LIFE COACH VS. THERAPIST

One of the biggest myths about life coaching is that it’s just a cover for therapy, or worse, therapy provided by an unlicensed practitioner. In truth, life coaching is a stand-alone service created to assist ambitious achievers in achieving the results that will lead to their success and fulfillment in all aspect of their lives. Here are some key distinctions between a life coach and a therapist, along with a general timeline for when each service is necessary.

DEFINING TERMS: THERAPIST VS. LIFE COACH

What is counseling? Therapy, more often known as counseling or psychotherapy, is a protracted process in which a patient collaborates with a healthcare provider to identify and treat troublesome thoughts, actions, interpersonal conflicts, emotions, and occasionally bodily reactions. The goal of therapy is to use prior traumas and concerns to alter damaging behaviors, mend and enhance relationships, and work through uncomfortable emotions. In this way, therapy emphasizes reflection and analysis of the past in order to resolve present problems and build a better, more secure future.

How does life coaching work? In life coaching, a client collaborates with a coach who is not a healthcare provider to identify obstacles and problematic behaviors, clarify goals, and develop action plans to get the results they want. The fundamental difference between a life coach and a therapist is that the former views the client’s current starting point as a suitable neutral ground and shifts to an action-based approach from there. A life coach gives the client the power to take charge of their life and make decisions that will move it in the direction of their objectives.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THERAPISTS AND LIFE COACHES

Although they occasionally assist clients with comparable issues, life coaches and therapists perform different types of work. The most noticeable distinctions between a life coach and therapist are listed below.

ONE DIFFERENCE:

THE PROGRAM’S PRIMARY GOAL

One of the key differences between life coaching and therapy is its emphasis. Life coaches help clients recognize and describe their current harmful behaviors so that they can take steps to change them. Therapists use historical analysis to better comprehend the client’s present-day behavior. In other words, whereas coaches work on “how” to achieve a goal, therapists concentrate on “why” specific behavioral patterns develop.

Your thoughts, feelings, and how your past influences them will be the main topics of your therapy. While you explore your blueprint and dissect your limiting beliefs during life coaching, while ideas may come up, the main emphasis is always on the now and the future.

Two differences:

PURPOSE OF PROGRAM

It’s crucial to note that counseling aids clients in discovering and comprehending their subconscious and unconscious minds when comparing coaching and counseling practices. In order to promote general mental health, it seeks to gain a comprehensive understanding of habits and patterns. Counseling and therapy are therefore beneficial for conditions like sadness and anxiety.

Your “unstuckness” is what life coaching aims to help you with. The goal of life coaching is to get results. KPIs and specific behavioral outcomes are how life coaches gauge their clients’ achievement. On the path to realizing your aspirations, they’ll support you in setting SMART objectives, hold you accountable, and help you celebrate your successes.

THIRD DIFFERENCE:

FRAMEWORK

While both therapy and life coaching involve talking with a qualified practitioner, Many of the organizational parallels between them stop there. More free-form sessions that are determined by the client and the style of therapy are part of therapy. Sessions with a life coach are significantly more organized, with an emphasis on practical solutions and audible progress.

The services also differ in length. Many people commit to treatment over a lengthy period of time, often for their entire lives. A life coach equips clients with the procedures and abilities they will eventually need to coach themselves, which is the major distinction between them and therapists. Life coaching isn’t intended to last a lifetime. Additionally, life coaches don’t make medical diagnoses about the clients they deal with, whereas therapists do so that their patients can receive clinical care.

COMMONALITIES BETWEEN THERAPY AND A LIFE COACH

While the answer to the question “What is therapy?” and what a life coach does are extremely different, there are some parallels. Both strive to give clients the tools they need to improve their lives and increase their productivity. Not all therapy customers are sick, despite the fact that therapists diagnose and treat from a healthcare viewpoint; many healthy people use the services of both therapists and life coaches. The termination of a specific troublesome behavior is one example of a specific outcome that therapists may strive for.

The work and procedures of therapists and life coaches are distinct, notwithstanding certain instances of overlap.

A LIFE COACH PROVIDES DIRECTION BY ASSISTING CLIENTS:

  • Identify and fulfill both personal and professional objectives.
  • Plan your business.
  • Work on enhancing communicative abilities
  • Obtain financial security and independence
  • Strive for work-life harmony
  • Launch a new business or expand an existing one.

Additional Resources:

How To Finally Get Your Life In Balance

I want to begin by clarifying that balancing your life is not something that you’re just one and done with. Frankly, balancing your life is something you must participate in on a daily and weekly basis and is not the easiest thing to achieve.

What Does Balance Mean To You?

Does balancing your life mean having an equal ratio of busy and relaxing days? Does it involve daily self-care to make up for a hard day? Does balancing mean weekends are scheduled for maximum relaxation and quality time with your partner, family, friends or yourself?

Strive For Balance

1. Set More Boundaries

The first step is evaluating your tasks with the goal of seeing what needs to be done immediately and what can be done later. Set strict boundaries with yourself such as making sure you don’t work so much, spend too much time watching TV, or agree to take more work than you want. Sometimes it’s important to actually push yourself out of the door when you are considering staying late to work. Maybe it is making an effort to stop yourself if you engage in an activity or behavior that doesn’t benefit you. Time is everything, but you can only do what your life and energy will allow.

A boundary is putting a limit on yourself or someone else, saying no and possessing the discipline to participate in things that will ultimately benefit you. Can you think of any areas of your life that could use a boundary or two?

2. Take The Time To Enjoy Yourself

Letting yourself have fun with certainly result in greater productivity in other areas of your life. Fun should be on the top of your priorities, not the bottom. If you are not enjoying your current life situation, then what are you really doing here?

What can you change that allows your smile, laugh and love the life that you have?

Three ways to have more fun:

  1. Decide on a community event to attend such as a fair, a museum trip, a play or a concert with your favorite artist.
  2. Pick up a hobby and spend at least an hour a week on it. You’ll be surprised how therapeutic that short break can be.
  3. Find something that makes you laugh. Go to a local standup venue, be around someone you love to laugh with, or simply watch your favorite comedian online. There’s no greater medicine than laughter!

3. Determine Where Your Life Needs Balancing

Evaluate your life situation and determine what area needs balancing and then put your attention on addressing those areas.

Could use some exercise? Need a break? Haven’t spent time with close friends? You’ll need to begin delegate your time to be able to compensate for the areas that are lacking your attention.

Everyone’s life could use some balancing; take the time to determine where you could be giving more attention on a daily and weekly basis. Create boundaries for yourself, have fun, and create your ideal life schedule. Getting your life balanced will allow you to enjoy life to its fullest potential, feel greater peace and even contribute to greater productivity in other areas of your life.

If you find that balancing your life warrants no effort, then you may want to consider becoming a professional Life Coach to help others who are struggling to achieve the life that they want. Our complete online life coach certification training program will teach you the industry of helping others live a better life, achieve their dreams, and grow into the person they’ve always wanted to be.