About 360° Coaching
Executive Coaching and Leadership Development in Austin, Texas
Grounded, personalized executive coaching in Austin, Texas.
No fluff. No floaties.
Coaching leaders through deep, powerful change.
Ah, Barton Springs.
68 degrees, every day of the year. Even the locals take a moment to brace before they jump in.
Executive coaching can be like that.
You might be ready for a change — to shock yourself into a new mindset.
But taking the plunge — into your blind spots, your growth edges, your leadership potential — that takes guts.
And like Barton Springs, it’s both a shock… and a rush.
That’s the work we do. It’s also the work I’ve been doing for more than two decades—first as a licensed clinical social worker, and now as an executive coach supporting leaders through high-stakes growth.
Jump to…
What’s the mission of 360° Coaching?
To help people lead better — not just through skill, strategy and ambition, but through self-awareness, emotional clarity, integrity and authenticity.
Leaders growing in this way perform better, navigate complexity more effectively, and genuinely empower people — impacting the whole organization with increased innovation and performance.
When leaders are willing to do the personal work, the ripple effect is transformational.
Why Leaders Choose 360° Coaching
Leaders come to 360° Coaching when the tried and true ways are no longer working.
They’re navigating growth, complexity, or pressure—and they know the challenge isn’t just strategic. It’s personal. It shows up in performance, relationships, and how they respond under stress.
They work with me because I bring:
deep experience with human behavior and change
real-world leadership and organizational growth experience
the ability to surface blind spots without judgment
a structured process that turns insight into action
This work helps leaders think more clearly, respond more skillfully, and lead with greater integrity—especially when the stakes are high.
If this resonates, the next step is simply a conversation.
ABOUT — Ellen Lindsey, LCSW
I didn’t start with coaching.
First, I was a clinician, then an agency owner, then I entered coaching. I started in 2002 as a therapist — helping people heal and grow, connect and overcome. Eventually, I employed 120 therapists and directed a multi-million dollar agency.
Today, as an executive coach in Austin, I work with leaders facing the same pressures—growth, complexity, and accountability at scale.
I’ve spent over 25 years working at the intersection of psychology and leadership — supporting high-performing professionals as they navigate complexity, tension, and change. I’ve built a company, led teams, weathered conflict, and survived an acquisition. I have come out wiser on the other side.
My perspective is shaped by a lifetime of entrepreneurship and the study of wisdom traditions; over twenty years as a therapist and licensed social worker; and more than a decade as an agency founder, employer, and director.
I am deeply interested in both business development and people development — and in how leadership sits at the intersection of the two.
What sets 360° Coaching apart?
Aside from the experience and wisdom I bring, people like working with me.
I am warm yet challenging, funny yet unwaveringly on task, and I am tuned in to my clients in key ways that increase the effectiveness and impact of the change process. I like to work with clients IRL - in real life. I can Zoom when absolutely necessary, but I prefer just zooming right to the client, wherever they are.
Leadership development is not a purely intellectual exercise. It is a whole-person, whole-body endeavor. My ability to “read” my client increases significantly when I’m in their physical presence. And, the better I can read them, the more effective I can be with helping them shift.
Transformation through Coaching
Coaching or Counseling
How do you know which is right?
I’ve been a licensed therapist since 2002. I’ve also completed extensive training and certification in executive coaching and leadership development tools.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that conversations about “coaching vs. therapy” are often oversimplified—or outright inaccurate. In some cases, the distinction is blurred in ways that don’t serve clients well.
Here’s how I think about it.
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Both coaches and counselors support clients in making meaningful changes in their lives through structured conversation, reflection, and professional guidance.
Both may explore patterns, beliefs, emotions, and long-held stories.
Both can help clients grow in insight, confidence, and effectivenessAnd both may specialize in particular populations or areas of focus.
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The most important differences come down to training, legal scope, and ethical responsibility.
Counselors are required to complete advanced graduate education, maintain licensure, and adhere to a legally enforced Code of Ethics. They are trained—and required—to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions when present.
Coaches are not licensed healthcare providers. Coaching certification programs exist, but they are optional and unregulated. Coaches are legally prohibited from diagnosing or treating mental health conditions and must refer out when clinical issues arise.
These distinctions matter—not because one approach is “better,” but because clients deserve clarity, safety, and appropriate care.
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Coaching is often a good fit if you can:
reflect on past behavior, feedback, and patterns
generate insight and consider multiple options
experiment with new ways of thinking or responding
take responsibility for your actions and outcomes
If this sounds like you, coaching can be a powerful catalyst for growth.
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A responsible coach knows when to pause or end a coaching engagement and recommend counseling. This may be necessary when:
insight does not translate into behavioral change over time
narratives repeat without new perspective or movement
emotional processing increases distress rather than clarity
suicidal ideation, self-harm, or threats of harm are present
substance dependence is impairing functioning
psychotic symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations are present
This is not a failure of coaching—it’s an ethical boundary.
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As a licensed clinical social worker and certified executive coach, I work in the overlap—where personal insight meets leadership responsibility.
I do not provide clinical treatment in my coaching work. I’m not diagnosing, treating, or maintaining medical records. But I do bring more than two decades of experience understanding human behavior, emotional patterns, and change dynamics into every engagement.
For clients, this means:
greater psychological safety
sharper insight into blind spots
fewer missteps when growth gets uncomfortable
support that is both compassionate and appropriately bounded
It’s not therapy—and it’s not surface-level coaching.
It’s leadership development with depth, discernment, and integrity.
In many coaching engagements, leaders gain useful skills and techniques.
But lasting change happens through vertical development—the evolutions of how you make meaning, respond to pressure, and relate to others.
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This is where transformation happens. This is where internal capacity is expanded to effectively meet the demands of greater responsibility and complexity.
As someone is developing vertically, you will notice:
Greater tolerance for ambiguity and uncertainty
Less reactivity, more intentional choice in responding
Ability to hold competing demands without collapsing
More nuanced ethical and systems thinking
Increased orientation toward learning and decreased orientation toward defending
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Transformational coaching focuses not just on what the client does or what they know. It goes much deeper into belief systems, worldview, and relationship to self and others. In this work, self-awareness is expanded, old narratives are challenged, new ways of being are devised and practiced, and flexibility is increased.
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At 360° Coaching, you will be in the capable hands of a career psychotherapist whose attunement, presence and clarity will substantially support your development. Who better to professionally walk you through a deep and impactful change process?
This work is not therapy — there are limits to a first-person view.
It’s not counseling.
And it’s not motivational coaching.
It is executive coaching grounded in self-awareness, psychological insight, and real-world leadership demands.
I focus on how you impact others, orient to challenges, handle pressure, and lead through complexity—so growth is both personal and practical.
If you’re looking for quick fixes or surface-level techniques, this won’t be a fit.
If you’re ready for honest reflection and meaningful change, it often is.
What This Is—and What It Isn’t
Find Solutions through Expert Leadership Development & Executive Coaching
Who This Work Is For
360° Coaching is a strong fit for leaders who:
hold significant responsibility or influence
are open to feedback—even when it’s uncomfortable
want to lead with clarity, not just authority
are ready to align performance with values
It may not be the right fit for leaders who aren’t willing to examine their own role in what’s not working.
Turn Your Blind Spots into Super Powers
My background combines licensed clinical training, entrepreneurship, and advanced leadership.
Meet the Coach
Ellen Lindsey, LCSW
Founder | Executive Coach | Entrepreneur | Champion of Leadership Growth
I was born and raised in Austin — back when Barton Springs felt like a local secret and the skyline wasn’t crowded with cranes.
I’ve spent the last 25+ years walking alongside people as they grow — in identity, in capacity, and in courage.
As a licensed clinical social worker, I’ve supported hundreds of individuals through complex change and emotional growth. Clients often seek me out for executive coaching in Austin because I bring both psychological depth and real-world leadership experience.
In 2012, I co-founded a counseling agency — one built from the ground up, with an ambitious mission. Over ten years, we built a team of 120 clinicians, provided ongoing clinical and professional staff training, developed and leveraged a powerful practice management software to maximize the power of metrics, and served more than 1,000 clients a week across five locations.
I learned a lot through that experience — about foundership, partnership, leadership and growth. I learned what happens when growth outpaces systems… and systems overtake people.
Leadership can become fragile under pressure.
In 2022, we sold the agency — and not everything went how I hoped. Change always brings both gain and loss. If you’re not grounded in what matters most, you can lose sight of your vision.
Some lose their integrity.
You’ve worked with them. Leaders driven by selfish greed.Leaders fueled by power and control. Clueless leaders who can't read a room. Terrified leaders who panic and behave impulsively.
These people in your organization may hold positions of authority — but they don’t create greatness. And they don’t drive visionary results.
Great leadership is the lever.
It clears the path. It fuels momentum. It inspires people to do the work that matters most.
And as a leadership coach, I now help executives and teams navigate the messy, high-stakes, deeply human challenges of leadership. These growth edges aren’t industry-specific. This is the stuff of personal development that can make or break an initiative, a business, a career.
I bring a rare combination of warmth and structure to my work. I listen deeply. I notice patterns. I help leaders make new connections — and then build the skills to move forward with clarity and courage.
To me, leadership isn’t just about performance. It’s about presence. It’s about learning to love well — through accountability, compassion, boundaries, and truth-telling.
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Founder of Executive 360° Coaching (Austin, TX)
Co-founder of Therapy Austin, a multi-site counseling and training agency with 120+ staff across five locations
Developed and led Therapy Austin’s internal Professional Development and Continuing Education programs
Oversaw operations, staff development, and culture-building during rapid organizational growth
Creator of TAWorks, a proprietary practice management software that revolutionized clinical data tracking and client-counselor matching
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW – Texas)
Entrepreneur with 20+ years in private practice, group leadership, and organizational development
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I’ve always believed leadership is personal. So here’s a little more about me, beyond the professional bio:
Born and raised in Austin — for real
Graduate of Austin High and the University of Texas
Avid walker, lifelong beach lover
Same residence since 1990
Mom to two amazing humans
Daughter of civic leader Mary Arnold and cable TV pioneer Bill Arnold
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Leadership Circle Profile® (360° Assessment)
Collective Leadership Assessment® (Team Culture + Effectiveness)
The Leadership System® (Scaled Training for Cross-Functional Teams)
Emotional & Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) – Korn Ferry
PULSE™ Survey Methodology
180+ ICF-approved coach training hours across core competencies and resource development
If you’re ready to lead with more clarity—especially when things get uncomfortable—this work may be for you.
Choose your leadership coach wisely.
