2 Key Differences between Coaching and Therapy

There are definitely similarities between coaching and therapy as both require you to self-reflect and can bring about positive changes in your life. However, it is important to know the key differences between them before you seek help.

1) Coaching focuses on the future and Therapy focuses on the past

Coaching is suitable if you have a goal you want to achieve and want tools/guidance to get there. It looks at where you are now, what are your limiting beliefs and de-bunking those while getting you into actions with accountability.

Therapy generally focuses more on the past, diagnosing what has happened and what is required to heal that trauma.

So if you would like to understand a particular situation from the past well, then therapy is more recommended for you. If you have got goals you want to achieve but are unable to do so, then give coaching a try.

2) Coaches do not and cannot take on mentally unwell clients

Coaches as certified by International Coaching Federation like myself are actually not allowed to work with clients who are suffering from mental illness as this goes into the realm of therapy where health treatment is necessary.

With that said, there are clients of mine that see both a therapist and myself. They would see the therapist for their past traumas and see me for goals they would like to achieve in the future. Then after a period of time, they would naturally stick with a method that suits them best to get results.

For myself, I have got experiences as a counsellor when I was volunteering for the NZ children’s phone line Youthline and I have also served as a coach for the last 4 years. I have also seen therapists and coaches myself throughout the last 10 years of my life. I have found that results for myself and also my clients are better with the coaching method as the focus is on the future about how we can change rather getting stuck on the past longer than helpful.

If you would like to talk more about whether coaching suits your needs, then book me in for a 30-min free discovery chat :)