Many people wonder whether life coaching is the same
thing as counseling, or even therapy. After all, there are many life
coaches who started out as counselors or therapists and who coach their
clients using the therapy model.
I would like to make a clear
distinction between coaching and therapy for anyone interested in
engaging me as his or her life coach. To help you and me make that
distinction, I offer the table of contrasts labeled Coaching vs Therapy available for you to read below this introduction.
When you have read and thought about the following information, you will be able to make a more informed decision about whether or not life coaching is for you.
Let me encourage you to contact Coach Reed for further discussion of this information or for a free initial life coaching consultation...
Is a learning/developmental model, focusing on attainable goals and possibilities.
Deals with a healthy client desiring a better situation.
Supports a client who desires to move to a higher or better level of functioning.
Is about understanding the past as context for creating the future.
Deals mostly with a person’s present, seeking to help them design and act on behalf of a more desirable future.
Asks WHAT? And HOW? Seeks active creation.
Helps clients learn new skills and tools to build a more satisfying successful future; focuses on goals.
Is a co-creative equal partnership: A life coach offers perspectives and helps client discover own answers.
Focuses on action and outcomes.
Assumes emotions are natural and normalizes them.
Coach stands with client, helping him or her identify challenges, then partners to turn challenges into victories, holding client accountable to reach desired goals.
Coaching style acts as a catalyst to challenge, is direct, uses straight talk and accountability.
Personal growth and progress are rapid and usually enjoyable.
Personal, relevant disclosure by coach is used as a learning aid.
Coach is responsible for process: Client is responsible for results.
Is a medical/clinical model, relies on diagnosis.
Deals with identifiable dysfunctions in a person.
Treats a patient who usually has difficulty functioning.
Is about fixing the past.
Deals mostly with a person’s past and trauma, seeks healing.
Asks WHY? Seeks insight.
Helps patients resolve old pain; focuses on relieving pain/symptoms.
Is a doctor-patient relationship: The therapist has the answers.
Focuses on process and feelings.
Assumes emotions are a symptom of something wrong.
Therapist diagnoses, then provides professional expertise/guidelines to provide a path to healing.
Therapist's style is one of patient nurturing: It is indirect, evocative, parental & cathartic.
Progress is often slow and painful.
Limited, if any, personal disclosure is made by the therapist.
The therapist is responsible for both process and outcomes.
