Personal development, emotional discovery and performance coaching for women
Become the she, that you were meant to be.
You are not broken. You are not weak. You were trained.
The guilt, fear, anxiety, shame, belief systems and conditioning were all built before you ever had a say and their impact on our lives is life-long... until we learn how to grow out of it. Our coaching shows you how to live free of these and every negative emotion and experience the freedom you deserve.
Who this is for
The war between how you want to be and the patterns you don't know to break.
If any of this seems familiar, you are in the right place.
Every boundary you try causes guilt, so you stop setting them.
Insight has never once been the thing that changed the pattern.
You measure your worth by how much you carry for other people.
By the time you think it through, the moment has already happened.
Self study
For those who want to help themselves, by themselves.
Self-paced courses built on the same framework as the coaching. Work through them on your own time.
Design Her · Embody Her™ · Become Her
Who is the woman you would like to reveal?
Create a clear vision of the woman you know is inside and waiting to be freed and take daily steps toward embodying her.
Embody Her is this whole practice in your pocket: part daily journal, part APACHE coach. Answer a few questions about that woman you want to embody and you receive a vision board that keeps you reminded of her.
Reveal her
A few questions about the woman you are revealing. No blank page to stare at.
See her daily
Your answers become a vision board that holds you accountable to what you said you wanted.
Become her
Journal with the coaching prompts, one day at a time and watch the pattern change.
A private space for self-discovery
Live workshops
Rather do it with other people?
Single- or multi-session, in-depth and truly transformational. Come with pain and leave with clarity, awe and direction.
See workshops and save a spotThe framework
Three minds are in the room. They often disagree. Only one of them is boss.
Every decision, contemplation or consideration we make passes through three minds. Finally understand why logic doesn't make the decisions.
The Unconscious Emotional Mind
Fast, automatic, trained in childhood. It reacts before the other two get a word in.
The Conscious Emotional Mind
The observer. It names the emotion, slows the reaction and creates room to choose.
The Intellectual Brain
Logical and analytical. Genuinely useful but only after the emotions have been registered.
A grounded proprietary approach to personal growth
Rooted in Our Proprietary APACHE Framework™
Our Founder's APACHE Framework™ is a proprietary method of approach teaching people how to eliminate the emotional impact from drama, trauma and all emotional pain so they can live a life free from anxiety, guilt, shame and become the most of what she was meant to be.
APACHE Framework™ is a coaching-based personal-development program. It is not therapy, counseling, medical treatment or crisis support.
Client stories
What changes when the pattern becomes visible.
“To have a session with David…”
“To have a session with David is to be truly seen. It wasn’t until meeting with him that, for the first time in 15 years, someone could articulate the tools and strategies to help my system rewire its learned harmful patterns. My childhood experiences had wired my entire being into survival mode. I spent years searching through medicines, types of therapy, and more, looking for guidance on how to regain the power over my life. David was the first person in my 15 years of searching to truly help me do that. Few people in this world are given the gift of sight, understanding, and the ability to communicate effectively. I truly believe he was given these gifts, among many others, because at his core, he truly cares. David not only helps people heal but also empowers them to live up to their full potential, even after his time with them has ended. His impact on my life has been immeasurable, and I’m eternally grateful for his guidance.”
“David is worth his weight…”
“David is worth his weight in gold. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who cares more about your success as business person and an individual than David Jones.”
“David is fantastic! He embodies…”
“David is fantastic! He embodies great listening skills, a knack for getting to the root of an issue, and insightful guidance. He helped me not only move to the next level, but also believe in myself.”
Meet your coach
David, founder, Captive Coaching & Empowerment
David created the Laws and Tenants™ framework the whole practice runs on: the three minds, the fear diagram and the emotional cycle that keeps good people repeating patterns they can name but can't stop.
Coaching here is not advice. It's structured teaching of how all of our emotional system works and how to free ourselves of early emotional patterns we needed then; the result is freedom, safety and peace. The APACHE-based coaching allows us all to reveal the we, we were meant to be.
See for yourself
video coming soon
video coming soon
video coming soon
The people behind CAPTIVE
Complimentary consultation
Start with a conversation.
45 minutes, complimentary; so we can determine if we can help and you can decide if you want us to.
Prefer to call? Reach our office at (704) 750-1416
One-on-one coaching
Coaching that starts where the pain starts.
You are not broken. You are not weak. You were trained.
Personal development coaching that will change how you see yourself and the world. Life changing work that will impact you beyond your belief. One on one, at your pace, with someone in your corner who cares and is as emotionally invested as you are in your growth.
Understand and eliminate the hurdles in your life placed by self or others, freeing you to live the empowering life you desire.
Ways we work together
Find the coaching that fits.
Discover the patterns, systems and beliefs running underneath your life and eliminate elements of pain, so you can be the she you were meant to be.
Explore → Couples coachingFor partners who want a healthy and fulfilling relationship, whether to enhance, reclaim or remedy.
Explore → Performance coachingFor professionals, executives and athletes ready to clear what is quietly holding them back. Welcome to our 3-A's of success™.
Explore →Watch
See how the coaching works
A few minutes with David on what the work really looks like: how we find the pattern underneath, what a session feels like and how real change takes hold. If you are wondering whether this is for you, start here.
video coming soon
Who this is for
The good-hearted woman who wants more and less. More freedom, fulfillment and enrichment and less guilt, anxiety, fear and pain.
Coaching here is for good-hearted women and their partners who are ready to live a life full of authenticity without the constraints we are used to - whether we are aware of them or not.
Do any of these feel familiar?
Every boundary you try causes you guilt, so you stop setting them.
Insight has never once been the thing that changed the pattern.
Different situations, yet similar outcomes.
Books, therapy, willpower. You are not looking for more information, you are looking for change.
Therapy is clinical work that heals the past. Our coaching rewrites the patterns that shape your future.
Coaching may not be the right fit right now if you are looking for someone to tell you what to do or if you are in crisis and need clinical or medical care first. Coaching is not therapy.
However, if you have been wanting to feel like you would like to regain control over your life:
- You know you deserve more or better but don't know how to get it.
- You often experience anxiety, guilt, shame or fear or are often exhausted from providing for others. Maybe you know you could be doing better but are close to 'burn-out'. Maybe you pick unhealthy relationship partners and want to find a relationship that fulfills you. Maybe you just want different…
We need to talk.
What we work on
The things that commonly control us.
Wherever you start, the work goes to the pattern underneath it; we help you reveal the reason for the pattern and then we teach you how to change the patterns.
Boundaries that hold
Setting a standard and staying steady without guilt, because you deserve boundaries.
Guilt and shame
Where they came from, why they were needed and how they are eliminated.
Anxiety and overthinking
The truth behind what they are and how to protect yourself from letting them impact you.
Relationships and patterns
The choices we keep repeating, understanding them and how to grow out of them.
Self-worth and deserving
The quiet belief that you do not get to have what you want and how to reverse it.
Performance and purpose
For professionals, executives and athletes, clearing what is quietly capping your potential.
How we work
Three minds are in the room. Only one of them is boss.
(And it's not the one we'd think.)
Every decision, contemplation and consideration we make passes through three minds. Then working through our proprietary APACHE framework™ - through Awareness, Permission, Acceptance, Choice, Healing and Embodiment, we can reach full empowerment and achieve our authentic self and enlightenment.
What to expect
If your application for coaching is approved and you make the decision to have us help you:
You fill out a couple of questionnaires and return them to your coach.
The situation or feeling that made you reach out. We begin there, in your words.
Where it was trained, what it was built to protect and how it shows up now. And then the magic begins:
- Eliminating the negative emotions that impact us most.
- Discovering and celebrating our authentic self.
- Reclaiming the worth, value and strength we were born with.
Empowerment isn't just being able to be yourself authentically. It is about finally being able to experience what loving oneself really means. Welcome to YOU!
Format
How we meet.
Three ways to work together: personal development one on one, couples coaching and performance coaching.
Sessions shall be determined by the client: Zoom, FaceTime or over the phone. In person sessions are available based on schedule, location and additional rate.
Investment
Coaching is by application.
We do not list prices here, because the right structure looks different for everyone. Life-changing coaching is not without significant investment. Please view our video testimonials to understand how our work transforms lives. Apply, and we will talk it through on a complimentary 45-minute consultation. No pressure and no obligation to continue.
In their words
What changes.
“I was feeling in crisis with a life-affecting decision, and our one phone session truly changed my life, both personal and professional.”
Patricia F., COO“David is worth his weight in gold. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who cares more about your success as a person.”
Bill W., CEO“He helped me not only move to the next level, but also believe in myself.”
Phillis S., R.N.“David has a unique ability to find the things, conscious and subconscious, that prevent you from living up to your full potential.”
Chris M.On video
coaching client
coaching client
coaching client
coaching client
Questions
Before you apply.
Is coaching the same as therapy?
No. Therapy is clinical work that heals the past. Our coaching rewrites the patterns that shape your future. Coaching is a personal-development service focused on self-awareness, emotional intelligence and personal leadership. It is not therapy, counseling, medical treatment or crisis support, and it is not a replacement for care from a licensed professional.
How long do people work with you?
It varies. Some come for a single decision, others stay for months of deeper work. We find the right rhythm together, and you are never locked in.
Is it virtual or in person?
Both. Most coaching happens over Zoom, FaceTime or phone; in-person sessions are available depending on location and additional rates.
Do you work with couples?
Yes. Couples coaching is for those who want to enhance, improve, reclaim or recover their relationship and both are actively desirous and participatory.
Do you offer performance coaching?
Yes. Alongside personal development, we coach professionals, executives and athletes on what is quietly capping their performance.
Is what I share confidential?
Yes. Everything you share is confidential and is not disclosed to anyone unless required by law.
How do I start?
Fill out the application. We will review it and set up your complimentary 45-minute consultation from there.
Ready when you are
Ready to become the you, you were meant to be?
Apply to become a coaching client. We will read every application and follow up to set up your complimentary consultation.
Coaching is a personal-development service. It is not therapy, counseling, medical treatment or crisis support.
The framework
The APACHE Framework™
Applied Psychology Advancing Conditions of the Human Experience.
A proprietary coaching framework developed by Dave Jones in 2008, APACHE helps people understand their emotional systems and internal drivers so they can grow out of fear-based patterns and become the most of who they were meant to be.
What APACHE is
A practical way to understand your emotional system
Applied Psychology Advancing Conditions of the Human Experience (APACHE) is a proprietary coaching framework developed by Dave Jones in 2008 after years of observing consistent emotional and behavioral patterns across personal development clients. Through his work, Dave recognized that meaningful breakthroughs occurred when individuals were given practical tools to understand their emotional systems and internal drivers rather than simply addressing surface-level behaviors.
APACHE integrates structured emotional insight with actionable tools designed to create rapid gains in empowerment, confidence, emotional clarity and self-trust. The framework reflects Dave's belief that sustainable personal growth emerges when individuals learn how their emotional systems operate and how learned fear-based patterns influence perception, decision-making and relational dynamics.
APACHE is not therapy or counseling. It functions as a coaching-based methodology focused on emotional awareness, self-leadership and internal alignment. While complementary to clinical mental health work, the framework is designed to support insight, growth and behavioral clarity rather than diagnosis or treatment.
At the foundation of APACHE is the understanding that emotional systems are logical, consistent and unique to each individual. Emotional drivers influence behavior more powerfully than conscious logic alone, shaping everything from personal boundaries to motivation and self-concept. When individuals gain awareness of these emotional structures, they develop the capacity to make decisions with greater clarity, stability and integrity.
The journey APACHE moves you through
Six stages, back to yourself
APACHE moves through six stages, teaching people how to eliminate the emotional impact from drama, trauma and all emotional pain so they can live free from anxiety, guilt and shame.
A core concept we teach
POOL rules
The Primary Occurrence of Learning, one of the first things we work on in coaching.
video coming soon
POOL stands for the Primary Occurrence of Learning. POOL rules are the emotional rules we form as children, created by fear, that quietly become the operating system running our behavior as adults.
They are built through four channels: what we were taught, what we witnessed, what we modeled and what we were punished or rewarded for. From those early experiences a child learns what earns acceptance, what triggers rejection and which emotions feel safe or dangerous.
We never really outgrow these rules. We outgrow the environment but carry the rules with us, where they show up as people-pleasing, perfectionism, conflict avoidance, over-responsibility, self-silencing and the fear of disappointing others. Seeing your own POOL rules clearly is where real change begins.
Why APACHE was developed
Built for three reasons
APACHE was developed into a specific concept and practice for three reasons.
Dave designed APACHE to provide therapists and counselors with structured tools that help clients access emotional insight more efficiently and safely. By accelerating emotional awareness early in the therapeutic process, clinicians are able to reach meaningful depth more quickly, allowing for more focused and effective treatment planning. These tools are intended to complement, not replace, clinical practice.
APACHE supports the education and certification of personal development coaches who wish to facilitate deeper emotional understanding and faster client breakthroughs. Certified practitioners apply the framework using standardized principles and ethical coaching boundaries, ensuring consistency and integrity across coaching applications.
Dave also developed APACHE to equip growth-oriented individuals with tools for personal insight, emotional responsibility and boundary development. The framework encourages self-awareness around emotional triggers, belief systems and relational patterns, enabling healthier relationships and more grounded self-trust.
What it creates
Accelerated growth, in a place that feels safe
Clients and practitioners using the APACHE framework frequently experience accelerated growth and increased emotional empowerment. The tools allow individuals to explore emotional patterns without fear, judgment or unnecessary vulnerability, creating psychological safety while fostering meaningful change. This structured clarity allows practitioners to begin work at a deeper starting point, often producing measurable transformation in fewer sessions.
Dave's long-term vision for APACHE is to help individuals reconnect with their authentic selves, the identity that exists beneath conditioned fear, disappointment and emotional defense. When emotional clarity increases, individuals experience greater freedom, stronger relationships and more conscious personal leadership.
Core principles
The principles APACHE is built on
- Human behavior and emotional responses operate according to consistent foundational principles.
- Emotional systems are logical, reliable and unique to each individual.
- Emotional drivers shape decision-making more powerfully than conscious logic alone.
- The pursuit of self-approval strongly influences behavior, both constructively and destructively.
- Emotional fear is learned and reinforced through experience, and can be eliminated.
- Releasing emotional fear is essential for self-empowerment, clarity and internal freedom.
APACHE Framework™ is a coaching-based personal-development program. It is not therapy, counseling, medical treatment or crisis support.
About us
About CAPTIVE Coaching & Empowerment
Helping women grow out of the guilt, fear and conditioning that were built before they ever had a say.
CAPTIVE Coaching & Empowerment teaches people how their emotional systems actually work, so they can live free from anxiety, guilt and shame and become the most of who they were meant to be.
Our story
How CAPTIVE began
The story behind CAPTIVE, in David's own words.
video coming soon
Meet your coach
David, founder, Captive Coaching & Empowerment
David created the Laws and Tenants™ framework the whole practice runs on: the three minds, the fear diagram and the emotional cycle that keeps good people repeating patterns they can name but can't stop.
Coaching here is not advice. It's structured teaching of how all of our emotional system works and how to free ourselves of early emotional patterns we needed then; the result is freedom, safety and peace. The APACHE-based coaching allows us all to reveal the we, we were meant to be.
See for yourself
video coming soon
video coming soon
video coming soon
The people behind CAPTIVE
Speaking
Bring Emotional Intelligence, Human-Centered Leadership and Transformational Insight to Your Organization
David is a nationally recognized coach, educator and founder of CAPTIVE Coaching & Empowerment - specializing in motivation, fear and its impact, emotional intelligence, women's empowerment, men's evolution and trauma-informed leadership.
Organizations bring David in because he does what most speakers can't: he makes emotional intelligence practical, human and immediately impactful.
Dave's talks blend psychology, humor, storytelling and trauma-informed insight to help teams understand themselves, communicate better, reduce emotional labor and create emotionally safe workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Whether speaking to executives, athletes, educators, healthcare teams, HR leaders or women's groups, Dave delivers clarity, connection and transformation.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our office at (704) 750-1416.
Signature keynotes
Topics David speaks on
Each presentation is shaped to your event and goal. Not sure which fits? Tell us about your audience in the form below and we'll suggest one that will make your event a huge success.
Your speaker
David Jones
Founder, CAPTIVE Coaching & Empowerment · Founder and Creator of the proprietary APACHE Framework™
For more than 20 years David has helped women see the emotional patterns running underneath their decisions (the guilt, fear and self-doubt that were installed long before they had a say) and learn to untrain them. As founder of CAPTIVE Coaching & Empowerment and creator of the proprietary APACHE framework, he has turned that work into a roadmap audiences can actually follow home.
He also hosts the Her Discovered Power™ podcast and speaks to women's organizations, conferences and teams about boundaries, the origin and impact of Fear, how to find true success for you and others. People leave absolutely changed because of the way David presents things we've seen all of our lives. New perspectives toward life, goodness and success are the common responses from attendees.
From the stage
What event organizers are saying
"Dave, I got texts from people while they were in your session. Someone asked me if you could be the keynote speaker next year. And I think having you on the main stage is a great idea."
Tiffany Spencer, conference organizer"Everyone who attends your sessions leaves changed."
Tiffany Spencer, conference organizerRequest David
Invite David to speak
Tell us about your event and what you want your audience to walk away with. We'll suggest a talk and follow up. Contact for rates.
Self study
For those who want to help themselves, by themselves.
Self-paced courses built on the framework the coaching runs on. No schedule, no group, no waiting for a date. Start when you're ready and go at your pace. Lessons with companion video of David explaining each step of each module.
Included with every course below.
Boundaries That Hold
The signature course. All good-hearted people need to have healthy boundaries - and we all know it. Then why don't we have them? Learn Why. Learn How. And then learn how to be free of the fear, guilt or hesitation forever. Never again fear setting boundaries!
Experience why good-hearted women say boundaries are their greatest asset.
Live workshops
Pick one. Ninety minutes at a time.
Every workshop is a small group, one topic and the same framework the coaching runs on. Choose the one that matches what's loudest right now.
Client stories
In their words.
Every one of these is from someone who sat in a session and decided to write about it afterward. Names are shortened where they asked us to.
On video
Written
Captive Collection
Resources that transform. Most are free, ALL are invaluable.
The podcast, articles and self-assessments are free. Quick reads, e-books and guides are yours to buy, and anything you purchase stays in your portal forever.
Community · opening soon
Captive Circle™
A private community for everyone doing the work.
Captive Circle is where clients talk to each other, events get shared and the work keeps going between sessions. We're opening it to a small group of founding members first. Join the waitlist and you'll be among the first invited in.
What's inside
- A members' feed to ask questions and share what's landing as you go.
- Small communities for course members and workshop groups.
- Events with David and fellow members, shared first here.
- Direct connection with other good-hearted women doing the same work.
Be a founding member
Join the waitlist
We'll email you the moment the Circle opens. No spam, ever.
Give back
Share the Wealth
Help us expand access to healing, self-discovery and personal empowerment.
In addition to our coaching work, we actively give back to trusted women's organizations and shelters throughout the Charlotte and Lake Norman area that are providing critical resources, protection and support to women in need.
Give directly
Donate to organizations supporting women in need
Click an organization to give directly on their own site. Each one is a trusted group serving women in our community.
Why donate?
Your contribution directly supports
- Safe, confidential shelter for women and children escaping domestic violence, giving them immediate protection and a place to rebuild their lives.
- 24/7 crisis hotlines and immediate support, ensuring women have access to help, guidance and safety planning at any moment they need it.
- Counseling, support groups and emotional recovery services, helping women process trauma and begin healing in a supported environment.
- Advocacy and legal support, assisting women in navigating protective orders, court systems and rebuilding independence.
- Resources that promote long-term independence, including case management, education and support programs that help women create stable, self-sufficient futures.
- Emergency essentials like food, clothing and transportation, ensuring women and their children have immediate access to basic needs during crisis situations.
Nominate
Nominate an organization
Know a women's organization we should support? Tell us about it and we'll take a look.