What’s the difference between coaching and therapy?

Photo Priscilla Du Preez / Unsplash

The type of coaching I practise is known as transformative life coaching. That’s because as well as looking at your goals and how to achieve them, we’ll also explore your values and ways of thinking, and challenge any self-talk and limiting beliefs that may be holding you back from living the life you want.

But it’s not therapy.

Therapy and counselling generally focus on what has happened in a person’s past, with the idea of understanding the causes of emotional problems and repairing the thinking, trauma and behaviours continuing to cause pain and distress. There is usually no fixed number of sessions; they continue until the client and therapist feel ready for them to end.

While therapy is focused on the past, coaching is concerned with the future.

It’s about making transformation happen, by helping you move from where you are now to where you want to be. That might mean visiting elements from your past to learn from them, but the aim is to use that history and those experiences to inform an onward journey of progress, self-discovery and empowerment. Sessions are not open-ended but have a clear endpoint.

The coaching relationship is a partnership of equals.

The coach isn’t there to ‘fix you’; instead, they are the facilitator to help you draw on your own strength and resources. Through powerful questioning, coaching can help unlock your potential, enable you to look at situations in a new way, find solutions to problems, and change unhelpful habits and patterns.

Importantly, coaching can help you identify goals and then plan the actions that will help you achieve them – then encourage and hold you accountable along the way. This is your journey and it is led by you; the coach won’t advise or tell you what to do, as a mentor might. But they can support you in the profound shifts that allow change to happen.

You will benefit from coaching if you want to explore what will truly make you happy.

If you feel overwhelmed and would benefit from time to take stock of your life with someone who won’t judge and will really listen to what you have to say. If you have a personal, career, or life goal but you’re not sure how to reach it.

If you’re ready to change your life and work towards a positive future, then why not give coaching a try? Book a free intro session with me to find out more.