honestly at what’s influencing your choices and participate fully in the group.
How much time does Centerline take?
There are ten 90-minute group sessions over five months, held every other week. You also have two individual coaching sessions and short work between sessions to practice on real decisions.
What is the work between sessions?
You won’t be buried in homework. You’ll be asked to apply what you’re exploring to your actual life. That might mean sitting with a question, noticing a pattern, trying something differently, or having a conversation you’ve been putting off.
Is the cohort confidential?
Absolutely. Confidentiality is established at the beginning of the program and is non-negotiable.
What if I can’t make a session?
Consistent attendance is important because these sessions need everyone’s participation. We understand that things come up and will build in flexibility wherever possible, but Centerline works best when you can make the commitment to be there.