Coaching FAQ

A life coach helps you get clearer on who you are, what you want, and what’s been getting in the way. Not by telling you what to do, but by asking better questions until you can see it yourself.

The focus is always forward. We’re not unpacking your past or diagnosing anything. We’re looking at where you are now, where you want to be, and what needs to shift to get there.

The biggest difference from therapy is that coaching assumes you’re already resourceful and capable. You don’t need fixing. You need clarity, honest reflection, and sometimes someone to hold up a mirror.

Mindset coaching starts from the idea that the way you think shapes everything. How you see yourself, what you believe is possible, and how you respond when things get hard.

Most of the time, the thing getting in the way isn’t a lack of skill or information. It’s a belief that you’ve been carrying for so long that you’ve stopped questioning it. Mindset coaching is about surfacing those beliefs, looking at them honestly, and deciding whether they’re actually serving you.

It’s not positive thinking or motivational speaking. It’s deeper and more honest than that.

Both are valuable. They just do different things.

Therapy focuses on healing. It’s designed for people dealing with mental health conditions, trauma, or emotional wounds that need clinical support. Therapists are licensed professionals trained to diagnose and treat.

Coaching focuses on moving forward. It’s for people who are generally stable but feel stuck, unclear, or ready for something different. We’re not looking at what happened to you. We’re looking at where you are now and what you actually want from here.

Some people work with both at the same time. A therapist to heal, a coach to help them figure out what comes next. That combination can work really well.

Not sure which one you need? Book a free call and I’ll give you an honest answer, even if that answer is that coaching isn’t the right fit right now.

There’s no fixed rule, but fortnightly tends to work well for most people. It gives enough time between sessions to reflect and try things out, without losing momentum.

Weekly works if you’re in an intense period of change and want more support. Monthly can work too, though progress tends to be slower because it’s harder to build continuity.

Ultimately it’s your call. We’ll figure out what works for you after the first session, and we can always adjust as we go.

Yes, and there are more of them every year. Some are genuinely useful for things like habit tracking, journalling prompts, or getting a quick outside perspective.

But there’s a limit to what they can do. An AI can process what you type. It can’t notice the hesitation before you answer, or the thing you almost said but didn’t. It can’t sit with you in the uncomfortable silence that sometimes leads somewhere important. And it can’t build the kind of relationship where real honesty becomes possible.

Coaching works largely because of the human connection. That’s not something that can be replicated yet.

Yes. But probably not in the way it’s usually sold. Mindfulness isn’t just an app or a breathing exercise.

At its core, mindfulness is about learning to notice what’s actually happening inside you, rather than being carried along by it. The gap between stimulus and reaction, between what happens and how you respond, is where change becomes possible.

It’s something I bring into my own life and into my coaching, not as a technique to teach, but as a way of paying attention. Slowing down enough to see things clearly. Most of the people I work with aren’t moving too slowly. They’re moving too fast to notice what’s actually driving them.

It starts with a free 45-minute call where we talk about what’s bringing you here and whether this is the right fit. No commitment, no pressure.

If we decide to work together, the first session goes deeper. We start to look at what’s actually going on beneath the surface, what feels misaligned, and what you actually want.

From there, sessions are 60 minutes, typically fortnightly, on Zoom. Each one has a natural flow: we agree on what you want to focus on, we explore it meaningfully, and we close by anchoring insights and figuring out any next steps.

Between sessions you reflect, notice patterns, and try things out in real life. That’s where a lot of the work actually happens.

Over time, the confusion settles. Gradually you get a clearer sense of what you want and how to move forward in a way that feels like yours.

This is how I work with clients in Amsterdam and online across Europe.

Most coaches became coaches because something pushed them there. Burnout, a crisis, a life that stopped working. It’s a valid path and I have a lot of respect for it.

Mine was different. I’ve also been through some real lows and had to find my way back from them. But I didn’t stop there. I went back into corporate, kept going, and made it all the way to director level. And then, from a place of genuine success, I made a conscious decision to leave. Not because I had to. Because I wanted something different.

That distinction matters in a coaching conversation. I’m not helping people escape something. I’m helping them figure out what they actually want to move towards. There’s a difference, and most people feel it.

It depends on what you’re working through, but here’s what I’ve seen in practice.

After 4 to 6 sessions, most people start noticing real shifts. How they think about things, how they react, what they’re willing to question. It’s not transformation yet, but something has moved.

Between 6 and 10 sessions is usually where things consolidate. New ways of thinking start to feel natural rather than effortful. People are making different choices and actually following through.

That said, I don’t work with fixed packages. You choose how many sessions you want based on how things are progressing. Some people know after three sessions what they needed. Others want to keep going. It’s genuinely up to you.

If you want a better sense of what might work for your situation, we can talk it through on the free call.

That depends on what you’re working on. But the most common shift I see is this: people arrive unclear about what they want, and they leave with enough clarity to actually move forward.

For some that means a career change or a decision they’d been postponing for some time. For others it’s quieter than that. They feel more settled. More like themselves and less at the mercy of what everyone else expects of them.

I can’t promise a specific outcome. Coaching isn’t a formula. But the people who show up honestly and do the work consistently always leave with something real.

Most people notice something after the first session. Not a full transformation, but a shift. A bit more clarity, a different way of looking at something that felt stuck.

Lasting change takes longer. The patterns and beliefs you’re working through didn’t form overnight, and they don’t dissolve overnight either.

Fortnightly sessions over a few months is where I see the most consistent progress. Enough time between sessions to try things out, enough consistency to keep the momentum going.

Yes. This is actually one of the most common reasons people come to me.

Not knowing what you want isn’t a problem to fix before you start coaching. It’s usually what we work on together. Most people who say they have no idea actually have more clarity than they think. It’s just buried under a lot of noise, other people’s expectations, and years of not really asking the question.

By the end of the first session most people have at least a clearer sense of what’s actually going on. It doesn’t all fall into place at once, but it starts to.

Honestly, you won’t know for certain until you try. But there are a few things that make it more likely to work.

The first is honesty. Coaching only goes as deep as you’re willing to be real. If you’re holding back or telling yourself a story that isn’t quite true, we’ll stay on the surface.

The second is a genuine desire for something to change. Not just discomfort with where you are, but an actual willingness to do something about it. Those two things sound similar but they’re not.

If both of those are true, coaching tends to work. And if you’re not sure, the free call is a good place to find out. We can talk honestly about whether this is the right fit before you commit to anything.

Prices vary quite a bit across the market. Here’s mine.

Sessions are €105 each, VAT included for individuals and excluded for businesses. I don’t work with fixed programmes, but I do offer session packages at a discount if you prefer that.

Payment is by invoice after each session for single sessions, due within 14 days by bank transfer. Packages are pre-paid.

If the price is a genuine obstacle right now, get in touch before you write it off. I’m committed to making coaching accessible and I’m open to a conversation about what’s possible.

In the Netherlands and most of Europe, no. Life coaching is classified as personal development, not healthcare, so it falls outside what health insurance covers.

That said, there are a few possibilities worth checking.

Some Dutch employers offer a personal development budget (persoonlijk ontwikkelingsbudget) that can be used for coaching. It’s worth asking your HR department or checking your employment contract.

If you’re self-employed in the Netherlands, coaching may be tax-deductible as a business expense if it’s directly related to your professional development. Your accountant can confirm whether that applies to your situation.

In some cases, coaching may also be covered as part of a formal re-integration programme after sick leave, but that requires approval from your employer or UWV.

If you need detailed invoicing for any of these purposes, just let me know.

In the Netherlands, generally no. Life coaching isn’t classified as medical care, so it doesn’t qualify as a deductible health expense on a personal tax return.

The exception is if you’re self-employed. If coaching is directly related to your professional development, it may be deductible as a business expense. That’s worth discussing with your accountant before assuming either way.

If you’re employed and your company offers a personal development budget, that’s a different route entirely and doesn’t involve your tax return at all.

I’m happy to provide whatever invoicing you need for any of these purposes.

That’s genuinely something only you can answer. But here’s how I’d think about it.

The people who get the most out of coaching aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest problems. They’re the ones who are ready to be honest and willing to do something with what comes up. When those two things are true, the return tends to be significant. Not just in one area but across the board.

What I’d ask instead is: what is it costing you to stay where you are? Not just financially. In energy, in missed decisions, in the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

If you’re genuinely unsure, the free call is a good place to find out if this is worth it for your specific situation.

Yes. Everything you share stays between us.

I follow the ICF Code of Ethics, which includes confidentiality as a core principle. Session notes are kept secure and private. I never discuss your coaching with anyone else without your explicit permission.

The only exceptions are situations involving imminent risk of harm to yourself or others, or abuse of a child or vulnerable person. In those cases I’m ethically and legally obligated to act. But in all other circumstances, what you share is completely confidential.

Coaching requires real honesty. That’s only possible if you feel genuinely safe. Confidentiality is the foundation of that.

I comply with GDPR and Dutch privacy law. Here’s what that means in practice.

Sessions are on Zoom. They’re not recorded unless you explicitly agree to it, and you can withdraw that consent at any time.

Session notes are stored securely in encrypted cloud storage. Your contact and payment information is kept in secure systems. Nothing is shared with third parties without your permission.

Under GDPR you have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data at any time. To exercise any of those rights, just email me at leo@leobetcoach.com.

For the full details, see my Privacy Statement.

Each session is 60 minutes and has a natural flow, though it’s never rigid.

We start by agreeing on what you want to focus on and what a good outcome for the session looks like. Then we spend most of the time in genuine exploration, going beneath the surface of whatever you’re working through. Towards the end we check in on what shifted, anchor any insights, and figure out any next steps.

You don’t need to worry about the structure or the time. That’s my job. You just need to show up and be honest.

Sessions are 60 minutes. That length works well in practice. Long enough to get beneath the surface, short enough to stay focused.

If something different works better for you, we can discuss it.

Yes. You can reschedule or cancel directly from your confirmation email, or just message or email me.

The only thing to know is that cancellations less than 24 hours before a session will be charged at the full rate. That policy exists to protect the time we’ve both committed to, not to be punitive. If something genuine comes up, just let me know as early as possible and we’ll figure it out.

In English and Portuguese.

If one of those is your native language, there’s often value in working in it. The words you reach for instinctively in your mother tongue sometimes carry more than a translation would.

In saying that, plenty of my clients work in English as a second language and find that it works just as well. Sometimes even better, because it creates a slight distance from their habitual ways of thinking.

Whatever feels most natural to you is the right choice.

My main offer is online, via Zoom. That’s how the majority of my sessions work and it’s just as effective as in person. What matters in coaching is the conversation, not the physical space.

In person sessions in Amsterdam are possible on request. If that’s something you’d prefer, just get in touch and we’ll see what we can arrange.

Yes. I’m based in Amsterdam but I work with clients across Europe and beyond. We schedule sessions based on your time zone and find something that works for both of us sustainably.

If you’re unsure whether the time difference is workable, just get in touch and we’ll figure it out.

Yes. Email and message support is included. If something comes up between sessions, a question, a realisation, something you want to think through before our next session, feel free to reach out.

What’s not included is full coaching work between sessions. That needs dedicated time and proper attention. Saving the deeper work for our sessions means you get the best of both.

It’s worth being honest about this before we start. Coaching works best with some consistency. When sessions become too spread out, momentum is harder to maintain and progress tends to slow down.

That said, life gets complicated. If something comes up, we can reduce frequency, take a break and resume when things settle, or intensify for a short period if that works better.

If you genuinely can’t commit right now, it might not be the right time. I’d rather be honest about that than start something that doesn’t serve you well.

There’s no homework in the traditional sense. No worksheets, no mandatory exercises, nothing you have to complete before the next session.

That said, real change doesn’t only happen in the session. It happens when you take something from our conversation and try it out in real life. Notice a pattern. Make a different choice. Sit with a question. That kind of reflection tends to happen naturally when the work is resonating.

Some clients like having something concrete to focus on between sessions. Others prefer to let things settle on their own. We follow your lead.

If you have a growing sense that something needs to change but aren’t sure what, this is for you.

More specifically, I work a lot with professionals navigating career transitions, expats figuring out who they are outside of the life they left behind, and people who have built something that looks right but doesn’t feel like theirs.

Coaching probably isn’t the right fit if you’re looking for someone to tell you what to do, or if you’re not ready to be genuinely honest about where you are. That’s not a judgment. It’s just that coaching only works when there’s a real willingness to look and act.

If you’re not sure, the free call is the right place to find out.

Yes. Sometimes it helps to have a specific focus to start from. It gives us somewhere to dig.

With confidence, the work usually isn’t about building something new. It’s about understanding what’s been undermining it. Confidence comes from a stable relationship with yourself. One that doesn’t depend too much on outcomes and other people’s reactions. We work on that foundation instead.

With career clarity, the block is often less about not knowing the options and more about not trusting yourself to choose. Once that shifts, decisions tend to become clearer.

With procrastination, there’s almost always something underneath it. Fear, perfectionism, a belief that it has to be done a certain way. We find that and work from there.

Whatever the specific challenge, the approach is the same: go beneath the surface and find what’s actually driving it.

Two ways.

You can book a free call directly on the website. Pick a time that works for you and we’ll take it from there.

Or if you’d prefer to reach out first, you can message me on WhatsApp or email me at leo@leobetcoach.com. Either works.

That’s completely normal. Most people feel some version of this before the first session.

What usually happens is that the nervousness fades pretty quickly once we start talking. You don’t need to have anything figured out or know exactly what to say. You just need to show up and be honest. That’s genuinely all it takes to get started.

If you’re nervous, you can just say so at the start. That kind of honesty actually helps. It’s a good sign, not a bad one.

Not much. You don’t need to arrive with a clear problem or a prepared agenda. Most people don’t and that’s fine.

If it helps, spend a few minutes before the session thinking about what’s most on your mind right now and what is making you reach out. Not to solve it, just to notice it. That’s usually enough.

Practically: find a quiet private space, have Zoom ready, and turn off notifications. Show up a few minutes early if you can, just to settle in.

That’s it. Everything else we figure out together.

We’ll talk about it on the call itself, but here’s how it usually goes.

If we both feel it’s a good fit, we talk through the practicalities and book a first session. I’ll send over a coaching agreement for you to sign before we start.

If it doesn’t feel right, that’s fine too. There’s no pressure either way. The call is genuinely just a conversation.

Yes. Completely free, no strings attached.

It’s 45 minutes on Zoom. We talk about what’s going on for you, whether coaching makes sense, and how I work. You’ll get honest feedback, including if I think coaching is or isn’t the right fit right now.

If it feels right at the end, we talk about next steps. If it doesn’t, we leave it there. No pressure either way.