I’m frequently asked what is the difference between coaching and therapy. When do you need a life coach, and when do you need a therapist?
My short answer is this: If you can’t get out of bed to go to work in the morning, you need a therapist. If you can get to work but you hate your job, you need a life coach.
About Life coaching
A life coach helps you identify your unspoken thoughts. Coaching highlights what you are thinking and how those thoughts create your emotions, actions and results in your life. A coach can help you get from where you are to where you want to be.
Life Coaches specialize in Mental Health (which is not just the absence of mental illness). Mental health is the well-being of our thoughts, emotions and behaviors.
Life coaches help a functioning person go from good to great to amazing, focusing on the present and the future (not the past).
Life coaches help people who are functioning daily but unhappy or stuck mentally or emotionally
Life coaching doesn’t diagnose and or do other testing.
About Therapists
Therapists help people who aren’t functioning well daily, or have mental illness, addictions, abuse, trauma, etc. Therapists are trained to diagnose and create a treatment plan based on the diagnosis. They also help those that are functioning well daily but still want to improve their life.
Therapists have extensive education, training, testing and ethics to maintain licensure. Currently the Coaching industry is unregulated. Know what you are looking for and what they are trained in and offering. (See my ABOUT page for my training.)
A few reasons to hire a life coach:
- learning skills like mindfulness, meditation, emotional regulation, weight management, communication and strengthening relationships
- help with body image, confidence, managing anxiety, or depression that isn’t clinical
- life transitions, goals, money management, business building or life and business balance, parenting, time management, etc
- you don’t have or don’t want a diagnosis or just want to work on thoughts, skills, and creating new results in your life
A good life coach will never pretend that they know what you should do. They will help you see your thinking and help you figure out what YOU want and how to get it, using your OWN mind. YOU know best, but can’t always see it clearly.
You may find yourself not making progress with a certain coach or therapist. Some coaches will try to do work they aren’t trained in and some therapists only work with the past and subconscious. Some therapists stay focused on what you think and feel without moving to skills for moving forward, while other therapists can help you with all your needs. If you are feeling stuck, it may be time for a new therapist or coach.
Everyone should have either a life coach and/or a therapist at some point.
We ALL need to learn mental health skills and benefit greatly from a trained perspective – It’s hard to read the label from inside the bottle.
My life has improved dramatically because of BOTH the therapy and coaching I’ve participated in.
I’m doing free sessions for missionaries and parents. Schedule a time for a FREE session. Have a quick question? Shoot me an email at info@jillfreestone.com. I’d love to hear from you.
