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Is Relationship Coaching Right For You? Expectations Of The Client and Your Coach
Mission
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Life Coach vs. Therapist When seeking professional help for emotional wellbeing and personal growth, the default option you may think of is therapy. A Life Coach Is not a Therapist! Life coaches are professionals who help you achieve personal or professional goals. Here are 6 key differences between life coaching and therapy, and how to choose one over another. 1. Topics: Therapy focuses on mental health; life coaching focuses on goals The major difference between therapy and life coaching is the focus of the work: therapy focuses on mental health and emotional healing, while life coaching focuses on setting and achieving goals. While therapists are trained mental health professionals who are in the regulated field of healthcare and require licensure, life coaches do not have mental health training and are not equipped to diagnose or treat mental health conditions (unless a life coach was previously trained as a therapist, which is also common). Consider therapy if you want to heal or get help with a mental health concern; try life coaching if you need help getting "unstuck" or realizing a fuller potential. When to see a therapist
When to see a life coach
2. Skills: Therapy helps you learn to heal; coaching empowers you to achieve goals Therapists help clients look to their figurative yesterdays in order to overcome deep-rooted issues, whereas life coaches are there to help you jump off today's launching point to succeed tomorrow. The skills you learn from a therapist are designed to foster healing from whichever challenge you are facing. Coaching, on the other hand, sets you up with tools to reach bigger dreams or break free if you feel stuck on repeat in your life. Therapy helps you heal from mental health challenges In therapy, you will address mental and emotional health challenges you're facing this by learning therapy techniques like:
Success in therapy is measured by things like improved mood, lower anxiety levels, more nourishing eating habits, and a greater sense of happiness. Life coaching teaches you how to achieve big dreams and/or break free if you feel stuck On the other hand, most life coaching focuses on helping you pursue your passions, or break free of stagnation or "stuckness." With a life coach, you might work on discovering your passions, strategizing a path to achieving them, and building the positive mindset that will empower you to achieve them. A typical life coaching session includes:
3. Tense: Therapy is rooted in the past and present; coaching focuses on the future In therapy, you face the past in order to move forward The therapy that most people are familiar with presents an opportunity to look at what's going on inside - emotionally, psychologically, or interpersonally. In therapy sessions, you're often returning to the emotional experiences, the patterns, the trauma, the learning, and the beliefs that you had in the past - and connecting the dots to understand how they have now brought you to this time with challenges. The goal of therapy is to release any places where you're blocked so you're able to be happier, more settled, and at peace. Therapy, at its core, is working on the psychological problems from their source and doing healing work. Essentially, in therapy you're deeply examining the questions and solving them, so that you feel free to move forward. Coaching focuses on improving the "here and now" Coaches (including therapists who practice coaching) will absolutely be interested in what some of their clients' "source material" is, and will want to know what life experiences have brought you to where you are. That said, the goal in coaching is not to necessarily go back and address it, or to heal it, or to change it. Instead, it's just referenced.
What you're working on in coaching is: 4. Structure: The format of therapy sessions depend on the modality; coaching sessions often have clear structures Therapy session structures depend on the type of treatment Therapy typically begins with a longer initial session, known as an intake. In this session, clients and therapists have the opportunity to get to know one another better, and assess whether there's a fit. Subsequent session structure depends on the therapist's approach. For example, in art therapy, you may spend your time creating and discussing your art; you could discuss the thoughts and feelings that emerge as you draw, paint, or sculpt, as well as memories that arise during the creative process. This, of course, is a different structure than that of, say, EMDR therapy, in which your therapist guides you through a series of eye motions or movements designed to accelerate your processing of past trauma or conflict. Coaching sessions are structured to facilitate progress Life coaches also often begin with a longer initial session to gather information about the client's life goals, obstacles that have gotten in the way, mindset and behaviors that have been helpful or harmful to the client. Subsequent sessions are designed to prioritize the client's strengths and values, visualize their future, and learn science-backed strategies for cultivating happiness. The point of coaching is constant progress, so sessions are geared to nurture your strengths and use that learning to get you forward in an effective, practical way. 5. Duration: Whereas therapy is not usually time-limited, coaching is often short-term Therapy often has no set "end date" Therapy is often not time-limited. Sessions can continue for months, or years, in an ongoing fashion. Notable exceptions include highly structured formats, like pure cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and premarital counseling. Coaching clients often enroll in short-term package sessions Coaches often offer their services in packages. From 6-10 weeks up to annual options, coaching packages are varied but more commonly short-term. One would sign up for their coach's package and upon completion decide if they would like to continue working with their coach by signing up for an additional package or transition to as needed sessions. 6. Fit: When assessing fit with a therapist, prioritize your comfort level and their expertise; for life coaches, seek inspiration and check credentials Look for a therapist you feel comfortable opening up to, and who has direct expertise with your presenting problems When searching for a therapist, prioritize comfort and fit. This concept, known as the therapeutic alliance, refers to the idea of a strong, productive relationship between therapist and client. Additionally, when searching for a therapist, you'll want to prioritize someone who has experience (or even specializes in) the presenting issue you're seeking help with, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, or any other mental health condition If applicable, you may also want to work with a professional who can prescribe medication, such as a psychiatrist or nurse practitioner. Seek a life coach who has qualified credentials, and whose philosophy inspires you There are no specific requirements to become a life coach, and the field is not regulated by any governing body. While many coaches do elect to become certified, literally anyone can call themselves a life coach.
I am a certified relationship
Coach graduating from the Institute for Professional Excellence in
Coaching (iPEC). As one of the largest ICF-accredited coach training schools in the world, iPEC has a proven track record of success—helping over 15,000 graduates launch careers as Certified Professional Coaches. Working with a coach who has completed the required education, training, and standards that a therapist, masters level or doctoral level clinician would have helps clients feel assured that they are in qualified hands. No matter your incentive for seeking help, it's helpful to understand where the roles of a life coach and a therapist splinter, so you can make an informed decision on which is right for you.
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