What’s the difference between coaching & therapy?

While objectively coaching and therapy might conjure up a lot of the same images like sitting across from someone and getting personal. Coaching and therapy have different purposes. Knowing the difference can help you determine which modality is right for your current circumstances.

Therapy is a wonderful tool for processing and coping. It’s an ideal modality for acute problems like dealing with grief or loss, processing a sexual assault or a divorce, coping with new life changes like becoming a parent or experiencing sudden illness, or dealing with ongoing mental health challenges, physical illnesses or addictions. Therapy is often used a means of helping you to get back to equilibrium. It also offers an opportunity to get to know yourself through the lens of processing your childhood & upbringing. Deep insights and personal awareness come from ongoing therapeutic support. 

Generally speaking coaching is future-oriented and while you may have to look backwards to go forwards, the goal of coaching is about making a change in your life and to progress towards a specific outcome. It’s about sponsoring and resourcing yourself. It has its roots in positive psychology and focuses on how to thrive in life rather than simply how to alleviate suffering. It assumes a baseline level of well being and is a tool to help you confront the fears, doubts, unhealthy habits and other inner barriers that might keep you playing smaller than you know yourself to be or preventing you from starting or finishing something. It’s an ideal modality when you realize what has been preventing you from the thing you want is actually you. Coaching is helpful for starting or growing a business, cultivating leadership skills, navigating career transitions, approaching dating or relationships differently, finding self expression, feeling more vital and alive in life, and deepening self awareness.

To sum, therapy is about processing, coping and getting back to baseline operating. Coaching assumes baseline functioning, focuses on skill development & overcoming personal obstacles that get in the way of reaching our goals.