Occasionally, people get confused about coaching vs therapy. Both therapists and coaches support many successful professionals for a variety of different reasons. There are also many commonalities between the two practices. Both can focus on addressing behavior changes and evoking awareness shifts that power transformation can feel exploratory and open-ended, driven by powerful questions and a client’s self-guided discovery of their feelings and experiences.
However, several key differentiators can help you distinguish between hiring one or the other. Depending on your goals, it’s critical to understand differences.
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Key Differences of Coaching vs Therapy
Therapists Help With Past & Current Mental Health Issues
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with mental illness. Mental health therapists are uniquely trained and qualified to help people with these issues. If you are facing chronic depression or anxiety, addiction, trauma, or other mental health challenges, therapy is for you. If you have suicidal ideation or thoughts of harming someone else, emergency help is available.
Coaches are not trained to respond professionally to this set of issues. While some coaches have personal experience or specializations, coaches will refer clients to a trained psychologist or therapist.
Coaching Focuses on the Present and Future, Not the Past
Unlike forms of psychotherapy that examine past trauma and hurt and endeavor to create new neural pathways for present and future healing, coaching primarily looks at the here and now. Co-Active coaching asserts that the human getting coached is already naturally creative, resourceful, and whole. Of course, coaching also leverages the present state and feelings to power new awareness that produces change but does not generally dig deeply into past events to inform future steps.
Coaching Sessions Require Homework and Goal-Setting
While some therapists may use goal setting and homework, Co-Active coaches build a strong system for accountability with their clients, designing specific follow-up and work for the clients between sessions. They also help clients set goals for the coaching engagement, being clear with clients about what success looks like for the length of the coaching relationship.
Coaching Does Not Go on Forever
Coaching is the rocket fuel that propels change and shifts in the client’s life and will not continue indefinitely. When a client achieves the goals of a coaching engagement, the coach brings the work with the client to a close purposefully and intentionally.
The Coach Boldly Holds Up a Mirror to the Client
The coach’s role is an active one; in addition to asking questions, acknowledging what is going on for the client, and listening deeply, the coach is also boldly there to interrupt, mirror, reflect, and call the client forth to help them design actions that break the barriers to their own transformation.
Coaches Receive Credentials; Therapists Become Licensed
Another difference between coaching vs. therapy is the training and accreditation process they undergo to prepare for their work. Therapists have rigorous training standards, supervision, and practice governed by state or other jurisdictional licensing boards. Earning a license as a professional counselor involves completing a Master’s program in counseling or a similar field. These programs generally require 48 to 60 credits and hands-on training through an internship and practicum. These degrees are required to be accredited by regional governing bodies.
Coaches receive credentials from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), which oversees standards for ethics, quality, exams, and ongoing professional training and ensures coaches are trained by an accredited coaching school that mandates supervision and mentoring. Through courses at the Co-Active Training Institute, you can receive a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) credential and pursue certification to become certified by the ICF — for example, as an Associate, Professional, or Master Certified Coach (ACC, PCC or MCC).
Do You Need a Coach or a Therapist?
If you are thinking of embarking on a period of personal growth and transformation, these coach vs. therapist guidelines will help you decide which support will be most effective. Both therapy and coaching can be incredibly valuable in different seasons of life and can lead you to greater health and vibrancy. And both vocations are meaningful.
Coach Training With Co-Active Training Institute
Co-Active Training Institute is an established leader in the Coach Training Industry for those who have examined the differences between coaching vs. therapy and determined that they want to pursue a vocational path to help others experience transformation through coaching. We have trained more than half of the world’s active coaches with our proven and experiential training model. The natural journey from our fundamentals course to our professional coaching certification program will prepare you for an impact on your future coaching clients and broaden your network of aspiring and certified coaches.
Learn more about our courses and experiences on our website and contact us today to get started on your path to becoming a certified coach.