Life Coaching or Therapy…What’s the best fit for my family and me?

I get a lot of questions from parents about what the difference is between therapy and life coaching. This information will help answer that question and assist you in accessing what could be the right fit for you. 

Life coaching and therapy are both professions that aim to help people. Both life coaches and therapists can be experts in what they do but many life coaches niche in a specific area of expertise than therapists.

While there are overlaps between life coaching and therapy, there are differences. A coach acts as a partner and collaborator in your process, while a therapist acts as a facilitator and clinician.

Coach vs. Therapist

Coaching is a process by which a certified coach uses evidence-based approaches to identify and remove the root cause of a challenge/block, to help you discover and gain specific life skills in an area of your life that you need support so you can thrive, work in partnership with you to put together a plan of action for whatever goal you want to work on, help you find solutions, navigate through a difficult life transition or situation, identify your strengths to move you forward, create a pathway for a healthier way of life, empower you to discover how to be the best you, and keep you accountable and on track. While these are the core fundamentals of what a life coach skill set offers, the list is expandable depending on the niche in which the coach specializes.

Therapy, also called counseling or psychotherapy, is a process by which a licensed health professional primarily focuses on helping clients with mental health problems. Therapists are trained to help people struggling with mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidal thoughts, or drug addiction. They diagnose, assess, and provide treatment for mental disorders. In addition, they help clients process and heal from past hurts, trauma, and severe grief and provide crisis intervention. The goal is to reduce your symptoms, resolve the past, and help you move on to live a stable life.

Resistance to Hiring a Therapist vs. a Life Coach

Sometimes teens, and even parents, are resistant to seeing a counselor due to the stigma around mental health but may be more willing to work with a life coach, who is often viewed as a partner in achieving personal success. Hiring a coach can also serve as a preventive measure to having to hire a therapist in the future. Sometimes families, parents, and teens just need support for a period of time to work things out when a challenge comes up. Often just ignoring the issue contributes to built-up emotions, frustration, and later problems which can lead to mental health challenges. And at times, even with the expertise of a life coach, it may become evident that a counselor is needed. 

Whenever I believe the support needed is beyond my scope of expertise and my clients would be best supported by seeking out counseling, I will make the recommendation.

Finding Success in Hiring a Life Coach and a Counselor

Sometimes families, parents, and teens are best supported by hiring both a therapist and a coach, depending on the situation. For example, I have several clients (parents and young adults) diagnosed with ADHD. They hired me because they want to do a deeper dive into their diagnosis to figure out ways to overcome the part of their diagnosis that is holding them back from living a full life. So together, we explore, develop strategies, set specific goals, find helpful resources, work on the challenging divergent patterns of the ADHD brain, overcome stereotypes, and step into the gifts and positives. The diagnosis is only one part of the puzzle; the rest is figuring out a plan to thrive even with the diagnosis.

It takes the right expert to do that so it’s important to choose a life coach who understands your challenge, has the expertise in the support you need, and you feel comfortable opening up. And you need to be ready! Ready for positive change because hiring a life coach will change your life in new and amazing ways. 

Final Thoughts

Statistics show that 99% of individuals and companies who hire a coach are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the experience. In my own practice, I have seen how my support as a life coach has changed lives. So many clients (moms, dads, teens, young adults, and families) have shared with me what a difference my skill set and support have made in their lives. As much as they have shared their gratitude with me, I am grateful for them and for every life I can touch and help to improve. Because life coaching is more than a career, it’s a calling. 

If you are not sure whether your challenge needs a therapist or a life coach, I offer a complimentary consultation for assessment. Just click here.