Stronghold Assessment

If you are about to take the Stronghold Assessment or already have, this is what your scores actually mean.

Stronghold uses composite scoring across six domains, each on a 0 to 100 scale. Higher scores indicate higher strain, not higher value. A score of 70 in 'Leadership and Stress' does not mean you are 70 percent good at leading. It means the pressure in that area is running hot enough that we need to look at it carefully.

Each domain produces a composite score from 0 to 100. The scale is intentionally simple because legibility matters more than precision at this level. You can read a number. You can compare it to your other numbers. You can watch it change over time.

Roughly, scores break down like this:

0 to 34: Low strain. This domain is not currently a pressure point.

35 to 64: Moderate strain. Some pressure is showing. Worth attention, but not urgent.

65 to 84: High strain. This domain is a meaningful pressure point and likely needs structured attention in coaching.

85 to 100: Critical strain. The domain is in significant distress. Coaching alone may not be enough; this is where dual-track care often becomes appropriate.

The number 65 matters. It is the threshold at which a domain moves from 'worth noting' to 'driving the plan.'

If you score above 65 on any single domain, that domain shapes the early phases of your coaching plan. If you score above 65 on three or more domains, the coaching plan adjusts to address load distribution — meaning we work on what is pulling you under before we work on growth goals.

Above 75 in any of the clinical screen domains (depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms, substance use, suicidal ideation), a different protocol activates. That is the dual-track flag.

When a clinical screen domain crosses the flag threshold, you receive an automated referral notification within minutes of completing the assessment. The notification names the domain, names the threshold, and provides licensed clinical resources appropriate to it.

This is not a diagnosis. The Stronghold Assessment does not diagnose mental illness. It is a screening tool — the same kind of tool a primary care physician might use to decide whether to refer you to a specialist. A high score means 'this deserves a closer look from someone licensed to give it.' Not 'you have this condition.'

Coaching can still continue. What changes is the scope. Areas flagged for clinical care are addressed by your licensed provider, not by me. Areas inside the coaching scope continue as planned. The line is visible from day one, which is the only honest way to do this work.

Pressure does not live in just one place. A man whose leadership-and-stress score is high almost always has a corresponding pattern in relationship health, attachment, or emotional intelligence. The six domains together let us see how the pressure is moving through your system, not just where it is showing up loudest.

If we only measured one domain, we would treat symptoms. With six, we can find the actual source. This is why the Stronghold Assessment takes 30 to 45 minutes instead of 5. The picture has to be wide enough to be useful.

When I review your profile, I see your composite score in each domain, the sub-scales beneath each domain, your responses to specific high-signal questions, and any flags the system raised.

I do not see your raw answers as a list to scan through. The system aggregates them into the structured profile so I can read the actual pattern, not get lost in the data.

Your information is held in the same confidentiality framework as the rest of our coaching relationship. The exceptions to confidentiality — mandatory reporting of child abuse, imminent harm to self or others, court order, or your written consent — are spelled out in the Coaching Agreement.

Every Lion Protocol client retakes Stronghold at the 90-day mark. Couples retake it at the midpoint of their program. The reassessment shows movement — how scores have changed across all six domains since baseline.

Reassessment is not a grade. It is a feedback loop. If a domain is moving the wrong direction, we know early enough to adjust. If it is moving the right direction, you have proof — not just a feeling. Most clients underestimate how much they have moved until they see the numbers side by side.

Can a high score reverse? Yes. Composite scores reflect current strain, not permanent state. With structured coaching and, where appropriate, licensed clinical support, the scores most clients see drop materially within 90 to 180 days.

What if I score high in everything? That happens. It usually indicates someone who has been carrying significant load for a long time and is just now stopping to look at it honestly. The coaching plan adjusts to address load before growth.

What if I score low in everything? Less common, and usually one of two things: either coaching is not the most useful tool for what you actually need, or the assessment caught you on a particularly stable day. We discuss this in the first session.

Will my scores be shared? Only with you and with me, under the confidentiality terms in the Coaching Agreement. Not with your spouse without your written consent. Not with your employer. Not with insurance.

📄 The Dual-Track Model: Coaching and Clinical Care, Working Together

📄 What Is the Stronghold Assessment?

📄 Stronghold vs. Clinical Assessment: An Honest Comparison

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