Do I Need Therapy or Coaching?
With the growing number of coaches—as well as therapists and psychologists who are adding coaching to their services or fully transitioning into coaching—it can be confusing to know what’s right for you. If you’re unsure about the differences or what would best support you right now, you’re not alone.
As a therapist practicing for 20+ years, I feel both are helpful and can benefit clients in different ways and at different phases of personal growth.
Let’s first talk about the similarities and differences between Therapy and Coaching
(Prefer to jump right to determining what is right for you right now? Scroll below)
SIMILARITIES
Therapists and Coaches:
· Create a relationship of safety and trust · Look to their clients to determine goals they want reach by the end of services · Help enhance personal growth · Assist clients to make changes with limiting beliefs and/or unwanted behavioral patterns · Use similar approaches and interventions when working with clients such as Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Positive Psychology · Share similar areas of focus such as coping tools, self-esteem, self-confidence, changing limiting beliefs, communication or assertiveness skills, decision making, time management, self-care, and/or healthy boundary setting to name a few · Therapists and Coaches may have their own areas of expertise. For example, therapists may specialize in couples, trauma, sex therapy, eating disorders, etc. Coaches may title themselves as Health and Wellness Coach, Business Coach, Finance Coach, etc. |
DIFFERENCES
THERAPY COACHING
| Often past focused to heal from beliefs, emotions, and reactions that continue to be activated in the present. Reactions that impact a person’s ability to function daily or keep them from reaching their potential or life goals. | Present and future focused. Coaching helps identify and break down actionable steps to achieve goals. |
| Normally meet once a week but may be more depending on severity of symptoms and safety issues. | May involve more frequent check-ins and access to your coach for accountability. |
| Tends to work at a deeper emotional and physiological level to improve overall internal regulation of thoughts, emotions, and reactions. | May understand underlying issues impacting a client’s obstacles to growth, and may touch upon these areas, but do not go in depth. The focus may be on bringing understanding, empathy, and coping tools and then refer to a licensed therapist or psychologist for deeper healing and resolution if needed. |
| There tends to be more stigma around therapy because of a possible mental health diagnosis and having it on one’s medical record that is kept with the therapist. However, a mental health diagnosis can help in obtaining further treatment and/or resources to help in the healing journey. | Coaches do not diagnose and do not keep a medical record. |
| Require a Master’s level degree and 3,000 hours of experience to take the licensing exam. After licensure, required to complete continuing education every two years to maintain their license. | Training ranges from a 24-hour online certification process up to obtaining a 2- to 3-year university education. Although not regulated, many coaches continue to educate themselves to keep updated on latest approaches and strengthen their skills. |
| Therapists are regulated by a licensing board with specific law and ethical standards. This includes maintaining confidentiality. | The coaching industry is not currently regulated but according to Global Advances in Health and Wellness, the National Consortium for Credentialing Health and Wellness Coaches (NCCHWC) are in the process of developing educational standards and practice guidelines for coaches. |
Guidelines to determine if Therapy or Coaching is right for you right now
Now that you understand the similarities and differences, let’s ask a few questions to determine which is best for you at this current stage and goals. Therapy or coaching?
When therapy is best to start:
o What you’re currently experiencing is significantly impacting your ability to function in your daily obligations.
o Having significant difficulty with sleep whether too little, too much, or often disrupted through the night.
o Can’t concentrate on tasks for work, school, chores making it hard to complete them.
o Your current experience is impacting your relationships. Frequent arguing, snapping, distancing, withdrawing, isolating, and/or avoiding social interaction.
o Frequently running low on energy, having brain fog, feeling numb to your body or emotions.
o Finding it difficult to control your thoughts, physical sensations, impulsivity, anger, or experiencing panic attacks.
o Frequent intrusive memories of past adverse life experiences that activate intense and prolonged reactions and are difficult to stop or control.
o Need substances to function daily and/or use is impacting your ability to function and meet obligations.
o Negative beliefs make it difficult or paralyze you to take steps of action for change.
o Avoid or procrastinate on a task that otherwise moves you towards educational, career, health, or finance goals.
o Are angry at yourself, blame yourself for not meeting goals or expectations.
o Have negative beliefs around money or food such as fear of scarcity.
o Food is used as a source of comfort or a need for control.
o Negative beliefs of self that originate from childhood or other adverse life experience.
If you answered yes to several of these questions, therapy may be the place to begin. Deep healing, stability, and emotional and/or physical regulation makes coaching goals easier to follow through and achieve. Starting coaching first while being significantly impacted in your day to day can hinder steps of action and cause more frustration and/or reinforce negative beliefs of blame, shame, or guilt. Creating a negative cycle.
On the other hand, healing and improved nervous system regulation creates flow in the body and mind. Making space for clarity, decision making, creativity, flow of ideas, motivation, and energy. Creates space to easily and eagerly take steps of action with your coaching goals. Achieving these goals strengthens feelings of empowerment, confidence, and pride which leads to further motivation. Creating a positive cycle.
When Coaching is best to start:
o Life is overall going well but want or need to make a transition in one area of your life.
o There is a sudden, unexpected, external change and need guidance to make a shift.
o Feeling lost after a divorce, significant break up, or loss and want to find yourself again. Need help finding direction.
o Ready to focus on you and your needs whether it’s health, career, finances.
o Space has been created in your life right now that allows you to finally focus on that dream you’ve been wanting.
o You tired of being stuck in a rut, whether in your career or health, and ready to make a change and need guidance on how to do so.
o Want to start your own business and need guidance on how to get it off the ground and get it right from the start so you don’t have to correct things later.
o Imposter syndrome is getting in the way of taking action.
o Need accountability for the change you’re making. Making sure someone is keeping you on track.
o Need an expert in a specific area of focus to help you take the right steps and teach you what you need to know.
o Need help taking a big idea and breaking it down into manageable steps. Help knowing where to start.
o Tired of negative beliefs keeping you from your dream and want to learn how to break them.
With my own clients, we reach a point when past wounds are healed and there is a natural shift in focus and goals. They begin to discuss opening a business, improve the business they already have, shift interests, or ready to focus on their physical health. It’s at this point I bring the idea of transitioning to a coach with expertise in their new area of focus.
Collaborating with coaches further benefits my clients and they’re in a better mental and emotional space to benefit most from working with a coach. Getting more from their investment.
Finally, because many coaches are also current therapists or have been previously, I feel working with a coach focusing on a life transition is beneficial. The main question is if your current state is causing significant impact on your daily routine, functioning, or close relationships, it may be best to begin with therapy.
If you still need guidance to determine where the best place is to start and you're located near San Marcos, CA, please contact me for a free 20-minute consultation.