Coaching vs Counselling

Life coaching is a relatively new field, and it is common to have confusions about what exactly a coach does. First and foremost, coaching is not therapy or counselling, though some overlap is possible.

A key difference is that counselling or therapy is carried out with a psychologist, who is a trained medical professional. Life coaching is guided by a certified life coach who has no medical training.

There are also fundamental differences in the focus, targets, and process employed by both sets of professionals.

A therapist typically focuses on helping a client understand the ‘why’ behind certain behaviour patterns, allowing them to better understand their behaviour. A life coach on the other hand, provides tools and methods for altering unwanted patterns, working on ‘how’ you can achieve certain end goals.

The target of life coaching is often to identify your limiting beliefs and empowering you to alter them as needed. Essentially, a coach allows you to navigate to a future you want, while a therapist often helps you come to terms with your past. A therapist is also qualified to diagnose mental health issues and offer treatment for the same. A life coach does not diagnose or treat mental illnesses or try to understand the workings of the subconscious mind. Instead, a coach helps you move away from established unproductive patterns and achieve specific goals through specific actions.

Therapy is also a long-term process, usually involving years of work to understand and sort out past experiences. It is also common for patients to require lifelong therapy for dealing with medical condition such as depression and anxiety. Life coaching is shorter term and equips you with the skills to essentially ‘coach yourself’ to achieve the goals and targets you want. It does not diagnose or deal with mental illness and is about helping mentally fit people become more happy, efficient, and successful.