Is Your Brain-Car’s Engine Light On?

This week, my #ForeverProm date John and I drove our way to Nashville, Tennessee, for a week full of Istoria adventure.

My 13-year-old car has entered her dramatic teen years: dashboard lights blinking like disco balls, mysterious rattles, the occasional passive-aggressive squeal. Still, we made it. And the training? Ridonkulously magical.

But somewhere between “Welcome to Kentucky” and “Welcome to Tennessee,” it hit me: life coaching and road-tripping are basically the same thing.

Turns out, our brains aren’t that different from our cars. We miss the warning signs until the engine starts whining and we finally admit we’re running on fumes.

Therapy, Consulting, and Coaching: The Holy Trinity of “Help Me, I’m Tired”

They all matter. They just do different things for your brain-car.

Therapy: The Mechanic

Therapy helps you figure out why your check-engine light has been on since 1997. It looks under the hood of your nervous system. It helps you unpack old stories, trauma, and stress patterns that make you stall every time life gets hard.

Studies show therapy can significantly reduce anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. It’s less about “talking about feelings” and more about rewiring your emotional engine.

Therapy gets you running again. No shame. No scolding. Just solid maintenance for the human condition.

Consulting: The GPS

Consultants give you the plan. They’ve driven this route before, probably with spreadsheets, color-coded dashboards, and laminated roadmaps that make your Type A heart sing.

They don’t fix your car. They tell you how to get where you’re going faster. Consulting is external strategy—the best practices, the benchmarks, the systems.

It’s brilliant when you need expertise. But if your self-belief is in a ditch, even the best plan won’t move the car.

Coaching: The Co-Pilot

Coaching doesn’t fix your engine. It doesn’t drive for you. It sits in the passenger seat with a sparkly drink in hand saying, “You’re doing amazing. Step on it.”

A coach helps you notice when you’re overthinking at the wheel. They remind you where your power pedal is. And when you start comparing your journey to everyone else’s highlight reel, they’ll hand you a snack and say, “Eyes on your lane. That’s where the joy is.”

Coaching isn’t about giving people the answers. It’s about helping them hear their own. I’m not the hero in your story. I’m the guide who hands you the flashlight while you connect the dots that have been there all along.

And it works. The International Coaching Federation reports that 80 percent of people who work with a coach say their self-confidence improves, and over 70 percent say it improves performance, communication, and relationships.

Translation? Coaching doesn’t change who you are. It helps you trust who you already are.

The Problem Is, Most of Us Wait Until the Wheels Fall Off

We call it self-improvement, but really, we’re just overcaffeinated, overthinking DIY mechanics.

We call it “being resilient.” But let’s be honest. It’s just burnout with lipstick on.

According to the American Psychological Association, over 70 percent of adults in the U.S. report feeling so stressed it affects their physical health. That’s not weakness. That’s a collective nervous system running on fumes.

You weren’t meant to white-knuckle the steering wheel forever. You were meant to have a team.

The Right Help for the Right Season

Sometimes you need therapy to rebuild the engine. Sometimes you need consulting to find the fastest route. And sometimes you need coaching to remember how good it feels to drive again.

Each one is sacred in its season. Each one helps you move forward with a little more clarity, courage, and grace.

Because the goal was never to do it all alone. The goal is to make it home to yourself—whatever that looks like now.

Final Pit Stop

You don’t get extra points for exhaustion. You don’t earn your worth by doing it the hard way. And you don’t have to apologize for needing support.

You just have to refuel. Get the help that helps you grow. And maybe check your oil while you’re at it.

P.S. If you’re ready for a co-pilot, not a mechanic, stay tuned! Next week I'm releasing The Group Coaching Playground, where survival mode ends, synergy begins, and growth feels like recess.