FAQs

Pat Williams, therapist and founder of the Institute for Life Coaching, once provided a good answer to this question:

“Professional coaches know the importance of identifying the characteristics and ethical considerations which differentiate coaching from consulting, therapy, mentoring, counseling, or even friendship and support group membership.

“While coaching and therapy share some similarities, psychotherapy often focuses on the impact the past has on the present, on healing psychological dysfunction, and on relieving emotional pain. The therapist is considered to be the expert, the one with answers about what is right for the client.

“Coaching focuses on the present and future, the client's strengths, life purpose and goals, working with clients to create possibilities to enrich their life. Based on the belief that all individuals are whole, capable individuals, coaching assumes the client is expert, able to determine what is best for their lives and the coach works along with them to maximize their personal and professional potentials, to close the gaps to create extraordinary lives.” [emphasis added]

No. We offer individualized life coaching to individuals with mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBIs) who either are struggling with the after-effects of their mTBI or who want to make their lives better, going forward.

Most coaches and therapists don’t understand fully what the reality is of living with a TBI or a mild TBI. As a result, they lack the context to understand the challenges and behaviors of individuals who have brain injuries. They also don’t know what approaches are more successful for these individuals. TBI coaches, on the other hand, focus specifically on individuals with brain injuries and their unique needs.

We have a broad base of life coaching experience and have been trained in several coaching approaches. This provides us with a substantial coaching toolkit and enables us to draw upon a broad base of experience in the way that we work with our clients.

In fact, our broad-based life coaching experience enables us to help clients develop clearer insights about themselves, post-mTBI, and what they truly want now. It also provides us with the know-how to help our clients develop doable action plans. And perhaps most importantly, it has given us the expertise to help our clients stay on track with their goals and follow through with their plans. 

The short answer: for all intents and purposes, no.

The longer answer: there is a clear consensus out there that every concussion is a mild TBI. As to whether every mild TBI is a concussion, the picture is a little murkier. Nevertheless, people often use the terms interchangeably.

As far as it relates to Rebuild Coaching, when we use the term Mild TBI, we are including concussions within that term. 

Absolutely. In fact, our coaches have significant experience working with individuals who have survived strokes and other acquired brain injuries. We also have begun to work with clients with brain fog and other cognitive symptoms due to long COVID.

We have found that while there are some differences, many of the challenges that individuals deal with are similar, regardless of the type of acquired brain injury they have had.

Jon Jassy often incorporates creativity coaching with his clients who have mild TBIs.

Even if you don’t consider yourself creative, you probably enjoy doing something that draws on your creativity— or would like to do so. Sure, that could be something that’s conventionally considered ‘creative,’ such as writing, music, painting, photography, etc. But it could also be things less typically mentioned as ‘creative,’ such as gardening, cooking, telling a friend a story— even coaching. 

A creative practice is often an overlooked component of recovery from a mild TBI. 

For mild TBI survivors, a creative practice can connect them to something that provides joy and meaning in their lives. Perhaps more importantly, it can also help anchor and organize their thinking each day. Jon is committed to offering this space to his clients, since it has played a major role in his own personal recovery.

Yes! We work with family members and other supports of TBI survivors as they adjust to new roles and demands caused by their loved one’s TBI. To learn more, check out our pages on Family Coaching and Coaching for Caregivers and Supporters.