Coa Overview

When you think about physical fitness, you typically think about going to the gym or an exercise class of some sort, right? Well, what do you think of when you think about mental fitness? Hmmm...not much comes to mind, eh? Coa wants to change that! 

Coa is the world’s first gym specifically designed to address mental health challenges, such as anxiety, stress, managing mental health in leadership roles, imposter syndrome, and parenting through a series of mental health classes. Each class is designed to be approachable and a great way to be introduced to the benefits of maintaining your mental health as a fitness practice. 

Coa is setting out to change how we think about mental fitness by offering its users a way to discover the best version of themselves with therapist-led emotional fitness classes and one-on-one therapy matching, and virtual sessions. The founders of Coa believe that your emotional fitness is just as necessary as your physical fitness. That strengthening your mental health is truly an ongoing activity. With Coa’s emotional fitness classes, you’ll be able to take on real-life challenges one course (one step) at a time through their 8-week programs that are grounded in Co-founder, Dr. Emily Anhalt’s research-driven methods on the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness (more about this later).

Along with Coa’s virtual series classes, Coa also provides more private, one-on-one therapy through their therapist matchmaking service. Therapy services are currently only available in California, but the Coa team is working hard to expand to other major cities. Please try not to fret if you don’t reside in CA and are looking for a therapist. Because Coa sells itself as a therapist matchmaker, we would put money on them being able (and happy) to connect you to one of their trusted therapy networks outside of the great state of California. 

Who Is Coa Right For?

From the sound of things, Coa is best suited for people interested in going to therapy but would rather dip a toe in first before diving straight in. Coa seems to be an incredibly approachable introduction to the world of mental health, and by offering virtual group classes, people won’t feel as though they are alone on their journey to feeling better. The founders of Coa stress that they are most concerned about making mental health accessible for all; however, after reading through many articles, it seems as though they are more so interested in the well-being and mental fitness of those in the working world (this includes parents working in the home). Yes, they want to be able to provide mental health care to everyone, but their curriculum is mostly focused on how to become a great leader at work.   

We want to be very clear that this is NOT a negative thing. It is merely a new way of approaching mental health. That said, Coa is probably not for you if you’re struggling with severe mental health issues, like depression, eating disorders, like bulimia, or are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These things are best treated with in-person psychotherapy. 

How Does Coa Work?

Coa is an online learning experience that will help you attain your mental health goals with the help of licensed therapists that will support you on your journey to emotional fitness. The team at Coa believes emotional fitness is just as important as physical fitness and through their uniquely designed group mental wellness programs, each person will be more mentally fit than they were before. 

Mental health and seeking help, unfortunately, has a stigma surrounding it. Many people feel as though they’ll be considered broken if they go to therapy. That unhealthy people are the only ones that need to work on their mental health. One of Coa’s main goals is to help eradicate this belief and to let people know that nothing has to be ‘wrong’ with you to start therapy or find betterment. They believe everyone should be as proactive about their mental wellness as they are about their getting their body in shape for swimsuit season.    

Classes

Each class is led by a licensed therapist that will guide you through interactive exercises that will teach you to deepen the way you think about mental health, learn your daily habits, and help you become the best version of yourself. Coa’s goal for everyone that attends their classes is to leave with practical takeaways that you can actually integrate into real life. Not only will you leave with tools for success, but you will also have a new-found community of people that are just as enthusiastic about mental fitness as you are. Your new community is there for you to ensure you never feel alone on the journey to betterment. 

Signing up for one of Coa’s classes is simple. You have two options. You can either sign up for a one-day introductory class to see if Coa’s methods work for you, or you can sign up for an entire eight-week program that will take you through the ins and outs of becoming emotionally fit. When this review was written, Coa was offering two different class options. One focused on becoming an emotionally fit leader, and the other focused on emotional fitness for mental wellness. Both the intro class and the series programs are tailored around the 7 Traits of Emotional Fitness and how to best implement them into your daily life to become the best version of yourself. 

The Seven Traits of Emotional Fitness

Based on research done by Dr. Emily Anhalt over the course of many years, Anhalt interviewed over 100 psychologists and entrepreneurs to identify what exactly it is that makes people emotionally fit. After studying each interview, she categorized her findings into seven specific traits. 

1. Self-awareness

2. Empathy

3. Willingness to play

4. Curiosity

5. Mindfulness

6. Resilience

7. Effective communication

Self-awareness

Understand emotional triggers and biases - “Having a strong sense of self-awareness is the foundation of all the other traits,” says, Anhalt. She goes on to say, “because if you can’t reflect on your own experience and whether or not it’s impacting how you interact with others, the rest of the list is tough to achieve.” Simply put, if you can’t love yourself, it’s going to be hard to love anyone else.

Empathy

Understand the emotions of others - Empathy is being able to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes--to recognize that the way you feel about certain things may not be the way others feel. Showing that you can be empathetic towards people and understand how they feel is one sign of a mentally fit person. 

Willingness to play

Foster a safe space of connection - Play sparks spontaneity and creativity. It is an essential part of emotional health and can aid in interpersonal cohesiveness. Oftentimes when we’re in the thick of things, we are unable to see the forest through the trees. This is where play is most important. 

Curiosity

Pursue growth over defensiveness - Whoever said that curiosity killed the cat was sorely misguided. Emotionally fit people need curiosity to understand the differences between what they want to be correct and what is actually true. Asking questions and keeping things open for creative solutions is an essential part of life. 

Mindfulness

Become more comfortable tolerating discomfort - Anhalt says, “mindfulness is about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable -- and the first step is getting a sense of how you relate to discomfort.” Being mindful means you don’t need to break every silence or fix every issue, but be more conscious about their importance. 

Resilience

Bounce back from failure and setbacks - Emotionally fit people know that more is learned from failure than success. Resilience is when we can come back stronger from an uncomfortable experience and learn to be more flexible moving forward. 

Effective Communication

Put words to needs, boundaries, and expectations - Being clear about your intentions and being able to put words to your needs and expectations are the traits of an effective communicator.  

How to Sign up For a Coa Class

1. Join Coa - create an account by entering in your name, email, and desired password

2. Apply to attend - Think of this as an intake form you’d fill out at the doctor’s office. Coa wants to make sure that they are the best fit for the support you need. Not one wants to waste the other’s time. 

3. Your application will be reviewed, and if the team at Coa thinks you’re a good fit for their therapy methods, they will send you an email confirming your attendance. 

Therapy Matching

Coa also offers one-on-one therapy sessions for those that need a bit more help navigating life’s daily stresses. They will match you with a licensed therapist that can help you recognize, reflects, feel, and grow. Therapy is currently available only in California. The therapists at Coa have a wide range of backgrounds and specialties to assist you as you travel down the road to emotional wellness. 

How to Get Matched with a Coa Therapist

1. Join Coa - create an account by entering in your name, email, and desired password

2. Tell Coa about yourself by filling out a short matching questionnaire

3. Speak with a matching expert that will take a deeper dive into the things you’re looking for accomplish 

4. Get matched with a highly qualified and licensed therapist

Is Coa Credible?

Coa, which is short for ‘Coalesce,’ which means “growing together” was founded in 2018 when Co-founder Alexa Meyer was feeling burned out and frustrated with how difficult it was for her to find a therapist. After she met Emily Anhalt, a clinical therapist, while she was putting on pop-ups for mental health they both quickly realized that they shared the belief that the world needs a home for mental health. Coa is grounded in building a movement to shift the narrative around mental health and emotional fitness from something you only do when you’re not feeling well, to something you do to maintain your wellness and emotional well-being. 

Their senior and executive team is made up of experienced and licensed therapists and clinicians who share the same ideals and goals as the co-founders. They too want to make mental health less about getting help but making it part of your everyday workout regime.  

How Much Does Coa Cost?

One of Coa’s goals is to provide everyone access to approachable and affordable mental health support.

• Coa Intro Class - $25/class

• 1 live, 85-minute therapist-led group

• Access to emotional fitness tools

• Ongoing support from the Coa community

• Coa 8-week Series Classes - $240/session

• 8 live, 90-minute therapist-led group

• Meets once a week

• Access to emotional fitness tools

• Ongoing support from the Coa community

• Therapy Matching - $190 - $250/session

• California residents only 

• 60-minute session

What Do We Think of Coa?

We appreciate that Coa’s main goal is to change the way mental health is approached by getting rid of the stigma that only sick people go to therapy. Coa seems like a great option for people wanting to improve their leadership style and techniques at work and within the home. Their classes have a “How to be a good leader” feel and probably not meant to be for people struggling with certain mental health concerns or for people that don’t enjoy group settings. If you are experiencing severe mental health issues, you will probably want to look elsewhere. However, we think that Coa is an excellent option for those wanting to begin a journey in incorporating emotional fitness into their daily lives. If you’re an executive wanting to boost morale within your team, Coa could be a great place to turn to!