How It Works
What Happens in Your Conflict Coaching Session
Conflict coaching is a focused, collaborative process designed to help you find clarity and confidence when facing difficult conversations. Here's exactly what happens before, during, and after your session.
A Process Built Around Your Needs
Whether you're dreading a conversation with a partner, navigating conflict at work, or uncertain about what to say next, your coach adapts the process to match your specific situation. You're not following a rigid script—you're working with someone who listens, asks clarifying questions, and helps you think through your real goals and concerns.
Clarity, Strategy, and Practice
The core of conflict coaching is practical. You'll clarify what you actually want to accomplish, explore what might get in the way, develop concrete language and strategy, and practice your response. By the end of your session, you'll have a plan you can use—not just insight or analysis, but real words and a clear approach.
Support That Fits Your Life
Unlike long-term therapy, conflict coaching is designed for people who need focused, immediate support. A single 60-minute session can transform how you approach a difficult conversation. A 30-minute clarity session helps you decide if you should speak up at all. A quick insight session polishes your message so it lands the way you intend. Choose what fits your situation, and move forward with confidence.
Before Your Session
You don't need to arrive with all the answers. But a little preparation helps you get the most from your time together. Think through these four things before your session, and you'll arrive ready to dig in.
-
1
Identify the conversation you're preparing for
Be specific: who do you need to talk to, what's the situation, and roughly when do you think it will happen? The clearer you are about the context, the more targeted your coaching can be.
-
2
Get clear on what worries you
Are you worried about shutting down? Getting defensive? Saying something you'll regret? Not being heard? Identifying your specific concern helps Maggie tailor the coaching to what you actually need.
-
3
Notice any patterns from past conversations
Has this happened before? Do you always freeze, or do you tend to come in too hot? Recognizing your own patterns makes it easier to develop a strategy that actually works for you.
-
4
Get honest about what you really want
Not what you think you should want—what do you actually want from this conversation? To be understood? To set a boundary? To repair the relationship? Your real goal shapes everything that comes next.
No pressure on any of this. If you're unsure about what you want or what the real issue is, that's exactly what the session is for. Maggie will guide you through the thinking process and help you clarify as you go. The preparation just gives you a head start.
During Your Session
Your session is a collaborative conversation designed to move you from stuck to clear. Here's how the process unfolds, step by step.
You describe the situation and your concerns
Start by walking through what's happening: who you're dealing with, what the conversation is about, and what worries you most. Maggie listens carefully and asks clarifying questions to understand the full picture—not to judge, but to get the real story.
Together you explore what you want and what might get in the way
This is where clarity starts. You dig into what you actually want to accomplish—not what you think you should want, but what matters to you. You also name the obstacles: What could derail the conversation? Where might you shut down or get defensive? What's your fear?
You develop a concrete strategy and language for the conversation
Now you build your plan. What will you say first? How will you stay calm if things get heated? What specific language works for you? This is where "I don't know what to say" becomes "Here's exactly what I'm going to say." You're not memorizing a script—you're finding words that feel true to you.
You practice your response and refine it based on feedback
You rehearse. Maggie might play the other person or simply listen and offer feedback: Does this land the way you want? Is there a clearer way to say it? What happens if they respond defensively? By the time you leave, you've had a chance to practice and refine your approach so it feels natural and confident.
The whole process is flexible. If you need more time on strategy, you spend it there. If you need extra practice, you practice. Maggie adapts to what you need in that moment—this is about solving your specific problem, not following a rigid formula.
After Your Session
You leave your coaching session with more than just insight—you leave with a concrete plan. You have language you can actually use, a strategy for the conversation ahead, and clarity about what you want to accomplish and how to stay composed when emotions run high. This isn't vague advice. It's a specific roadmap tailored to your situation and the person you're preparing to talk to.
Many clients report feeling noticeably more confident and clear after a single session. The weight of uncertainty lifts. You know what you're going to say, how you're going to say it, and what might get in your way—and you have strategies for that too. You can practice on your own before the real conversation, refining your tone and response until it feels natural.
One session can be transformative.
If you want to keep building momentum, follow-up sessions are always available. Some clients come back after they've had the conversation to process how it went and plan next steps. Others schedule a follow-up before the conversation to practice once more and shore up their confidence. Both work.
If you find yourself noticing deeper patterns in your relationships—recurring conflict, difficulty expressing yourself even when you're not in crisis, or a sense that you shut down regularly—Maggie also offers individual psychotherapy, couples therapy, and other therapy services for longer-term support. Coaching is built for the immediate challenge. Therapy is built for the patterns underneath. Many people do both—a coaching session to prepare for a specific conversation, then therapy to address the communication patterns that keep showing up.
The goal is always the same: help you communicate clearly, stay calm under pressure, and protect what matters to you. Whether that takes one session or several, the work is practical, collaborative, and focused on real change.