Coaching For Professionals & Executives
You Know How To Handle Responsibility. But Lately, The Way You're Handling Stress May Be Costing You More Than You Want To Pay.
You have a career, responsibilities, and a life you've worked hard to build. People rely on your judgment, your expertise, and your ability to get things done. You're accustomed to figuring things out, making decisions, and following through.
Those abilities have served you well, professionally and personally. But somewhere along the way, you may have started noticing that the strategies you use to keep everything moving aren't working quite as well for the rest of your life. Maybe you're working longer hours, carrying more responsibility, or finding it increasingly difficult to stop thinking about work when the workday ends.
Maybe alcohol has become a regular part of how you decompress, socialize, reward yourself, or finally relax. And maybe you're beginning to wonder whether the way you're managing all of this is sustainable.
I help professionals and executives understand how stress, alcohol use, and learned coping patterns are affecting their lives, then develop practical ways to make changes without dismantling everything they've worked to build.
Professional Stress Isn't Just A Heavier Version Of Everyday Stress.
The workday ends, but your brain doesn't get the memo. You're driving home replaying a conversation or working through a decision that technically ended three hours ago. By dinner, you're already thinking about tomorrow. Something occurs to you, so you check your phone "just for a second."
Lately, you've noticed you're doing more things yourself, too. Not because you don't have people who can help, but because explaining it, delegating it, checking it, and possibly correcting it feels like more work than just getting it done yourself.
And you are getting it done. That's part of what makes it easy to miss what this is costing you. From the outside, you still look remarkably capable.
You know hard isn't a competition. You're grateful for the career you've built, the opportunities you've had, and the people who trusted you enough to get you here. You also know that some kinds of work are hard in very specific ways. But professional and executive stress is more than everyday stress with a suit, scrubs, briefcase, or clipboard.
The decisions carry consequences, sometimes for people other than you. You can delegate the work without delegating your responsibility for how it turns out. And there may be things about your day you can't explain when you get home, even to someone you trust. Tomorrow, whatever is happening in your own life, people will still expect you to know what to do.
In Some Jobs, You Don't Get To Have A Visibly Shitty Day.
So you've learned not to complain much about it. You chose this. You worked hard for it. You're good at it. And somewhere along the way, being able to handle the demands became part of the bargain.
But lately, you may be noticing that the bargain is changing you.
Not into someone you don't recognize, exactly. You don't expect to feel like the younger version of yourself who was still building the career, proving what you could do, and imagining where all of this might lead.
But maybe you're…
More impatient
More cynical
Less curious
Harder to impress
Harder to please
Out of energy for people you love
Less tolerant for problems that used to feel manageable
Enjoying less enjoyment of things you worked very hard to have.
Some of the situations you're navigating are genuinely difficult, and there may not be a simple solution to every one of them. But that doesn't mean your only option is to keep absorbing the pressure and dealing with the consequences later. We can look at what your professional life actually demands, how those demands are affecting you, and where changes in your habits, resources, and expectations could make a meaningful difference. The goal isn't to dismantle the career and life you've worked so hard to build. It's to make them more sustainable and more enjoyable.
You don't necessarily need to do this better.
You'd like to feel better doing it.
When Your Life Starts Feeling Like Something You're Managing Instead Of Living
The effects of sustained professional stress don't always show up where you expect them. You may still be performing well at work. Your clients, employees, colleagues, or patients may have no idea that anything has changed. But you notice.
In Your Health And Energy
Maybe you're waking up tired, even after what should have been enough sleep.
You're getting more headaches, noticing changes in your blood pressure, or finding that you carry tension in your body long after the workday ends.
You may be staying up later than you intended because those hours after everyone else has gone to bed feel like the only time that actually belongs to you.
And then you're tired the next morning, which makes everything else a little harder.
In Your Relationships
You may be less patient with the people you love.
You find yourself declining invitations you once looked forward to, becoming irritated by ordinary interruptions, or spending more time alone because you don't have the bandwidth for another conversation.
Perhaps someone has commented on your drinking, your mood, or how little time you seem to have for anything outside work.
And perhaps that conversation didn't go particularly well.
In Your Work
You may be taking on more instead of delegating, struggling to find the motivation you once had, or spending more time thinking about work without necessarily accomplishing more.
You still care about doing good work. But the satisfaction you used to get from it may be harder to find.
In The Rest Of Your Life
The hobbies, relationships, activities, and interests that once gave you something to look forward to may have gradually moved further down the priority list.
You keep meaning to get back to them - After this project. After things settle down. After the next big deadline.
When you finally have an opportunity to relax, you may discover that you don't really know what you want to do with the time.
You've built a life that looks successful, but there seems to be less and less room in it for you to actually enjoy it.
And Somewhere Along The Way, Alcohol May Have Taken On A Bigger Job.
For many professionals, alcohol doesn't begin as an obvious problem. It may be part of entertaining clients, attending conferences, networking, celebrating accomplishments, or enjoying dinner with friends. It may also become the thing you look forward to after a difficult day.
The drink that signals you're finished making decisions. The reward for getting through another week. The way you quiet your thoughts, take the edge off, or create some distance between your professional responsibilities and the rest of your evening.
You may have noticed yourself doing some mental calculations. How much can you drink tonight and still feel reasonably good tomorrow? How late can you stay up and still function? Can you have a few drinks at the conference dinner without it affecting your early meeting?
Perhaps you've started making rules about when, what, or how much you'll drink. Or perhaps you're drinking less than you used to but thinking about it considerably more.
You may not be experiencing dramatic consequences. You may never have missed a day of work, had a DUI, or experienced the kind of crisis people traditionally associate with an alcohol problem.
But you've begun to recognize that alcohol is occupying more space in your life than you want it to. And the question isn't necessarily whether you can continue functioning this way.
It's whether you want to.
You've Probably Already Tried To Figure This Out.
If you're accustomed to solving complicated problems, it's natural to approach this one the same way. You've researched, read books, listened to podcasts, made plans, and perhaps established rules about when, what, or how much you'll drink. You may have taken breaks, changed your routines, or decided that once this particularly demanding period at work is over, you'll finally have time to address it.
Some of those efforts may have helped. But knowing what you want to change and consistently changing it are two different things.
And that's particularly frustrating when you're someone who is accustomed to identifying a problem, evaluating your options, making a decision, and executing a plan.
You may understand exactly what needs to change and still find yourself doing the same thing.
That's where working with someone who understands both behavior change and the demands of your professional life can make a difference.
That's where our work begins.
Coaching That Accounts For The Realities Of Your Professional Life
I don't approach your relationship with alcohol as though it exists separately from the rest of your life. The demands of your career, the responsibilities you carry, your relationships, and the ways you've learned to manage stress all influence one another. If we're going to make changes that last, we need to understand how those pieces fit together and what your current approach is costing you.
My approach is grounded in decades of clinical experience with addiction, behavior change, and stress-related concerns, combined with my own experience in business ownership, management, consulting, and executive leadership.
I understand what it's like to be responsible for decisions, people, budgets, operations, and outcomes. And I understand that the strategies that help you succeed professionally aren't always the strategies that help you live well.
What We Might Work On Together
Depending on your circumstances and goals, our coaching may include:
Understanding your relationship with alcohol. Examining when you drink, what you expect alcohol to do for you, and how its role may have changed over time.
Identifying your Executive Stress™ patterns. Looking at the particular demands of your work, the responsibilities you're carrying, and the resources available to manage them.
Examining your thinking and decision-making habits. Recognizing patterns such as perfectionism, over-responsibility, excessive control, or repeatedly postponing personal needs.
Building practical alternatives. Developing ways to decompress, transition out of work mode, manage difficult emotions, and enjoy your time without depending on alcohol.
Preparing for real professional situations. Making plans for business travel, conferences, networking events, client dinners, celebrations, and other circumstances where alcohol has been part of the routine.
Improving capacity and protecting personal resources. Evaluating boundaries, priorities, schedules, support systems, and the habits that either strengthen or consume your available bandwidth.
Building consistency. Turning useful strategies into routines you can actually maintain, including during demanding periods when you have less time and energy available.
This isn't about adding another complicated project to your already crowded calendar. It's about understanding what's happening, identifying what needs to change, and building a plan that works in the life you're actually living.
You Don't Have To Lose Your Edge To Take The Edge Off.
You may enjoy your work, value your responsibilities, and have no interest in walking away from the career or business you've spent years building.
I'm not going to assume that ambition is the problem or that the answer is to care less about doing good work.
But I am going to encourage you to examine whether the way you're managing your responsibilities is allowing you to enjoy the results of all that effort.
Imagine…
Being able to finish a demanding day and have something left for yourself and the people you care about.
Traveling for work without spending the evening negotiating with yourself about drinking.
Enjoying a dinner, celebration, vacation, or quiet evening at home without alcohol being the thing that makes it enjoyable.
Having the time and energy to return to some of the interests, relationships, and activities that have gradually been crowded out.
None of this requires you to stop being capable, responsible, or ambitious. It requires a different way of managing the demands of your life and the habits you've developed in response to them.
You don't have to delete your résumé to build a life that works better for you.
Why Work With Dr. Jo?
I've spent more than 35 years working with people who want to change their relationship with alcohol and other behaviors that are no longer serving them.
I've also spent a significant part of my professional life in leadership, management, business ownership, consulting, and organizational roles.
I understand the clinical and behavioral complexities of changing an established habit. I also understand the practical realities of managing people, meeting expectations, making difficult decisions, and being accountable for results.
My coaching brings those perspectives together.
You own the project. I'm a consultant.
Questions You May Have
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No. Some People Come To Coaching With A Clear Commitment To Living Alcohol-free. Others Know They're Concerned About Their Drinking But Haven't Decided Exactly What They Want To Do.
We Can Begin By Examining Your Current Relationship With Alcohol, The Role It Plays In Your Life, And What You Want To Change.
If Your Drinking Suggests A Need For Medical Evaluation, Withdrawal Management, Or Clinical Treatment, We'll Address The Importance Of Obtaining Appropriate Healthcare Support.
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I Understand That Privacy And Discretion Can Be Particularly Important When You're In A Leadership Role, Hold A Professional License, Own A Business, Or Work In A Highly Visible Position.
We'll Discuss Confidentiality, How Coaching Information Is Handled, And The Limits Of Confidentiality Before Beginning Our Work. Coaching Is Not The Same As Psychotherapy, And I Don't Want You To Have To Guess About Those Distinctions.
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No. There Are Multiple Pathways To Changing Your Relationship With Alcohol, And People Have Different Preferences And Needs When It Comes To Peer Support, Education, And Community.
If A Recovery Community Would Be Useful, We Can Explore Options That Align With Your Goals And Values. I Don't Require Participation In A Particular Program.
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You May Already Understand A Great Deal About Alcohol Use, Stress, And Behavior Change.
Sometimes The Challenge Is Applying That Understanding Consistently In The Context Of Work, Family, Travel, Relationships, And Everyday Responsibilities.
Coaching Can Complement Previous Or Ongoing Treatment By Focusing On Practical Goals, Habits, Decisions, And Implementation. It Doesn't Replace Clinical Care When That Care Is Needed.
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Therapy May Involve Diagnosing And Treating Mental Health Conditions Or Substance Use Disorders, Addressing Clinical Symptoms, And Providing Psychotherapy.
Coaching Focuses On Identifying Goals, Evaluating Current Patterns, Developing Practical Strategies, And Supporting Implementation And Accountability.
Although I Am A Licensed Clinician, The Services Offered Through Sober In The C-suite® Are Coaching Services, Not Psychotherapy. We'll Discuss Whether Coaching Is Appropriate For Your Needs Before Beginning.
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We'll Take Your Actual Schedule And Responsibilities Into Account When Developing Your Coaching Plan. Business Travel, Demanding Projects, And Changing Priorities Are Part Of The Circumstances We're Working With, Not Reasons To Put Your Progress On Hold.
Blueprint Rebuild™ Includes Weekly Coaching Over 90 Days. Blueprint Sustain™ Begins With Weekly Sessions For The First 90 Days, Followed By Biweekly Sessions For The Remaining Three Months. Both Include Between-session Communication Through An Agreed-upon Channel.
We'll Discuss Scheduling And Communication Arrangements Before Beginning Your Engagement.
Ready to Make Some Changes?
You don't have to wait until something falls apart to examine a pattern that's no longer working for you. And you don't have to arrive knowing exactly what kind of help you need.
There are three ways we can work together, depending on whether you're looking for a comprehensive assessment, structured coaching over one quarter, or a longer period of support.
Executive Recovery
Blueprint Intensive™
A comprehensive assessment and personalized plan.
The Executive Recovery Blueprint Intensive™ is a focused engagement that includes an in-depth assessment, my independent professional analysis, and a written Executive Recovery Blueprint™ with findings, priorities, and recommended next steps.
You can use your Blueprint independently or as the foundation for continued coaching.
Investment: $1,600
Blueprint
Rebuild™
90 days of focused coaching and implementation.
Blueprint Rebuild™ is for professionals who are ready to begin making changes and want regular support putting those changes into practice.
We'll develop an individualized coaching plan, meet weekly, evaluate what's working, and make adjustments as you develop new habits and ways of managing Executive Stress™.
Investment: $5,400
Blueprint
Sustain™
Six months to build, apply, and refine your new approach.
Blueprint Sustain™ provides a longer coaching relationship, with weekly sessions during the first 90 days and biweekly sessions during the second 90 days.
The extended engagement gives us time to work through changing circumstances, evaluate your progress, and continue developing the routines and strategies that support your goals.
Investment: $9,600
You Can Start With Any of These Options
The Intensive is a standalone service. It isn't required before beginning Blueprint Rebuild™ or Blueprint Sustain™, and you don't need to complete Rebuild before choosing Sustain.
If you complete the Intensive and enroll in either coaching package within 30 days, $500 of your Intensive investment can be credited toward your coaching engagement.
If you're unsure which option fits your needs, we can discuss that during an initial consultation.
Not Ready For Coaching Yet?
Start with the free Executive Stress Audit™. It's designed to help you examine the demands you're managing and begin identifying the patterns that may be influencing your relationship with alcohol.
Make Room To Enjoy The Life You Worked So Hard To Build.
You've already demonstrated that you can handle responsibility, make difficult decisions, and accomplish challenging things. Now let's make sure the life you're building has room for you to enjoy it.
Understand the stress. Change the response. Build a new default.