Pillar Draft Therapy and Coaching for Executive Women

You run the meeting, hit the number and keep everyone else steady. And somewhere along the way, the drive that built your career started to feel like a weight.

This guide is for women from VP level to Founder who want to know what help actually looks like: therapy, coaching, or both. I'm Aspen Jordan, a mental health counselor licensed in WA, CT, and NY, and coach. Before my career as a therapist, I worked in private wealth management, blockchain, and the performing arts (as an artist and a fundraiser). I know the pressures of being a woman in the workplace, and the heaviness that can coincide with success.

In this guide

• What's the difference between therapy and coaching?

• Do I need therapy, coaching, or both?

• Why do successful women feel empty, guilty or stuck?

• What does therapy look like?

• What does coaching look like?

• How much does it cost, and does insurance help?

• Can I work with you if I'm not in your state?

• How do I choose a therapist or coach?

• How do I get started?

• FAQ

What's the difference between therapy and coaching?

Therapy treats the patterns behind your distress, including anxiety, trauma responses, and perfectionism, and is led by a licensed clinician. Coaching is goal-focused, forward-looking work on one defined outcome, such as boundaries, life transitions, or major decisions. Therapy explores where you’re  stuck and why, while coaching considers what you'll do next. Many women use both.

The longer version is in [spoke: Therapy vs. coaching: which do you need?].

Do I need therapy or coaching?

Therapy is the right place to start if your patterns have roots: anxiety, trauma responses, or distress that follows you across jobs and relationships. Coaching is appropriate if you're psychologically steady and want to reach one defined goal. A consultation call can help us sort it out together.

Signs therapy is the right starting point

• This is your first time doing any insight-oriented work.

• Similar patterns show up in every role and relationship.

• You're dealing with anxiety, low mood, or past trauma.

• You want to understand the “why” behind your patterns and behaviors.

Signs coaching is the right starting point

• You’re been through therapy and feel ready to look forward.

• You feel steady and have one clear goal.

• You want structure, accountability, and action steps.

• You're navigating a specific transition (e.g. promotion, retirement, big move, etc.)

• You want to learn how to apply the insight you already have.

If coaching surfaces something clinical, I'll say so, and we'll get you a referral. Coaching is not a replacement for clinical care, and I don’t provide therapy to coaching clients. 

Why do successful women feel empty, guilty or stuck?

Success can feel empty when your identity and self-worth are tied to output rather than to your own values. Many women find that career wins don’t have the same rush once their lives expand beyond chasing accolades - because they have children, they find a new passion, or because they finally know who they are outside of achievement. That’s usually when the drive that built your career starts to feel like a burden. I see this pattern often in high achievers and it’s workable in therapy or coaching.

Four patterns I see most:

• Overfunctioning. You carry more than your share and believe it’s the only way to be considered valuable and/or reliable. 

• Contingent self-worth. Your value rises and falls with your latest results and feedback.

• Rest guilt. The only allowable rest is the kind you get at night. Real regeneration feels like wasted time.

• Evaluation anxiety. Every choice you make at work is about earning respect - the hypervigilance becomes exhausting.

What does therapy look like?

Therapy with me is weekly 50-minute video sessions. We start by identifying and mapping the patterns that are keeping you in loops that don’t work. I use an eclectic lens, including IPT, psychodynamic, ACT, IFS and trauma-informed methods. I recommend weekly sessions for at least three months.

• First session: we map what brought you in and what you want to change.

• Methods: Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, ACT, IFS, and trauma-informed care.

• Cadence: weekly to start. Biweekly is available case by case.

• Format: all sessions are by video. I don't offer in-person sessions at this time.

What does coaching look like?

Coaching is goal-oriented work built around one primary goal. Sessions are 50 minutes by video, focused on manageable, actionable change. Some clients see traction in three to six sessions; I recommend twelve for lasting change. Coaching isn't therapy and doesn't replace it when clinical care is needed.

Coaching is backed by my therapeutic training and professional experience. We pick one goal, then each session turns insight into action, both in and out of session. It takes commitment between sessions.

How much does it cost, and does insurance help?

Therapy is $275 per 50-minute session and coaching is $300. My practice is out of network, so I don't bill insurance directly. I provide therapy superbills you can submit for reimbursement, and Thrizer can help you claim benefits. There's no sliding scale. 

• Check your plan for out-of-network mental health benefits before booking.

• Coaching is generally not reimbursed by insurance, so confirm with your plan.

Full details are on Services & Fees. 

Can I work with you if I'm not in your state?

Therapy is available to clients located in New York, Connecticut, and Washington State, because counselors are licensed state by state. Coaching is available to clients throughout the US. Sessions are all by video, so you can work from any private space.

How do I choose a therapist or coach?

Look for five things: a license in your state, a specialty in high-achieving women, a method you like, a fit you feel confident in, and logistics that work, including fees and schedule. Use a consultation call to ask how they'd approach your pattern.

Questions worth asking on that first call:

• What's your license, and in which states?

• How do you decide between therapy and coaching for a client like me?

• What does progress look like, and how will we know?

How do I get started?

Book a 15-minute consultation call. It's a chance to talk through what's going on and see whether we're a good fit for therapy or coaching.

Book a consultation | See Services & Fees

FAQ

How long does therapy take?

Some people get what they need in six months; others stay for years. I recommend weekly sessions for at least three months to build momentum, then we adjust together based on your goals.

Weekly or biweekly sessions?

For therapy, I recommend weekly to start and offer biweekly case by case. For coaching, cadence matters less; weekly or biweekly both work well.

Do you offer in-person sessions?

Not at this time. All therapy and coaching sessions are by video, which makes scheduling around a senior role simpler.

Does insurance cover coaching?

Coaching isn't a health service, so insurance generally doesn't reimburse it. Therapy may be partly reimbursed through out-of-network benefits. Check your plan before booking.