Questions?

Qs & As

Site Questions

How do I get the password to open hidden webpages? >

What is the Neighborhood Discount and how do I apply? >

Consultation Questions

What is the difference between coaching and therapy? >

Should I do therapy instead of coaching? >

What if I have questions after our session? >

How should I prepare for our consultation? >

Astrology Questions

I don't know my birth time. How can I find it? >

Where can I get a drawing of my natal chart? >

What are some astrology resources for beginners? >

Have a question? Let me know.

How can I get the password to hidden site pages?

The site pages that are protected by a password contain the forms needed for R+R opportunities. When you book an R+R you will receive a confirmation email with the password. If you have misplaced this password, just request another.

What is the Neighborhood Discount?

Joy at the Helm provides discounts on services for those that reside in the neighboring zip codes to the Helm. To apply, you will submit two of the approved documents. Check out the requirements and application form here. After submission you will receive a password to access the Neighbor's pages of the site where the payment and booking links reside.

If you do not reside in our neighborhood, don't feel left out. The prices for services at Joy at the Helm are already at a very low price. There are even some free options! To hire a professional astrologer by the hour starts about $100/hr, with many of the seasoned astrologers charging at base $300/hr. To hire a life coach in San Antonio is around $75-$100/hr or more. I did find one San Antonio life coach with a background in marriage & family therapy who charges a really low price of $20/hr. What can I say, we MFTs just really want to offer support, even at the risk of losing money!

Life Coaching VS. Therapy

Therapy prioritizes healing and mental health. Life coaching prioritizes setting and achieving personal goals. There is some cross-over, but the primary focus is what is different. For example, if you are having difficulties with family dynamics after becoming a blended family, you could try family counseling. But you could also attend a class or workshop on managing blended family challenges.

Both the counseling and the coaching provided in the class could absolutely improve your family relationships. In family counseling, the whole family will attend, and work through the issues therapeutically, learning skills and building relationships in the process. In the class or workshop, which is comparable to coaching, the parents will attend, learn skills, then go home and practice what they have learned. They might return to class with questions, or learn from other parents in the class as well.

As a family therapist, I love working with entire families all at once! It works. But it is not always practical. Sometimes parents just need a little boost and direction. The class is more manageable, affordable, accessible, and it works too! One family might do better in therapy. Another might be just fine with coaching, a.k.a skill building and problem solving. The most ambitious families do both!

And so it is with therapy and life coaching. If you do do both, you will begin to see that you are drawn more to one option than the other at different times, and for addressing different hurdles. The two support systems need not compete with each other. They are your tools. Use the tools the way that works for you.

Do I need therapy instead?

All of us likely need the expertise of a therapist at some point. Usually, using a therapist and a life coach is perfectly fine. It is best in these cases, however, that the therapist can connect with the life coach, and the life coach can connect with the therapist if needed. Your therapist will have a treatment plan in place for you. Your life coach must fit into that treatment plan. I'm happy to work with your therapist if needed. Download the ROI form to initiate this.

If you are actively experiencing psychosis or a manic episode, you do not need a life coach. We would just be a nuisance in your overall health trajectory. If you are having suicidal or homicidal thoughts, you need the care of a licensed therapist. In severe cases, even the therapist will refer you to a medical doctor. Your life coach is low on the hierarchy in this case. If you recently experienced a serious trauma that is actively impeding your ability to function as you normally would, you need a therapist. The mind is very vulnerable after trauma. There is a window of time that therapy can truly diminish the long term impact of trauma on your body, health, and experience. Let me know if you need a referral for a local trauma therapist.

You have likely noticed elsewhere in this site that I have an education in Marriage and Family Therapy, and even maintain a day job as an EAP therapist. You might wonder if I could just be your therapist. Unfortunately, no. But I'm happy to be your astrologer and life coach.

What happens after our session?

After a virtual consultation-- the 30m, 60m, or 90m-- you are welcome to join the Joy at the Helm Discord server where you can create threads, post questions, and continue the conversation. Discord is a free app to download, and it's wonderfully convenient.

If you prefer to text, you are eligible to purchase a texting package by the month. There is also a subscription service for email that includes monthly virtual sessions with priority scheduling. Or, just book another session. Whatever works for you.

How should I prepare for our consultation?

For our discovery call, just bring yourself.

For our virtual consultations, you can prepare as little or as much as you like. Keep in mind, you have sought a coaching experience to achieve a goal. If you have a ton of ideas of things you would like to achieve, we might spend your entire paid session just trying to narrow down what you want to work on. That wastes your time and money. You can be assured that the moment I have your birth data, I am already spending time preparing for our session. I am getting to know you via your natal chart, and preparing the bare bones of the many things we might explore together. If you come to our consult similarly prepared, then we can have a really great experience together.

So how can you prepare? Know your first goal that you want to work on together. Your goal should be very specific. "I want to be happy," is not specific. "I want to spend more time with my family," is so much better. But you know what is even more specific? "I want to spend two weekends a month with my family with no work, no chores, no phones or distractions." That is specific! Your goal should also be measurable. Did you spend two weekends this month with your family? Your goal should be achievable. (If your work schedule includes weekends, your goal might not be achievable. Your goal might need to pivot toward changing your work schedule.) Your goal should relate to what you want out of life. and your goal should have a time limit-- otherwise, you might be paying for life coaching services forever.

These are SMART goals of course. S (specific) M (measurable A (achievable) R (relatable) and T (time constrained). Don't hurt yourself thinking about your goal, have fun with it. Dream big, be kind to yourself, and just have fun. There are some helpful tools to get you focused here on Joy at the Helm. Check it out here.

How can I find my birth time?

The best place to find an accurate birth time is your birth certificate. If you are unsure of where to start with this process, see here. Some families keep a record of birth times in a family Bible or scrapbook.

If you are getting your birth time from a parent, be sure to try and corroborate the time by another family member.

Finally, as a last resort, you can consult an astrologer to rectify your birth time. This process is typically done backward-engineering the timing of significant events in your life, and other speculative strategies. Request a referral for an astrologer that offers rectification.

You can still get some information from your natal info if you do not have a birth time. I encourage you to support full time astrologers, who might be willing to work with you without a birth time.

For the purposes of Joy at the Helm and the services offered herein, however, you will need an accurate birth time.