Psychology-based life coaching is a goal- and action-oriented kind of psychological support — moving you, more clearly, toward who you want to become.
Want to change how you live, or take your career further — but keep circling the same thoughts without moving? Coaching helps you set goals and reconnect with what drives you, so you can meet the challenges in front of you and build a life that feels genuine and full of purpose.
Coaching is a goal- and action-oriented kind of psychological support.
It's not about fixing 'problems' — it's about moving you, more clearly, toward who you want to become.
Best suited to people without significant emotional distress who want support moving in a clear direction.
Coaching may suit you if you
have a concrete goal in mind
A career change, leadership growth, new habits, a life reset.
are managing life well overall
No significant emotional distress — you just want more direction.
feel stuck
and want to make the most of your potential.
are looking forward
More drawn to who you want to become than to digging through the past.
Psychotherapy, coaching or clinical psychology — what's the difference?
The three services take different approaches and suit different moments. Here's how they compare, to help you choose.
| Coaching (ForestGuide) | Psychotherapy | Clinical Psychology | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it suits | No significant emotional distress; you have a concrete goal and want support moving in a clear direction. | You're mostly managing life but feel stuck, lost or empty, and want to be understood — not assessed or labelled. | Emotions or symptoms are clearly affecting daily life, or you're experiencing symptoms consistent with a clinical diagnosis. |
| Approach | Goal- and action-oriented psychological support — moving toward who you want to become. | An open, safe, person-centred space to talk — change through understanding. | A structured, assessment-based professional intervention, working to the Scientist-Practitioner Model. |
| Depth of assessment | Focused on where you are now and your goals, understanding the mechanisms and resistance behind behaviour. | In no rush to define or label — the focus is understanding your experience and what it means. | Scientific assessment and treatment, targeting the right issues within a clinical frame. |
| Fee (per 50-min session) | $1,280 per session | $1,280 per session | $1,980 per session |
| Who provides it | Coaches (most with a psychology background) | Psychotherapists and counselling psychologists | Clinical psychologists |
Fees & arrangements
- Per session
- 50min
- Fee
- $1,280per session
Chinachem Johnston Plaza, 4/F (whole floor), 178 Johnston Road, Wan Chai · or online via Zoom
Open in Maps →Language: check the individual coach's profile; for sessions in English, note it in the remarks.
And these are the rights you hold when you receive our services —
FromCode of Psychological Service Practice
It's the public document that governs every psychological service at TreeholeHK — setting out, in writing, your rights and the commitments we make to you. Every practitioner you meet is bound by it.
Meet our coaches
What shapes the outcome of coaching is the kind of person sitting across from you.
Drawing on the research, TreeholeHK distilled three criteria — and we hold every coach we work with to all of them.
You can count on our coaches to be genuine, deeply knowledgeable, and skilful in just the right measure.
What sets TreeholeHK coaching apart
This is coaching built on a foundation of psychology. Most of our coaches have a psychology background, so as they move you toward action, they also understand the mechanisms behind the behaviour.
- Goals and the resistance to them — not just what you want to achieve, but what keeps getting in the way
- Structure and depth together — clear goals and momentum, without ignoring how emotions, habits and inner patterns shape what you do
- Action-oriented, but never surface-level — the point isn't to 'do more,' but to build a way of changing you can sustain
Genuineness
Your coach meets you as their real self, honest about what they do and don't know — because we believe only a genuine person can kindle the courage to live genuinely and grow beyond who you've been.
References: Geller & Greenberg (2002). Therapeutic Presence: Therapists' experience of presence in the psychotherapy encounter · Hayes, Gelso, Goldberg & Kivlighan (2018). Countertransference management and effective psychotherapy: Meta-analytic findings
Depth of knowledge
We expect our coaches to understand psychology and counselling theory deeply, and to bring it together fluently — shaping the direction of the work around your goals and needs. That's how you come to understand yourself more deeply and make real change.
References: Flückiger, Del Re, Wampold & Horvath (2018). The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis · Frank (1961). Persuasion and Healing
The right measure of skill
Comfort and mutual trust are what let the work begin at all. So a coach needs real skill in guiding it — helping you speak openly in a safe, honest space.
References: Anderson, Ogles, Patterson, Lambert & Vermeersch (2009). Therapist effects: Facilitative interpersonal skills as a predictor of therapist success · Bordin (1979). The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance
If you'd like to look deeper into how we select practitioners, you're welcome to read the documents below. How we choose our practitioners →
Every one of them has passed our published selection criteria. Here are their backgrounds and focus areas — and what they want to say to you, in their own words.
Two reasons to choose coaching
Ready to change, but you want a method and guidance
You may not have a precise goal — but you know you want something in life to shift: a clearer direction, better habits, a career that keeps moving upward.
The goal is clear, but out of reach
You already know what you want to do — but you're stuck on how, and putting it off.
Every practitioner you sit down with has passed our published selection criteria — all three dimensions met, or no invitation to join. Most applicants don't make it.
These criteria come straight from our Code of Psychological Service Practice: you have every right to know how the person across from you was chosen.
What happens after you book?
Get to know your coach
Each coach's background, focus areas, and how they see this work. Choose based on your goals and what feels right.
Pick a time
Choose a slot that works for you — in person or online over Zoom.
Pre-session questionnaire
On your first booking we'll ask you to fill in a short questionnaire: where you are now and the goals you want to reach. It helps your coach understand you before you meet.
Start your sessions
Sessions are 50 minutes. In the first, your coach works with you to clarify your goals and direction — not to decide them for you.
FAQ
Is this the same as psychotherapy?
ForestGuide is different from traditional psychotherapy. Through a coaching-style conversation, we explore your potential together, take a fresh look at where you are, and build self-awareness and growth. If you find you need psychotherapy, we offer that too — alongside ForestGuide.
I have some emotional difficulties — is this service right for me?
If your difficulties feel manageable and aren't disrupting daily life, and you'd like to understand why certain people or situations get to you — and grow through that understanding over time — then this is a great fit. But if they're seriously affecting daily life and you urgently need therapy, we offer psychotherapy as well.
Do you offer couples, two-person or family sessions?
We don't offer family sessions yet, but we're working on adding more types of service. If there's something you'd like us to offer, email [email protected].
Can we meet online?
Yes — choose Zoom when you book, and your coach will send you a Zoom link.
Changing or cancelling a booking
Review or change your booking here; for anything else, email [email protected]. Please note that every booking must be confirmed at least 48 hours before the session — new bookings and changes aren't accepted inside 48 hours.
Do you offer sessions in English?
Our coaches do offer sessions in English. Please check that the coach you've chosen works in English, then note 'English session' in the remarks when you book.
Please be reminded that the BIG5 test result is written in traditional Chinese. Your coach will explain it to you verbally in English in the first session if needed.
Who can see the information I give when I book?
Only your coach and the staff needed to handle your booking — all bound by the confidentiality commitments in the Code of Psychological Service Practice. You can ask to see or update your information at any time.
Is what I tell my coach confidential?
Everything you share stays strictly confidential, with only these exceptions required by law: a court order requiring disclosure, clear signs that you may harm yourself, or clear signs that you may endanger the life of someone else. Even then, we'll talk it through with you before any disclosure wherever we can. This is a commitment set out in writing in the Code of Psychological Service Practice.
How much does it cost?
Coaching is 50 minutes per session at $1,280. Sessions are held at Chinachem Johnston Plaza, 4/F (whole floor), 178 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, or online via Zoom; the default language is Cantonese.
What happens in the first session?
On your first booking we'll ask you to fill in a short questionnaire — where you are now and the goals you want to reach — to help your coach understand you before you meet. In the first 50-minute session, your coach works with you to clarify your goals and direction, rather than deciding them for you.
Other service terms: see here.