The difference between coaching and therapy – a guide

The rise in popularity of both coaching and therapy reflects a broader cultural shift towards personal development and mental well-being. This means that more people are prioritizing their overall wellness in today’s society.

Since the pandemic, more people have sought out professional support to manage their emotional health and achieve their goals. According to the CDC (2022), there was an increase in people seeking telehealth services directly after the COVID-19 declaration. Additionally, there was a “significant increase” in people seeking telehealth services related to self-reported trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. 

Whether you’re struggling with mental health challenges or aiming to enhance your career, knowing the distinctions between therapy and coaching can help you make informed decisions about which service best suits your needs.

What is therapy?

Therapy (also known as counseling or psychotherapy) is a clinical practice designed to assess, diagnose, and treat a variety of mental health disorders. Therapists are trained and licensed professionals who use various therapeutic modalities to help individuals understand and manage their emotional difficulties.

Therapy often involves exploring past experiences and current emotional states to provide relief from psychological distress. 

Some therapeutic approaches include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (often popularized as CBT): Focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviors.
  
• Psychodynamic therapy: Places a heavy emphasis on unconscious thought processes and past experiences to help understand a person’s current behavior.
  
• Dialectic behavioral therapy (often popularized as DBT): a CBT approach that incorporates mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness strategies to help manage emotional and behavioral concerns.
  
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (also shortened to EMDR): a therapeutic approach that helps people to process and heal from chronic trauma or single traumatic events. 

There are multiple pathways to becoming a therapist and these trained professionals can include: psychologists, clinical social workers, or licensed professional counselors. They undergo rigorous training and adhere to ethical guidelines to provide effective and safe treatment for their clients while also maintaining client confidentiality. 

What is coaching?

Coaching is a professional relationship that focuses on personal development, goal setting, and achieving specific outcomes. Unlike therapy, coaching does not involve diagnosing or treating mental health disorders. Instead, it emphasizes helping clients improve their performance and realize their overall potential. You can use it for:

• Advancing your personal development: To work on personal goals, such as improving your overall life satisfaction or enhancing specific skills.
  
• Elevating your career: To gain guidance on career progression, leadership development, or professional growth.

Coaching is primarily concerned with personal and professional growth. It’s common to find coaches across many different areas, though if you’re looking for subject matter expertise, you’re more likely looking for a mentor. 

A few coaching categories include:

• Life coaching: Assists individuals in setting and achieving personal goals, improving their overall life satisfaction, and making meaningful changes.
• Executive coaching: Helps professionals in the workforce enhance their leadership skills, advance their careers, and navigate workplace challenges.
• Somatic coaching: Teaches clients how to use their body’s innate wisdom to identify any goals and changes they’d like to make, and develops greater self-awareness so clients can move more easily toward their goals. 
• Relationship coaching: Helps clients understand their relationship goals, patterns, needs and blocks, so they can achieve their goal of meeting a partner. 
• Fitness coaching: Perhaps the type we’re all more familiar with, fitness coaching targets physical health and often involves various fitness plans to help clients achieve improved physical wellbeing. 
• Neurodiversity coaching: Focuses on how to work with and understand one’s own unique brain in combination with others; family, school, and the workplace. Often focuses on ADHD and autism.
  

How to spot a therapist vs. a coach

Understanding how to differentiate between a therapist and a coach can help you select the right professional for your specific needs.

Required licenses and certifications 

Therapists must hold specific licenses such as Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), or Licensed Psychologist. These licenses require rigorous educational and training standards. 

A therapist is not legally (or ethically) allowed to practice independently without a license. This is because licenses ensure that the professional meets the necessary educational, training, and ethical standards as required by the respective state they are practicing in. This also helps to make sure that you (a consumer of the service) are legally protected from harmful practices and ensures the professional accountability of the provider of the service. 

By contrast, coaching certifications are not legally mandated or as regulated as therapy licenses. This means that someone can refer to themselves as a “coach” without going through a certification program. 

That said, there are several coaching organizations in existence, and more and more coaches are receiving certifications from various coaching programs or organizations like the International Coach Federation (ICF) to ensure they are providing quality services. 

Still, it’s best to be discerning because coaches may have various certifications and training, but the field is less regulated compared to therapy. And while coaches can offer very valuable support, they do not have the same formal qualifications or legal requirements as licensed therapists. 

Several coaching qualifications you can look out for:

• The International Coaching Federation 
• The International Coaching Community
• The American Association of Professional Coaches 
• The Association for Coaching 

In addition, just like when looking for the right therapist, we recommend looking at both the qualifications of the organization or individuals offering the coaching service and trusting your intuition when it comes to feeling trust and respect in the relationship.
And lastly, while a good coach does not need to have subject matter expertise just like a good therapists needn’t have experienced all the trauma in the world, some of us still prefer knowing that we’re talking to someone who’s already achieved what we want to achieve and simply put, “just gets it”. Particularly, if it’s a niche area – various types of holistic health, feminine empowerment, and so on.

Ethics and regulation

As previously mentioned, therapists operate under strict ethical guidelines and professional standards. They are bound by regulations to ensure confidentiality and the proper treatment of their clients. 

Although coaches follow ethical standards that may be outlined by their various certifications, the coaching field generally has less formal regulation compared to licensed mental health professionals. 

This may prove challenging if you feel that a coach is not adhering to a professional standard of practice. There is no licensing board or other professional regulatory body to sanction the coach. 

When to choose a therapist

A therapist may be a better fit for you if you are experiencing any of the following:

• Severe mental health symptoms: If symptoms like anxiety, depression, or mood disorders are significantly impacting your daily life.
  
• Difficulty functioning: When symptoms affect your ability to perform everyday tasks, such as getting out of bed or leaving your home.
  
• Increased irritability or emotional distress: When you experience overwhelming emotional distress or irritability.
  
• Trauma: If you have experienced significant trauma that affects your mental health and wellbeing.

When I sought a therapist, I looked for someone with the appropriate credentials, a therapeutic approach that resonated with me, and a strong track record in handling issues similar to mine. 

I always recommend that people seek a free consultation with a therapist prior to having your first session. 

Many therapists will offer a free 10-15 minute consultation so they can learn more about your needs and why you are seeking therapy at that particular time. This is also your chance to learn about your therapist’s approach and whether they will be a good fit for you. 

Some questions you may want to ask in the free consultation may include:

• Where and when did you obtain your degree?
• What professional license do you hold?
• What is your approach to treating XYZ condition?
• What therapeutic modality do you use most often?
• Do you accept my insurance?

When to choose a coach

A coach may be a better fit for you if you are looking for assistance with any of the following:

• Feeling stuck in a particular area, be it nutrition, fitness, or life direction.
• You’re ready to achieve a specific goal, just not sure how to get there. 
• You lack motivation, focus, and inspiration.
• You need more clarity in creating your roadmap.
• You’re overwhelmed and need a clear set of SMART goals.
• No one is holding you accountable to deadlines, tasks, and organization. 

When I sought a nutrition coach, I prioritized finding someone with specialized expertise in food nutrition and fat loss, a proven track record of helping people reach their weightloss goals, and a coaching style that matched my personality.  

Similarities and overlap in therapy vs. coaching 

Despite these differences, therapy and coaching do share some similarities.

• Confidentiality: Both provide a private space for clients to discuss their concerns.
  
• Documentation: Therapists and coaches may keep notes on sessions, though these documents differ in content and purpose. Therapy notes typically include detailed progress on the client’s treatment plans, symptom tracking, and billing information for insurance purposes. Coaching notes often summarize session discussions, progress on goals, and action plans. If you’re looking to save up to 6 hours a week, Upheal can help with its AI notes and templates. We recommend GIRP for coaching and SOAP or DAP for therapy, but it’s really up to you. You can read more about which note type to use when, in this article.
  
• Support: Both professionals can help you feel more supported and resourced.
  
• Clarity: Both can help you gain greater self-awareness.

Can a therapist also be a coach?

Yes, a therapist can also be a coach, provided they have the necessary training and certifications for both roles. This dual expertise can be beneficial for clients seeking both therapeutic support and goal-oriented coaching. 

However, it is important for the provider to determine at the outset of treatment what role and approach they will be using for the client. Failing to have these conversations and distinguishing the providers’ role can prove detrimental for the client and may lead to professional regulation issues for the provider. 

So which should I choose? 

If you need help with a suspected mental health disorder, require a diagnosis or treatment plan, and truly need to explore what you’re experiencing and why, it’s best you seek out therapy. Often, you may show signs of distress, depression, anxiety, trouble with relationships, sleeping, eating, or simply feel stuck in life.

If, however, you do not need to delve into the past and are more or less ready to get started working on a goal with the right amount of support and accountability – right now, as you are – then a coach can be a great way to go.

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between therapy and coaching is crucial for selecting the right support for your needs. 

Therapy is valuable for addressing mental health disorders and emotional challenges, while coaching is ideal for personal and professional development. Both services offer unique benefits and can be valuable in their own ways. 

Ultimately, the key is to know yourself and your needs (though, by the way, if you don’t know your needs or even what they are – that’s a topic for therapy). Whether you choose therapy, coaching, or a combination of both, each service plays a significant role in fostering personal growth and well-being!

Good luck and happy growing!