How Coaching Is Different From Therapy

I recently achieved my goal of becoming a wellness coach with the International Association of Wellness Professionals. The first question I get is “what does a coach do?” The second question is “how is that different from a therapist?” While there is overlap between both, all the coaches and therapists I’ve talked to agree that we can happily co-exist and that there is a need for both modalities.

Personally, I have had tremendous success working with both therapists and coaches, at different times in my life to address different challenges.

We All Have Wounds

One of the the most useful analogies I’ve come across is from a therapist who is also a coach. We all have emotional wounds of different sizes and carry these with us in our day to day life. Some of them heal over time while others remain raw and open, causing us pain and suffering.

Both therapy and coaching deal with these wounds, but in different ways.

Therapy

Therapy focuses on healing the wound by thoroughly cleaning out the dirt that has accumulated in it, dressing it, and caring for it. It’s about understanding what caused the wound in the first place and why it continues to remain open. Eventually, layer by layer, the wound heals.

Coaching

Coaching focuses on helping you manage the impact those wounds have on your life. It helps you acknowledge the wounds from a place of non-judgement. Then you can figure out how to work with them so they no longer hold you back from your achieving your goals.

Overall

Coaching is more future-focused; it looks at where you are today and helps you move forward to where you want to be, with an understanding of your wounds. Therapy is more past-focused; it helps you understand where the wounds originated and why they continue to impact your life.

We may have traumas in our past that require therapy to be healed in order for us to move forward.

However, we also face challenges in our lives that do not require a deep dive into the past to resolve. This is where coaching comes in.

Types of Therapy

There are many different types of therapy, but two of the most common are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Psychotherapy.

CBT or Coaching?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is similar to coaching in that both are action-oriented and focus on thinking, behaviour and problem solving. However, therapists use this technique to address psychological issues that are preventing you from living a healthy, functioning life.

I sought CBT to cope with a painful breakup. At the time, I felt trapped in a loop of anxiety and depression that prevented me from living a healthy, functioning life. CBT helped me get out of that cycle and I highly recommend it.

Coaching also works with mindset and behaviour but in a way that aims to transform them in order to achieve a desired outcome. For example, increasing your self-confidence, feeling greater sense of life purpose, or something tangible like starting a business or losing weight.

The fundamentals of life coaching are what distinguish it from therapy. Life coaches do not diagnose while therapists determine illness and pathology so they can be clinically treated.
Tony Robbins

Psychotherapy or Coaching?

Psychotherapy is long-term therapy that focuses on the past and uncovering unconscious patterns that are driving your present-day behaviour. It is based on Freud’s theory that bringing repressed emotions and experiences into the conscious realm will solve your problems. In this therapy, the psychotherapist reveals very little about themselves in order to focus on the patient.

Coaching does not spend a lot of time in your past, and is far more concerned with your future-self than your child-self. A coach is a collaborative partner in your sessions and will reveal much of his own personal story as a way to guide and support you.

Psychology and Psychiatry or Coaching?

Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors who prescribe and manage medication as a course of treatment. Psychologists use psychotherapy to treat emotional and mental suffering with behavioural intervention rather than medication.

Put simply, therapists use a variety of methods to diagnose mental health issues and psychiatrists can get you the medicine you need to feel better. The goal for both is to get the patient to a state where they can function in a healthy manner in their day to day lives.

Coaches, on the other hand, do not diagnose mental health issues or prescribe medication. Coaching seeks to serve clients who are already functioning in a healthy manner, and take them to the next level.

Having a Therapist and a Coach

It is possible to see both a therapist and a coach. However, sometimes a client needs to seek therapy to heal the wounds of past trauma or mental health issues before he can reap the benefits of working with a coach.

Sometimes working with a coach reveals a greater need for therapy. For example, if a client came to me with addiction issues, or was highly anxious or depressed, I would refer him to a therapist so he could get to a place of regular functioning. Otherwise, our work together would not be effective.

Coaching essentially assumes the client is okay and is full of potential whereas therapy assumes the client is sick or dysfunctional and needs to heal them so they can function normally
Bill Cole

We All Help You Feel Better

Both coaches and therapists seek to eliminate suffering and help you feel better.

Therapy deals with people who are suffering and helps them get to a place of regular healthy functioning. Coaching deals with people who are healthy and functioning but may be suffering in other ways and need help.

There are many highly functioning people out there who face challenges that prevent them from achieving their goals and living at their highest potential. There is an entire coaching industry out there ready and willing to help.

My passion is working with clients to guide them through their own personal transformation so they can achieve their goals and enjoy greater life satisfaction. I help them believe in the possibility of their own life and I show them how they can get there.

You Are Not Alone

The most important thing to remember is that you don’t have to face your challenges alone. There are a wide variety of therapists and coaches out there who can help you with your specific needs.

I am trained as a coach, but I would be happy to help you find a therapist if that is the better option for you right now. If you would like to chat further, send me a message and we can schedule a time to chat.

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