Therapy Vs. Coaching

Therapy Versus Coaching

Therapy/counseling and coaching both endeavor to assist people with making changes for a happier and more fulfilling life. While the structure and approach are different, both are valid methods of making personal change. The fundamental differences between working with a counselor or therapist and working with a coach are:

Therapy/Counseling

Conducted in person, therapy/counseling provides a safe and nurturing environment in which a person can:
  • Seek to understand the “why” of a given situation
  • Resolve internal conflicts
  • Resolve relationship conflicts
  • Release difficult emotions
  • Examine familial and relational patterns
  • Discover how the past remains alive in the present
  • Grieve a loss
  • Delve into the personality
  • Find meaning in life
  • Learn new communication skills
  • Increase functioning in any given area of life
  • Deal with mood, anxiety, or other diagnosable disorders

Coaching

Conducted on the phone or in person, coaching provides a dynamic, action-oriented environment in which a person can:
  • Engage in a partnership for the purpose of enhancing and balancing life
  • Focus on the present with an orientation toward future achievement or a new way of being
  • Assess the “large picture” of one’s life, examining career, relationships, marriage, play, spiritual growth, and health
  • Discover and focus on passion, vision, purpose, and values
  • Increase awareness of and find solutions to roadblocks to successful living
  • Create goals and plans to further any aspect of life
  • Receive gentle accountability for commitments to action
  • Expect honest and direct feedback
  • Find external solutions for internal or external challenges