Frequently Asked Questions

What services do you offer?

I offer individual executive and leadership coaching, team coaching, leadership workshops and retreats, and community facilitation. My work integrates somatic and cross-cultural practice with the strategic conversation that founders, creatives, and senior leaders need most.

Where are you based?

I am based between Tokyo and Hayama, Japan, working with clients across Japan and internationally through online sessions, retreats, and workshops.

Do you work with corporate clients?

Yes. I work with corporate clients on executive coaching (often as a wellness benefit or leadership-development investment), team coaching, custom workshops, and longer-form leadership programs. I am comfortable working with HR, L&D, and executive sponsors directly.

Can I book you for public speaking?

Yes. I am available for keynotes, panels, moderation, and event facilitation. Topics include sustainable leadership, burnout prevention, cross-cultural leadership, women in innovation, and building purpose-driven communities.

What industries do you specialize in??

I work primarily with creatives, founders, and senior corporate leaders, with secondary work across technology, design, education, and the nonprofit sector. My clients tend to be people navigating real leadership transitions or working across cultures.

Do you provide customized workshops?

Yes. All workshops are designed around your team's specific goals, leadership challenges, and cultural context.

How can I work with you remotely?

I offer virtual coaching, online workshops, and remote facilitation via Zoom, Google Meet, and other platforms. Many of my clients work with me remotely.

Do you work in Japanese?

I work primarily in English, with Japanese support available for client conversations, materials, and bilingual settings. I hold JLPT N2 and have built my practice across both Japanese and global teams. I am comfortable mixing languages and encourage my clients to use their preferred speaking language in session.

What is your background?

I am an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the PCC credential in progress. I have spent five years in certified coaching practice on top of fifteen years developing people as an educator and program manager across Japan and Korea. I studied psychology in university.

Do you offer 1:1 coaching?

Yes. I offer individual coaching in four engagement shapes: a single Clarity Call for those exploring coaching, a 3-month Quarter for someone at a focused decision point or leadership challenge, a 6-month Season for deeper work like burnout recovery or identity-level repositioning, and a 12-month Year for senior leaders who want a sustained thinking partner.

What makes your approach unique?

I bring a rare combination: executive coaching credibility (ICF ACC, PCC pending), somatic and nervous-system depth, cross-cultural fluency built over fifteen years across Japan and Korea, and a track record of building communities at scale. Most coaches have one or two of these. Having all four is what allows our work to land at the level of body and identity, not just strategy and frameworks.

 How do I schedule a consultation?

The clearest starting point is a paid Clarity Call (60 minutes), which functions as a strategic conversation and a chance for both of us to assess fit before committing to a longer engagement. You can inquire through the contact form on heatherdobbin.com or book your Clarity Call directly here.

Do you collaborate with other coaches or organizations?

Yes. I actively collaborate with other coaches, facilitators, hosts, and program designers, including past co-productions with Venture Café Tokyo and ongoing peer work with executive coaches such as Helen Iwata across the Tokyo market.

What's the difference between coaching and therapy?

While there are overlaps, roughly speaking coaching is forward-focused work on leadership, transitions, communication, identity, and sustained performance. Therapy is clinical care for mental health conditions provided by licensed clinicians. My coaching holds somatic and nervous-system practice that intersects with stress, burnout, and identity work, but I refer to licensed clinicians when content falls outside the coaching scope.

 What does somatic or nervous-system coaching mean in practice?

It means working with the body and breath alongside thought and strategy. Most leadership challenges have a somatic dimension (where stress lives, how executive presence shows up, what happens to your voice under pressure) that talk-only coaching cannot reach. The body work is woven through the coaching conversation, not separate or performative.

Is coaching confidential?

Yes. All 1:1 coaching content is confidential to the client. When an engagement is sponsored by an employer, sponsor reporting is negotiated between myself, the client, and their employer and the extent of reporting is always communicated to the client before beginning work together.

How much does coaching cost?

I offer a range of engagements priced according to scope and duration. Pricing is shared when a proposal is created and is negotiated with individual clients according to the scope of our work together. Payment plans are also available upon request.

 How do I know if coaching is right for me?

Coaching tends to be a strong fit if you are navigating a real transition (a new role, a change in identity, a burnout pattern, a sustained leadership challenge), you want depth rather than tactics, and you are willing to do the work between sessions. If you are not sure, a Clarity Call is the right next step.