Therapy vs Coaching - What’s the difference?

Are you wondering whether you should work with a coach or work with a therapist? While both can be beneficial for personal growth, there are some key differences between the two.

Certifications and licensing

Let’s start with licensing and education requirements. Therapists go through years of training and are required by law to hold a specific license such as a LCSW, LMFT or LPC. This ensures that the practitioners meet certain educational and ethical standards. It also helps protect you, the consumer by offering legal protection and professional accountability.

Coaches have no legal certification requirement, therefore do not have to have specific training in order to call themselves a coach. That said, there are many certification programs designed for coaches that can offer extensive training. There is also a global governing body that oversees the industry, the International Coaching Federation, that through its certification process offers a professional and ethical standard of excellence. If you choose to work with an ICF certified coach (ACC, PCC, MCC), the ICF also offers coaching clients a complaint process should they feel they have been mistreated by the coach or coaching relationship.

Professional skills and competencies

There are also some key professional differences between the two. Therapy (also known as counseling or psychotherapy) is a clinical practice designed to assess, diagnose and treat mental health disorders. Therapists use various therapeutic modalities to help individuals understand and manage their emotional difficulities. Therapy often involves exploring past experiences and current emotional states to provide relief from psychological distress.

Coaching is a professional relationship that focuses on personal development, goal setting, and achieving specific outcomes. Coaching is primarily concerned with personal and professional growth. Unlike therapy, coaching does not involve diagnosing or treating mental health disorders. Instead, it emphasizes helping clients improve their lives by exploring and discovering what true and authentic actions will lead to more life satisfaction and fulfillment.

So which should you choose?

A therapist may be a better fit for you if are experiencing anxiety, depression, or mood disorders that are significantly impacting your daily life. Or if you are having difficulty functioning with everyday tasks or experience overwhelming emotional distress. If you have experienced significant trauma that affects your mental health and wellbeing than therapy would be recommended.

A coach may be a better fit if you are feeling stuck in any area of your life, be it health and wellness, career, life direction or purpose. Or if you you know what your life goals are but need motivation or inspiration to move forward. Or perhaps you're overwhelmed and need more clarity and accountability to help you find more satisfaction and direction in life.

I’ve worked with both coaches and therapists throughout my life. I chose to go into therapy when I experienced emotional distress that was leading to dysfunctional behaviors and I wanted to get to the root of the matter and learn about strategies to overcome those behaviors. At other times, working with a coach was a better fit for me. I have sought coaching for nutrition and weight loss, for developing financial security, for support with midlife changes and for creating healthier relationships with loved ones. Coaching has really supported me with getting clear and moving toward dreams and goals that feel more purposeful and fulfilling.

My practice

So, to recap, therapy often dives into deep-seated emotional issues to work on personal healing or trauma recovery. I am not qualified to do this kind of work. My coaching focuses on helping individuals understand where they are currently, what’s holding them back and what they need to help them move forward. 

It is helpful for coaching clients to have some understanding of past influences on their patterns and behaviors as they begin coaching.  Should we touch on some unworked trauma or event from the past, I may refer out to therapy for further treatment. While therapy and coaching are distinct, they can sometimes complement each other. For example, someone might benefit from therapy to address underlying issues and then use coaching to develop strategies for moving forward.  

If you would like to learn more about how coaching can support you, schedule a complimentary 30 minute call today. I look forward to hearing from you.