Difference between Coaching and Therapy

COACHING

THERAPY

Coaching works with people who are:

Therapy works with people:

• Seeking focus, strategy and motivation
• Eager to move to a higher level of functioning
• Asking “how to”
• Designing their future, learning new skills and seeking more balance in their lives

• Psychologically dysfunctional in a some way
• Seeking self-understanding
• Asking “why”
• Dealing with old issues, emotional pain or traumas, seeking resolution and healing

Approach with Coaching:

Approach with Therapy:

• Begins with premise the client is whole
• Refers individuals with prolonged depression, severe anxiety, phobias, harmful addictions and destructive or abusive behaviour patterns to mental health professionals
• Primary focus on actions and the future
• Oriented toward solving problems through action
• Works mainly with the conscious mind
• Assists the clients in identifying, prioritizing and implementing choices
• Helps client learn new skills and tools for personal growth and mastery
• Helps client get clear on his or her own values and align actions to them
• Encourages and requests proactive behaviour

• Begins with the premise that client needs healing
• Treats individuals with prolonged depression, severe anxiety, phobias, harmful and destructive or abusive behaviour patterns
• Primary focus on feelings and history
• Works to bring unconscious into conscious
• Assists the client in untangling unconscious conflicts which interfere with choices
• Helps client resolve old pain and terminate old coping mechanisms.

Process of Coaching:

Process of Therapy:

• Focused on recognizing and developing potential
• Main tools include accountability, inquiry, goal-setting and strategy
• Deals mainly with external issues, looks for external solutions to internal blocks

• Focused on healing and restoring functioning
• Main tools include listening, reflecting, confrontation and interpretation
• Deals mainly with internal issues; looks for internal resolution